The German women’s ice hockey team finished the World Championship in sixth place after another narrow defeat. National coach Jeff MacLeod’s team lost the placement game against Switzerland in Utica, USA, on Saturday after extra time 2:3 (0:1, 2:1, 0:0). Nevertheless, the DEB team achieved its best result since fourth place in 2017. Last year, Germany came eighth.
This means that the DEB selection will once again compete in Group B at the 2025 World Cup in the Czech Republic and must reach third place there in order to move into the round of the top eight. In the much stronger Group A with the top nations USA and Canada, Germany would have already secured the quarter-finals.
Came back twice
“We would have liked to reach the semi-finals, now we want fifth place. That is our main goal,” Germany’s top goalkeeper Sandra Abstreiter announced after the bitter 0-1 defeat in the quarter-finals against the Czech Republic. The keeper from Ottawa, who is the only German active in the new professional league in North America, was once again the great support in the first third. Shortly before the end of the first round, however, the 25-year-old had no chance. The Swiss Alina Müller scored 0-1 (18th minute).
The German women were not unsettled by the goal they conceded. A perfect assist from Luisa Welcke easily brought twin sister Lilli Welcke into the Swiss goal to make it 1-1 (31st). The siblings play together in North America for Boston University. After Lara Stalder took the Swiss lead again (33′), Emily Nix from ERC Ingolstadt equalized again (39′).
Germany had to overcome some critical situations in the third half, but also had a chance to score the winning goal in the final minutes. In extra time, Müller secured the much-celebrated decision in favor of Switzerland with her second goal (65′).
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The German ice hockey men also lost the second preparation game before the Ice Hockey World Cup and are still looking for form. The team of national coach Harold Kreis lost again on Saturday in Karlsbad to the Czech Republic 2:4 (1:1, 0:3, 1:0). Two days earlier, the World Cup hosts beat the DEB team 3-0.
Justin Schütz from the Kölner Haien scored the first German goal of the preparation in the first third. The striker already impressed in the DEL season as the top goalscorer in the regular season. However, the lead only lasted 23 seconds. The six-time world champion was able to equalize 1-1 through Radan Lenc (19th). Mannheim goalkeeper Arno Tiefensee had no chance.
The Czechs pressed for the second goal in the second third. Keeper Tiefensee cleared several times, but then Petr Kodytek was there. With one more player on the ice, the striker pushed the puck over the line from close range (26th). Andrej Sustr from Kölner Haien (32nd) and Michal Kovařčík (40th) increased the score to 1:4. Alexander Karachun from the Schwenninger Wild Wings reduced the score to 2:4 shortly before the end (59th).
