After eleven matches without losing a point, the Zug women lost for the first time on Thursday (3-5 against HC Ambrì-Piotta). That’s no reason to doubt the path they’ve chosen, says EVZ forward Sarah Mettler: “It was a good experience to be challenged like that. Ambrì played with great determination. We can learn a lot from games like this and are looking forward to the next challenges. “ On Saturday, Sarah Mettler and the league leaders will face the ZSC Lions (puck drop at 5:30 p.m.). The Zurich team has lost twice to HC Davos Ladies recently and has slipped to fifth place in the standings. ”If we play our game and stay in control, we will be successful,” Sarah Mettler is convinced.

The 15-year-old from Effretikon moved to Zug for the current season. She previously played in the youth team in Winterthur, the city where she attends the Talent Campus art and sports school. In the spring, she was part of the Swiss team at the U18 World Championships, which finished in a strong fifth place. Sarah Mettler hopes that her involvement with EVZ will help her to continue developing. “My experienced teammates give me lots of tips during training; I’m learning a huge amount.” She immediately felt welcome in “the best team I’ve played for so far.” Recently, in the 4-2 victory against SC Bern, she scored her first competitive goal in a Zug jersey. As is customary with such a first, she was allowed to keep the puck. “A very nice moment,” recalls Sarah Mettler.

By signing the young and carefree forward, head coach Daniela Diaz has also brought a touch of lightheartedness to the locker room—a role that Sarah Mettler is happy to fill: “I bring a lot of positivity,” she says. This quality should help the team get back on the road to success with a win on Saturday.