Austria’s U18 women to face Hungary, Germany and hosts Italy in Fondo

The tournament in Trentino’s picturesque Non Valley will provide the first assessment of the U18 squad under new Finnish Head Coach Arto Sieppi. The tournament at the ice rink by Lake Smeraldo marks the start of preparations for the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship Division IB, to be held in Katowice, Poland, from 5 to 11 January 2026.

Following relegation from Division IA, Austria will face Spain, China, Great Britain, Australia and Poland at the World Championship, aiming for immediate promotion back to the next-highest division, where Germany and Italy will compete. Hungary will even play in the top division, taking part in the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 Women's World Championship in Canada in mid-January 2026.

Hungary await for the season opener in Fondo at the Palasmeraldo Ice Rink on Thursday from 16:00, followed by a clash with their German counterparts on Friday, also from 16:00, before Italy await on Saturday afternoon from 13:15 to conclude the tournament.

Head Coach Arto Sieppiexpects the tournament in Fondo to provide some early insights on the road to the World Championship: “The three pre-season games in August are a great and positive challenge for us. We have five ice sessions, three games in five days and the journey there. This gives us a good opportunity to see where we currently stand as a team. This tournament also provides us with feedback on the players, which is very important for our preparations for the upcoming World Championship. The players have shown very good character in training so far, and we are really looking forward to the upcoming games.”

The Four Nations Tournament is an agreement between the four nations and will be held until 2026. Italy are the hosts this year, with Hungary hosting in 2026.

U18 Women’s Four Nations Tournament (Fondo, Italy)

Austria vs. Hungary

Thu, 28 August 2025, 16:00 - >> Italia Hockey live statistics

Germany vs. Austria

Fri, 29 August 2025, 16:00 - >> Italia Hockey live statistics

Austria vs. Italy

Sat, 30 August 2025, 13:15 - >> Italia Hockey live statistics

U18 Women’s squad