Emily Nix is ​​hoping for an enormous coup within the World Cup semi-finals – Digital Samachaar

In the previous few days, one thing historic occurred within the small US city of Utica in New York State. For the primary time within the historical past of an ice hockey world championship, a German ladies’s staff received all 4 preliminary spherical video games. Within the quarter-finals, the DEB choice will now face the Czech Republic on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. CEST, reside and free on Magentasport).

After victories towards Denmark in the beginning (5:1), Japan (4:1) and Sweden (1:0), nationwide coach Jeff MacLeod’s staff additionally defeated China (3:0) on Tuesday. Goalkeepers Sandra Abstreiter (Ottawa/PWHL) and Lisa Hemmerle (ERC Ingolstadt) solely conceded two objectives. Along with a robust protection, the tireless working and pushing for a objective was the nice energy. And the right exploitation of alternatives.

The German staff’s prime scorer after the preliminary spherical is Laura Kluge from Berlin, who at the moment performs for Memmingen within the German Girls’s Ice Hockey League (DFEL), with two objectives and two assists. One other ex-polar bear is in second place on this staff rating: Emily Nix (2 objectives, 1 help). The 26-year-old runs within the league for ERC Ingolstadt and really hung up her skates two years in the past to focus on her regulation research.

The Hamburg native then wore soccer boots within the 2022/23 season. Bramfelder SV II was her staff and she or he scored objectives on the inexperienced grass. For instance, towards the fourth choice from FC St. Pauli. Again on the ice in September 2023, Nix continued the place she left off in soccer. With 16 objectives in 20 fundamental spherical video games, she turned the second greatest league goalscorer within the DFEL. On the finish of final yr, Nix mentioned: “I might by no means have anticipated that after a yr’s break issues would go so effectively once more so rapidly.”

I by no means anticipated that after a yr’s break issues would go so effectively once more so rapidly.

Emily Nix about her comeback on the ice

She was proper again within the nationwide staff. Nationwide coach MacLeod didn’t wish to do with out her pace and her good shot. That is how she took half in her second World Cup after 2019. “I’m simply joyful that issues are going so effectively for us and that we as a staff have made World Cup historical past. That’s positively the main focus for me,” says Nix, very pleased with the staff’s efficiency up to now.

Whereas there have been many defeats in three totally different tournaments throughout the preparation and the objective tally was usually poor, the staff is now absolutely there when it issues most. “I feel it performs a job that we at the moment are full and the perfect gamers now we have are there,” says Emily Nix and provides: “We have now an excellent staff construction, a variety of enjoyable and that’s it particularly this yr.”

Clear defeats towards the Czech Republic lately

With this momentum, the Czechs also needs to be defeated as their subsequent opponents. Towards the third-place staff in preliminary group A, maybe the third strongest pressure in ladies’s ice hockey worldwide, there was one defeat after one other over the course of the season. The ends in the comparability between the German and Czech ice hockey ladies between November 2023 and February 2024 had been 0:8, 1:6 and 1:7. “After all a robust opponent awaits us,” says Nix. “We wish to win the sport and we go in with that mentality. We positively wish to attain the semi-finals!”

Even when that doesn’t work out, Emily Nix will think about the event a hit. The Hamburg Crocodiles youth participant enjoys being there. “The World Cup expertise is basically cool for me,” she says. “It’s all the time one thing particular to have the ability to stand on a stage with the perfect ladies on this planet.”

The German staff’s greatest placement up to now was fourth place on the 2017 World Cup, additionally within the USA. In Plymouth, Michigan, the ladies defeated Russia 2-1 within the quarterfinals. Additionally there then and now: Emily Nix’s colleagues within the entrance row: Nicola Eisenschmid and Laura Kluge.