Great Britain Under-18 Women’s head coach Michelle Smith says she is proud of the squad as they secured fourth place in the eight-team World Championship (Division 1 Qualification) in Austria.
GB, who were seeded eighth going into the tournament, were beaten 2-0 by Kazakhstan in the bronze-medal game yesterday.
Smith said: “They girls have come such a long way, not just in the past few months but since we have been in Austria.
“The progress they have made since the international tournament in Sheffield back in November is quite remarkable.
“There were some tears in the dressing room after we had lost, but that shows how far we have come.
“There is no disgrace at finishing fourth here but it shows the determination they have that they were disappointed not to win the medal.
“There is plenty for us as coaching team to be excited about and the prospect for GB women’s hockey is very healthy.
“They were a great group of girls on this squad and a pleasure to work with.”