In a nerve game against Austria, the German national ice hockey team of women laid the foundation stone for the Olympic qualification.
At the start of the qualification tournament in Bremerhaven, the selection of national coach Jeff Macleod celebrated a 2: 0 (1: 0, 1: 0, 0: 0) against the neighbor on Thursday (06.02.2025). Other opponents are Slovakia and Hungary until Sunday, the tournament winner will go to the winter games 2026 in Milan.
Celina Haider (24th) from ERC Ingolstadt had succeeded in the eminently important leadership in the post -poking. “That was a great relief”, said Haider. In addition, the team of the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) was always able to rely on his goalkeeper Sandra Abtriter, who plays in the North American PWHL for Montreal Victoire. The first relaxation brought it 2-0 by Emily Nix (36.).
Olympic participation would bring funding
If the Olympic qualification succeeds, further funding is in prospect of more places in the Bundeswehr. At the moment, these are the only way to be able to exercise ice hockey professionally as a woman in Germany.
While the men with their sensational silver medal at the 2018 Winter Games and their second place at the 2023 World Cup made the leap into the top, the women are still waiting for their big moment. The last Olympic Games with German participation were eleven years ago, so far it has been enough. This time the step from the niche should succeed on the big stage.
Deb sports director Christian Künast continues to see ice hockey as “Male domain, but that’s not actually. He appreciates Künast before the tournament start, the German women on the “international shoe size 34/35”.