2015 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship


The 2015 IIHF World Women's U18 Championships was the eighth World Women's U18 Championship. The top division tournament was played in Buffalo, United States, from 5 to 12 January 2015. Twenty nations played in three levels, with promotion and relegation for the top and bottom teams at each level.
The United States won their fourth title defeating Canada in overtime in the Gold medal game, with Jincy Dunne scoring on the power play. This was the eighth consecutive final between the two nations, evening their all-time records. The Bronze medal game was also a rematch from the previous year, this time the Russians defeated the Czechs earning their first ever medal at this level.
In Division I play the French earned their first ever promotion to the top level. They opened the tournament with a shootout win over Norway and won the rest of their games earning a trip to St. Catherines for 2016.

Format

The preliminary round is divided into two pools that placed the top four seeds into Group A, and the bottom four in Group B. The top two finishers in Group A advances directly to the semifinals, while the two remaining teams and the top two in Group B will play a quarterfinal round. The bottom two teams from Group B will play a relegation series to determine the one team that gets relegated.

Preliminary round

All times are local.
Legend
Advances to the Semifinals
Advances to the Quarterfinals
Play in the Relegation Round

Group A

Group B

Relegation series

The third and fourth placed team from Group B will play a best-of-three series to determine the relegated team.

Final round

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

Fifth place game

Bronze medal game

Gold medal game

Final standings

4
5
6
7
8

Relegated to the 2016 Division I

Tournament awards

;Best players selected by the directorate
Best Goalkeeper Valeria Tarakanova
Best Defenseman Jincy Dunne
Best Forward Sarah Potomak

Source:
;Media All Stars
Goalkeeper Valeria Tarakanova
Defenceman Jincy Dunne
Defenceman Micah Hart
Forward Fanuza Kadirova
Forward Sarah Potomak
Forward Melissa Samoskevich
Most Valuable Player Sarah Potomak

Source:

Statistics

Scoring leaders

PosPlayerCountryGPGAPts+/−PIM
1Sarah Potomak5549+84
2Rebecca Gilmore5279+46
3Melissa Samoskevich5628+66
4Fanuza Kadirova6538+50
5Jincy Dunne5358+40
6Élizabeth Giguère5347+76
6Anna Shokhina5347+70
8Anniina Kaitala5246+30
9Sanni Hakala5505+14
9Alina Müller55054
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/− = Plus-minus; PIM = Penalties In Minutes
Source:

Goaltending leaders

PosPlayerCountryTOIGAGAASv%SO
1Andrea Brändli310:0081.5594.941
2Anni Keisala240:0051.2594.741
3Kaitlin Burt225:5141.0692.310
4Marlène Boissonnault245:5171.7191.950
5Valeria Tarakanova328:02152.7491.850
TOI = Time On Ice ; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; Sv% = Save Percentage; SO = Shutouts
Source:

Division I

Division I 'A'

The Division I 'A' tournament was played in Vaujany, France, from 4 to 10 January 2015.

Division I Qualification

The Division I Qualification tournament was played in Katowice, Poland, from 19 to 25 January 2015. Denmark won all five games in their debut, earning promotion to the Division I 'A' tournament for 2016.