The German ice hockey women’s dress rehearsal for the Winter Olympics failed. Eight days before their preliminary round duel at the Winter Games, Canadian national coach Jeff MacLeod’s team lost 2:3 (1:1, 0:1, 1:0, 0:1) after extra time against Japan in Peiting.
“Japan is our second opponent in Milan, so it will be a very good assessment for us,” said captain Daria Gleißner before the test.
Her teammate Jule Schiefer initially delivered the hoped-for proof of performance by taking the lead in the first third in front of 2,308 fans (12th).
After the quick answer from Akane Shiga (13th), the deficit was followed by Yumeka Wajima (29th) in the power play in the second third. Before the end, Celina Haider (56th) saved the DEB team into extra time, where Shiga scored again after just 27 seconds to make the final score 2:3.
The defeat marked the end of the German Olympic training camp in Füssen, Bavaria. On Saturday both teams will move into their quarters in the Olympic Village in Milan. The Germans start there on Thursday against Sweden (12.10 p.m./ZDF and Eurosport). In Germany’s only fourth Olympic participation after Sochi 2012, they will meet Japan again two days later.
