dThe German women's hockey team finished the world championship in sixth place after another narrow defeat. National coach Jeff MacLeod's team lost the qualifying match against Switzerland in Utica, USA, after extra time on Saturday, 2:3 (0:1, 2:1, 0:0). However, the DEB team achieved its best result since fourth place in 2017. Last year, Germany placed eighth.
This means that at the 2025 World Cup in the Czech Republic the DEB team will once again compete in Group B and there they must reach third place to be able to advance to the round of the first eight. In group A, much stronger, with the best countries USA and Canada, Germany would have already secured the quarterfinals.
I came back twice
“We would have liked to reach the semi-finals, now we want fifth place. That is our main objective,” announced the great German goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter after the bitter 0-1 quarter-final defeat against the Czech Republic. The Ottawa goalkeeper, the only active German in the new North American professional league, was once again the great support in the first third. However, shortly before the end of the first round, the 25-year-old had no chance. Swiss Alina Müller scored 0-1 (minute 18).
The Germans were not worried about the goal conceded. A perfect assist from Luisa Welcke easily took twin sister Lilli Welcke into the Swiss goal and made it 1-1 (31). The brothers play together in North America for Boston University. After Lara Stalder took the lead again (33'), Emily Nix from ERC Ingolstadt equalized again (39').
In the third half, Germany had to overcome some critical situations, but also had the opportunity to score the winning goal in the final minutes. With his second goal in extra time, Müller secured the much-celebrated goal for Switzerland (65').
The German ice hockey team also lost the second warm-up game before the Ice Hockey World Cup and is still in shape. National coach Harold Kreis's team lost again on Saturday in Karlsbad to the Czech Republic with a score of 2:4 (1:1, 0:3, 1:0). Two days earlier, the World Cup hosts beat the DEB team 3-0.
Kölner Haien's Justin Schütz scored the first German goal of the build-up in the first third. The forward already impressed in the DEL season as the top scorer in the regular season. However, the lead only lasted 23 seconds. The six-time world champion managed to draw 1-1 thanks to Radan Lenc (19th). Mannheim goalkeeper Arno Tiefensee had no chance.
In the second third the Czechs pressed to get the second goal. Goalkeeper Tiefensee cleared several times, but then Petr Kodytek appeared. With one more player on the ice, the forward pushed the puck over the line from close range (26). Andrej Sustr from Kölner Haien (32nd) and Michal Kovařčík (40th) increased the score to 1:4. Alexander Karachun of Schwenninger Wild Wings reduced the score to 2:4 shortly before the end (59th).