The EVZ Women’s Team has marched to its first Swiss championship title at breakneck speed. 1168 days after the plans were announced on 12 January 2023, the Zug team lifted the championship trophy on 25 March 2026 thanks to a 3:0 victory over SC Bern in the play-off final series. The success story in fast motion.

At a media conference, the EVZ presents its “Women’s and Girls” programme under the motto “Do it right or not at all”. The strategy envisages the following: “Bottom up”, girls are to be offered prospects in Swiss ice hockey and given targeted support at all junior levels. “Top down”, the newly founded EVZ Women’s Team should establish itself at the national top level as soon as possible. Daniela Diaz is introduced as the project manager and coach of the EVZ Women’s Team.

A short time later, EVZ signs Lara Stalder. She is captain of the national team and is regarded as one of the best players in the world. Born in central Switzerland, she returns home from Sweden for the Zug project and acts as a beacon figure from now on. “I have the chance to make a difference here. I’ve always dreamed of that,” she is quoted as saying.

The EVZ Women’s Team starts in the second-highest national league, the SWHL B, with a semi-professional team. This means that all players are employed by EVZ on a 40 per cent basis. A novelty in Swiss hockey. The Zug team set new standards in national women’s ice hockey in their debut season: promotion to the PostFinance Women’s League with a goal difference of 445:9 goals (!), qualification for the cup final and the highest average attendance in the whole of Switzerland.

The first titles become reality less than two years after the team was founded. EVZ triumphs over Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies in the National Cup. In the EWHL Euro Cup, an international tournament organised by the European association, the Zug team also triumphs in front of a home crowd and wins the title. The play-off semi-final against Davos is attended by 4,163 fans at the invitation of Zuger Kantonalbank. In its debut season in the PostFinance Women’s League, EVZ storms through to the final. Things are also moving forward in the junior programme, with almost 60 girls attending hockey school and an U9 girls’ team being formed.

The EVZ wins the double! In January, Daniela Diaz’s team defended the Cup title in Lausanne thanks to a victory over Davos in the final. In the league, it storms to a qualifying victory with only 6 points lost. After the Olympic break, the team made the playoffs without a blemish thanks to six wins in six games over Fribourg and Bern. In the regular season, the team from Zug boasts an impressive average attendance of 1,313 fans. That’s a European record! In the first playoff final game, as many as 4040 fans made the pilgrimage to the OYM hall.

Zug’s influence is also noticeable in the Swiss national team. Five players from the bronze team are under contract with EVZ. A sixth player, Noemi Ryhner, was injured just before the start of the tournament. Nicole Vallario is the seventh Zug player: she is moving to the best women’s league in the world, the PWHL in North America, before the Olympics.

There is also a U12 girls team at junior level. At the same time, the “Women’s and Girls” programme presented in January 2023 is financially self-sustaining. The original goal of starting a movement in Swiss women’s ice hockey has now become a reality. Other Swiss clubs are also pushing ahead with the professionalisation and marketing of women’s ice hockey.

Patrick Lengwiler, CEO EVZ: “When we said ‘Do it right or not at all’ on 12 January 2023, it was a promise – today it’s the first championship title. Our success story shows what is possible when the club, staff, players, partners and fans consistently believe in a shared vision.”

Daniela Diaz, Project Manager Women’s and Girls Programme, Coach EVZ Women’s Team: “The fact that we are holding the championship trophy in our hands so early makes me incredibly proud. Numerous players have developed incredibly quickly – also thanks to the professional conditions we have here in Zug. At the same time, we still have a lot of plans for the next few years. This championship title is just the beginning.”