Switzerland will have their work cut out for them in Utica, with a stronger Group A ready to face off. It will be on the shoulders of Alina Muller, Lara Stalder, and Andrea Brändli to hold this fort together.
Switzerland will have their work cut out for them in Utica, with a stronger Group A ready to face off. It will be on the shoulders of Alina Muller, Lara Stalder, and Andrea Brändli to hold this fort together.
Things don't look good for the Swiss in 2024, and the only way they'll avoid being pushed to Group B is through fortunate match ups into a semi-final or placement game. Switzerland's next wave of talent is arriving this season, but the nation lacks depth and hasn't been able to turn their domestic women's league into a top league where next level development can occur. When Lara Stalder chose to return to play in Switzerland, this was her goal, and the nation continues to look toward the future. Right now however, other nations are getting there faster. Still, there's plenty to be excited about from Team Switzerland. Here's a look.
Muller And Stalder Joined By Next Generation
This World Championship tournament will always be remembered by Swiss hockey fans as the year Naemi Herzig and Ivana Wey made their debuts alongside Alina Muller and Lara Stalder. Stalder and Muller represent two of the biggest women's hockey stars on the planet, and Herzig and Wey are the next wave of Swiss stars. Born in 2007 and 2006 respectively, Herzig and Wey can't be expected to make a big impact this time around, but they have the skills. The main issue for them will be the learning curve coming from Switzerland's second division, where the competition was completely lacking, to facing nations filled with seasoned professional veterans and PWHL stars. Wey has scored multiple "Michigan" goals this season as she's unafraid to show her game breaking creativity, and along those lines, the younger Herzig is overflowing with talent. It's not a passing of the torch yet, but it's a little more fuel to the fire.
Andrea Brändli Primed For Big Year
If the PWHL were even slightly bigger, Andrea Brändli would be a goaltender in the league. She certainly is better than many third goalies, and could likely steal a backup role if she had joined the league this year. That isn't, however, the case. Instead, Brändli took the wise path for any netminder of getting starts, appearing in 25 games for MoDo in the SDHL posting a 1.62 GAA and .937 save percentage. In the playoffs, she was huge for MoDo helping them advance to the SDHL final against Lulea. She posted eerily similar numbers to the regular season including an identical .937 save percentage and only slightly higher GAA at 1.98. She was a difference maker for Switzerland last year, and this year will have an even heavier load as the rest of Group A looks stronger.
Bereft Blueline Switzerland's Greatest Threat
There isn't a lot of depth or high end talent on Switzerland's blueline, which is a national area of weakness. Lara Christen is Switzerland's best blueliner, and she'll be tasked with the heavy lifting. She'll be joined by young blueliner Alessia Baechler, and St. Cloud State defender Nicole Vallario as three of Switzerland's top four. The most likely candidate to fill out their top four is U-18 defender Alena Lynn Rossel, who played minimal minutes last year, but she's also the next most skilled defender on the roster. The real problem is the drop off beyond Switzerland's top three, which will expose not only Switzerland's top two pairs at times, but certainly their third pairing. The nation will rely on strong team defense, but it's a tactic that will also hurt their offensive attack. More development in Switzerland is certainly needed for defenders