Austria lose 1:5 to Olympic qual­i­fiers Japan

In addition to Meixner and Schafzahl, the team also had to do without further key players this week. Head coach Alexander Bröms is also unable to be with his players yet for personal reasons. Sarah Hodges took charge on an interim basis.

Japan, who have been continuously represented in the Top Division since 2019 and have successfully qualified for the Olympic Games for the fourth consecutive time, made a flying start. Austria resisted the waves of attacks. It was thanks to Anja Adamitsch that they were only 0:1 behind after the first period. The Austrian netminder generally had a busy evening. Japan registered 59 shots but were repeatedly denied by Adamitsch.

In the middle period, however, they too were unable to prevent the visitors from taking a decisive lead, with Japan extending it to 5:0 within twelve minutes. Austria fought selflessly and were rewarded. Thanks to Lena Dauböck's goal in the 52nd minute, they won the final period 1:0, but ultimately lost 1:5.

Head coach Sarah Hodges: "We can take a lot of positives from this game. Japan are preparing for the Olympics and accordingly fielded their full squad. We only had a short preparation period, the players did well and I am pleased that we were able to win the third period. We did not manage to keep the game simple and took a few penalties. I am convinced that the team will improve. We will now prepare for next week and are looking forward to the tournament."

Antonia Matzka, captain: "There is a lot to learn after a game like this. It is incredibly cool to play against an Olympic qualifier. We were a very young, somewhat inexperienced group, but the commitment was there and what we are particularly proud of is that we won the third period after having a dip in the second."

Emma Kleinlercher: "My debut was definitely emotional. The pace was high, but it was a great experience. We held our own well and fought hard. I hope that I can put myself forward for the senior team again in the future."

International friendly

Austria vs Japan 1:5 (0:1, 0:4, 1:0)
Wed, 28 January 2026, 18:15, Olympiaworld Innsbruck
Austria goalscorer: Lena Dauböck (52nd)
Japan goalscorers: Umeka Odaira (10th), Kanami Seki (22nd), Mei Miura (25th/PP), Yumeka Wajima (31st), Riri Noro (34th)

Austria
Goaltenders: Selma Luggin, Anja Adamitsch
Line 1: Hannah Leitner, Charlotte Wittich, Leonie Kutzer, Katharina Killius, Lena Artner
Line 2: Artemis Tekin, Antonia Matzka, Lena Dauböck, Tamina Schall, Hanna Obermayr
Line 3: Laura Nagy, Alina Hinum, Hanna Schwarzer, Amelie Suppan, Selina Gentilini
Line 4: Meilan Haberl, Ana Khalhammer, Emma Kleinlercher, Florentina Rumpl

Wörthersee Trophy