Segedi stars in big win

2 October 2021 Vanke Rays, WHL

7.62 Moscow Region 0 KRS Vanke Rays 4 (0-1, 0-2, 0-1)

A hat-trick from Anna Segedi led the Vanke Rays to a first regulation-time victory of the season in
Voskresensk. Her performance paced a comfortable victory over a youthful 7.62 team, which has yet
to beat the Lady Dragons in five attempts.
Segedi’s goals came as she was named September’s Rookie of the Month in the WHL. That award
was based on her two goals against Agidel and SKIF in our previous games. Indeed, Anna, 20,
remained the only one of our players to score in regulation until late in the second period of this
game when Taylor Lum potted our third. Not to be left out, Segedi got the helper on that one.
While September’s prize is Anna’s first in the WHL, it’s far from her first individual honor. During her
NCAA career she was regularly singled out as a top performer for St. Lawrence University in the
ECAC. On stepping up from U19 hockey to the college game, Segedi landed the ECAC rookie of the
month award in her first weeks at St. Lawrence. And throughout her two-year career in the NCAA,
she picked up prizes, culminating in a player of the month award in February 2021, not long before
she joined the Vanke Rays for this season.
That move enables Anna to consolidate the progress she has made as part of the Team China
program. Although born in the USA, she has Chinese heritage and her long-standing involvement in
the national program makes her eligible to play at next year’s Olympics. And, based on the evidence
of her play since joining KRS, she could be one of the revelations of the tournament. In pre-season,
she was one of the most prominent players on the China Select roster that contested the Sochi Open
Cup; now she’s establishing herself as a leader in the WHL for the Vanke Rays.
In Friday’s game at 7.62, Segedi opened the scoring late in the first period, converting our second
power play of the afternoon when she smashed home a one-timer from the right-hand dot off a
Zhixin Liu feed.
Then in the middle frame Anna doubled the lead when she fired home from the deep slot. Late in
the same session she was involved again, stealing the puck from Polina Belozyorova in center ice and
advancing on the home net before setting up Taylor Lum’s first of the season – and all on the penalty
kill.
Midway through the third, Segedi completed her first hat-trick in this league, stuffing home the
rebound after another Zhixin Lui point shot. This time there was a video review on the play amid
concerns about interference on goalie Anna Alpatova, but the goal was given.
Today’s game was not just about the Rays’ offense, though. It also marked the first shut-out of the
season for the Lady Dragons, with Kimberly Newell stopping 13 shots while in front of her the
defense delivered a fine display to restrict 7.62’s chances throughout the 60 minutes. Friday’s victory
moves KRS up to fifth in the table, ahead of today’s opponent. The teams meet again on Sunday,
with the Vanke Rays seeking a sixth successive victory over their rival from Moscow Region.