Following a successful start to the season, the EVZ Women’s Team now faces its next test. The Zug side travel to western Switzerland on Sunday, where they face a head-to-head clash with the HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies at 14:45. Both teams have won four of their first five league matches and, with twelve points each, sit among the leaders of the PostFinance Women’s League.

EVZ have impressively underlined their ambitions in the opening weeks of the season. With four wins from five matches and 25 goals scored, the Zug side boast the league’s most dangerous attack. At the same time, Head Coach Daniela Diaz’s team have shown the maturity required to turn matches in their favour, even in difficult situations. This was particularly evident before the international break, when the match in Bern – a repeat of last season’s final – was on a knife-edge for a long time. Thanks to a strong performance from Chiara Pfosi between the posts and a brace from captain Lara Stalder, the EVZ Women’s Team came out on top in this tough test.

With three away wins in a row now under their belt, the team has underlined its ambitions to defend the title. The 1–4 defeat in Davos a month ago seems to have been put behind them long ago. This is despite some long-term absences. With Noemi Ryhner, Jay Roulet, Annic Büchi, Chiara Eggli and Sini Karjalainen all out injured, the team will be without five players in Fribourg as well. However, Alina Marti, Annika Fazokas and Luise Waser are expected to return to the line-up. Also in the squad is the Norwegian Millie Rose Sirum, who was invited to the pre-season camp this week by the PWHL organisation in San Jose.

Like the EVZ women’s team, the Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies can also look back on a successful start to the season. Thomas Zwahlen’s team suffered their only defeat against EVZ of all teams; on matchday 3, the women from western Switzerland, having trailed 1–9 at one stage, ultimately lost 4–9. Estelle Duvin distinguished herself in that match by scoring four goals; with 14 points, she shares second place on the top scorers’ list with Lara Stalder. Leading this statistic is Ann-Frédérique Guay, who also plays for Fribourg.

The EVZ Women’s Team will need to keep a particularly close eye on this duo if they are to emerge victorious from the ice in their second away fixture at the BCF Arena. As usual, the match will be covered via the live ticker.