Narrow 1:2 defeat in final World Championship warm-up

Austria's U18 women's national ice hockey team were beaten 1:2 by Bozen in Radenthein in their final warm-up ahead of the IIHF U18 Women´s World Championship Division IB. The young side put up a spirited performance, created more chances than the Women´s Hockey League team and were the better side over the full 60 minutes. Their World Championship opener against South Korea takes place next Tuesday, 6 September at 19:00.

04 September 20221 min read

"We did not implement everything we had practised in the first period. It was much better in the second period because we skated more. We really pinned Bozen back, but were unable to maintain the pressure until the end, also because of the intensity of training over the past few days. Looking at the bigger picture, we were the stronger team today," was the assessment of Head Coach Mario Bellina, who was not entirely dissatisfied with the match.

The Austrians created countless chances but did not convert them into goals. A shortcoming also noted by Bellina who said: "We need to work on that." Over the course of the game, he was able to give all players ice time. In the closing minutes, Bellina would have liked to take a risk and pull the goaltender. However, two penalties thwarted that plan, with Austria even facing a 3:5 disadvantage. "There was nothing more we could do at the end. We spoke about it immediately after the game, that we need to be careful in such situations," said Bellina.

Overall, the Head Coach was satisfied after the teams drew the overtime added for preparation purposes and Austria even won the shoot-out: "We did many things really well, but there are a few areas where we need to make adjustments. Over the final few days, we will ensure the best possible conditions so that the players can recover as well as possible and feel comfortable, allowing us to start our home World Championship full of energy."

Austria vs. Bozen 1:2 (1:2,0:0,0:0)
Sat., 3 September 2022, 19:00, Radenthein
Austria goalscorer: Hanna Schwarzer (7th minute)