Angela Taylor has replaced James Ashton as the new Head Coach of Great Britain Under-18 Women.

Ashton, who has stepped down because of work commitments, had been in charge since August 2020 after his previous role of Assistant Coach of Great Britain Women.

Taylor is currently Head Coach of Haringey Under-16sA and U16s Girls and is one of the most decorated players in Great Britain Women history.

As a player, she made 54 international appearances for GB – one of only seven players to reach the 50-cap milestone. She also leads GB Women in points (70), goals (39) and assists (31).

National Development Head Coach, Tony Hand MBE, said: “James has been a lynchpin of the Great Britain Women’s programme for a long time and he will be sadly missed.

“I’d like to thank James for his role in developing some of our best young talent for nearly a decade.

“It’s extremely exciting to be able to bring Angela Taylor onto the women’s coaching staff as Head Coach of the under-18s.

“Angela is one of the best players this country has ever produced and is now making her mark as a coach.

“She has respect all over the ice hockey world and her talent and knowledge will be huge for the programme.”

Taylor said: “The opportunity to work with the under-18s is a dream come true for me.

“I was so impressed watching the girls in the Four Nations tournament in Iceland before Christmas. We have a solid group of players, many of whom have improved a lot since then.

“Cheryl Smith, Michelle Smith and James Ashton have built a really solid foundation for the junior women’s programme, so it’s in great shape to take over.

“I’m lucky to retain Jenny (Hehir) and Nic (Lazarczuk) on the coaching staff and am really looking forward to working with them and the rest of the staff.

“I’ll bring a lot of passion and energy into this role and I’m really looking to getting on the ice with this talented group.”