Nicolas Hasler embodies the young U18 elite team of EVZ. At just 15 years of age, the defender is already taking on responsibility as captain. «I sometimes speak up to motivate the team – this leadership role suits me,» says Nicolas Hasler. The challenge of playing against opponents who are up to two years older is considerable. The Zug team is learning the hard way and is currently in 12th place in the table. This coming weekend, they will face fourth-placed Genève Futur Hockey (Friday, 5 p.m., OYM) and second-placed EHC Biel-Bienne Spirit (Sunday, 2 p.m., Tissot Arena).
The EVZ’s U21 and U18 elite teams are among the youngest in Switzerland. Standing up to physically superior opponents is also a test of character – as in the case of U18 captain Nicolas Hasler.
«I also speak up to motivate the team—this leadership role suits me.»
Nicolas Hasler, Captain EVZ U18-Elit
«We are seven points behind a playoff spot – nothing has been decided yet,» the captain is convinced. The mood is good, head coach Sven Lindemann pushes the players to constantly improve. This also applies off the rink. Nicolas Hasler, from Basel-Landschaft, is in The Hockey Academy training program, is aiming for his high school diploma at OYM College, and lives on campus in Cham. «The first year didn’t go so well at school,» Nicolas Hasler recalls honestly, «but now I’ve found my feet and am getting better grades.»
Reto Suri, head coach of the U21 elite team, has also taken notice of Nicolas Hasler and has so far given him a chance to play with Zug’s oldest juniors. They are currently in a slump, with five consecutive defeats meaning they have fallen below the playoff line. «The results aren’t good, but not all defeats are the same. Some of them were our own fault,» explains Reto Suri. Two of the youngest players in the U21 squad, 17-year-old forwards Sol Fueter and Jan Daron, recently made their NL debut. Reto Suri does not want the changes in his team to be seen as an excuse: «Whether we play with three or four lines, the commitment has to be there,» Reto Suri makes clear. On Friday, his team welcomes league leaders GCK Lions to the OYM in Cham (starting at 8:30 p.m.).
