National Cup Finals 2024

OFirst season – and the first Swiss title already beckons. The EVZ Women’s Team will be competing in the final tournament for the National Cup at the Lucerne Ice Sports Center this weekend. The semi-final hurdle on Saturday is Neuchâtel Hockey Academy (game starts at 2.30 pm). The women from Neuchâtel lost the cup final in 2016 and 2022. On their way to this year’s final tournament, they defeated the ZSC Lions 3:1 in the quarter-finals.

The second semi-final will be contested by SC Bern Women against HC Ladies Lugano. The Bernese team took over EV Bomo Thun in 2023 (having lost two Cup finals) and are currently top of the PostFinance Women’s League table. Lugano is in second-last place in the top division. The team was actually due to be withdrawn from the championship due to a lack of prospects before the club came back on this decision. Lugano has celebrated three cup victories to date.

Saturday, 3. February 2024

14.30 h: 1. Semi-Final: EVZ – Neuchâtel Hockey Academy
17.30 h: 2. Semi-Final: SC Bern Frauen – HC Ladies Lugano

Sunday, 4. February 2024

12.00 h: Final Women
16.00 h: Final Men: EHC Basel – EHC Olten

Zug are the only final round participant not playing in the PostFinance Women’s League (PWL). They dominate the SWHL B at will and have also performed confidently in the Cup: 33:0 against Thun (SWHL C), 6:0 against Fribourg-Gottéron (PWL), 5:1 against Ambrì-Piotta Girls (PWL). The top five places on the Cup scoring list are occupied by EVZ players, namely forwards Lara Stalder (points per match average of 7), Ivana Wey (5), Naemi Herzig (4.33) and Noemi Ryhner (4) as well as defender Annika Fazokas (4).

By reaching the final tournament in Lucerne, the Zug team has achieved its first goal of the season. It is obvious that they do not want to be satisfied with this. In the test matches against Ingolstadt last weekend (a 3:2 defeat after extra time and a 1:0 win), the EVZ gained the necessary competitive toughness. Two top performances over the full duration of the game are needed for the Cup coup. Or, as Lara Stalder put it on the occasion of the quarter-final victory: “Full throttle!”

The women’s cup final starts at 12 noon on Sunday, followed by the men’s final between the Swiss League teams from Basel and Olten at 4 pm.