The EVZ Women’s Team is looking forward to the season with great confidence after a flawless preparation phase – four wins in four games. “We were able to improve from game to game, and the new lines are already working very well together,” says forward Chiara Eggli. She was one of the four goal scorers in the 4-0 victory in the final test match against German champions Memmingen Indians. It is striking how many players contributed to the goal tally in the pre-season: ten players scored at least one goal.

Speaking of shoulders: body checks near the boards are now allowed in the PostFinance Women’s League. “That’s an advantage for us,” Chiara Eggli is convinced, “we already train very physically.” The 19-year-old from Unterägeri says she learned to appreciate physical play during her time in the youth teams, when she played in teams with boys. Head coach Daniela Diaz has incorporated exercises into training that take the rule change into account. It wasn’t just summer training that was demanding for Chiara Eggli in recent months: she graduated from OYM College with a high school diploma. She recently began studying business administration with minors in banking and finance.

«The defeat in the final helped us to question ourselves even more and work even harder to do better next time.»

Chiara Eggli, Forward Women’s Team

She is also ambitious on the ice. “The big goal is the championship title,” explains the forward. Last season, EVZ won the National Cup and the EWHL Euro Cup and reached the playoff final. The team sees the missed title in the series against SC Bern as motivation for the upcoming season. “The defeat in the final helped us to question ourselves even more and work even harder to do better next time,” says Chiara Eggli. She celebrated the championship title with the ZSC Lions in 2022 and 2023. Back then, she was a substitute player – now she shares responsibility in Zug to make sure it works out next spring.

The first challenges on the way there are the Neuchâtel Hockey Academy on Saturday, September 13 (4:45 p.m., Patinoire du Littoral), and HC Fribourg-Gottéron on Sunday, September 14 (2:30 p.m., OYM hall). HCFG has strengthened its squad with the addition of Canadians Maggie MacEachern and Ann-Frédérique Guay, among others, and is one of the favorites to win the title. EVZ is entering the season with seven new players: goalie Yara Keller (19), defender Nicole Vallario (24), and forwards Noemi Neubauerová (25), Lia Egger (21), Alina Marti (21), Sinia Gubser (19), and Sarah Mettler (15). “The championship is even more balanced than last year,” Chiara Eggli is convinced. With strong performances, she can also promote herself. The former U18 international hopes to be selected for the senior national team, which includes several of her Zug teammates. With the Olympic Games and the World Championships coming up, two major events are just around the corner.