Jasmine Horner Pascoe: Ice Fernz player previews the IIHF World Championships in Dunedin

Both our men’s and women’s ice hockey teams are lacing up their skates, preparing for the IIHF World Championships in Dunedin. 

The women will be hitting the ice from the 14-20th of April, while the men follow suit from April 27th to the 3rd of May. 

Ice Fernz star player Jasmine Horner Pascoe joined Lesley Murdoch for a chat about the tournament, the excitement it’s bringing to new Zealand, and her journey to a sport well known for its rough and tumble. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning Jasmon, Good morning team.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
How are you?

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Oh, we're very good. Now this is the World Championship.
It's actually down in Dunedin, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
Yes, you got homeworlds for a change, lovely.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
And what level is this?

Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is two B.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Right, I can remember back and so we are. In
twenty twenty five and twenty twenty three, I was over
in Cape Town and South Africa and we had an
ice hockey team playing over there.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yes, same team, same team, same division. Yep.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
And was that were you there?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
No? I wasn't. I had a baby that year.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Oh yes, wonderful wife, mother, absolute superstar athlete ice hockey.
How did you get involved in ice hockey?

Speaker 2 (00:42):
My big brother Kyle, he started playing. He's five years older.
He started playing in line when I was five. So
I was a spectator and just bugged Mum and dad,
I've got to play this. Please let me play it.
And I was so small I couldn't even see over
the board. So they were a little bit hesitant, but
they let me add it. And here we are.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Because a lot of people would say that it's quite
a even though you've got the pad in quite a
brutal bang. It can be.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Yeah, it's full contact, a bit more brutal for the
boys because they can check and things like that, but yeah,
definitely you come away with a few injuries here and there.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
So tell us a little bit about the World Championship
down in Dunedin.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
So yeah, Vision two B where you will be competing
by against five other teams Ukraine, Hong Kong, Australia, Belgium
and Turkey. So got Ozzie in there. W it's you know,
always a good rivalry. Oh yes, So we'll play through
from Monday to fourteenth through to the following Sunday, and yeah,

(01:38):
it's a round robin, so essentially we have to be
winning all our games and if we win, we go,
we get promoted to a higher division and what if
if you lose, you get relegated. So that's how ice
hockey works in World Championships. So you don't go and
play everybody. You're playing the people that you really can
compete with, and you're trying to have growth in your

(01:59):
country so you can move up the divisions.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
And you clearly are seeing that growth.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, absolutely, Yeah, there's some really great people involved in
New Zealand and ice hockey now, especially our younger girls.
Last year, our UA team's team went away one and
they were promoted, and they did really well this year
to stay in that higher division because it's a really
big jump and some of the teams you're playing, you know,
they're on ice together way more than we are, so

(02:27):
they did amazing. So yeah, you can see that growth.
And our you twenty boys went away and one this year,
so really incredible.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Talking of time on the ice, how much or how
many hours have you been able to get together as
a New Zealand team heading into this World Champs.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
So we came away to camp on Tuesday eighth and
we've tried to get on ice approximately twice a day.
We had a warm up game last night against Ukraine,
which is really good. Does some of those cobwebs off?
So yeah, Unfortunately New Zealand, because you know, we're all
spread out, tend to play with our regional group quite
a bit. But we've got great coaches, coaches that can

(03:05):
see that chemistry and things like that, so sometimes you're
kept with people you regularly play with to try and
make that work.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Jesson, I've been looking at some of the stats that
you have achieved yourself. I mean, you're a superscorer. You
are often the most valuable player in a team. You're
often the top point scorer. You are, as I said
right at the beginning, an absolute superstar. I mean, how
did you manage to progress to this elite end?

Speaker 2 (03:31):
I have just a lot of determination, you know, I
have a lot of sacrifice over the years, you know,
teenage years. Oh you've come to a party. No, I've
got hockey and it was just always the priority and
my family have enabled it. I remember back when I
was about thirteen, a senior woman in line team asked

(03:52):
me to play for them and they were in the
north shore enough in South Auckland, and Dad drove me
there three times a week, an ultimate traffic. So they
they are absolutely enabled. And then when I had my
little boy, I wanted to come back and got a
come back strong and my wife hal take court, what
do we need to do? So less she's got him
for the week, We'll come down on Monday. So yeah,
I'm supported by really really great people, and when it

(04:14):
comes down to my stats, I'm surrounded by an amazing team.
Like I've played hockey with Angeline Malari, who's absolutes of
stuff for years and we just p bounced really well together.
So yeah, definitely not all me.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Well, for a lot of our listeners, it will be
a new sport for them to keep an eye on.
As you mentioned, it starts Monday, right, yeah, and a
name that we can check out, Jasmine Horner Pasco. And
let's hope that we can see some visual broadcast of it.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Yes, yep, there will be live streaming of it. So
those links if people go to the New Zealand Iceperans
Facebook or Instagram page, they'll be able to find those links.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Oh that's fantastic. Look, we've really loved having a chat
to you. As I say, it's not a dreamline sport.
You know, people here into their rugby, whether it's field
hockey or netball or cricket or whatever. But we do
know there is a very strong passion for ice hockey
and especially in christ Church the Alpine Ice Arena is
utilized hugely. And look, we just wanted to wish their

(05:17):
ice ferns. I know the guys will be in action
a little later in the month as well, but Jasmine
Horne of PESCO, go really well and keep scoring that
and what do they call it? Stay classy? And keep
that puck moving.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
So thank you for the support, guys, We really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
We're right in behind you, all of you.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
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