Noemi Neubauerová expected to be in North America this year playing professional hockey. When plans changed, she made the jump to Sweden and hasn't looked back enjoying each new opportunity as she develops her game.
Noemi Neubauerová expected to be in North America this year playing professional hockey. When plans changed, she made the jump to Sweden and hasn't looked back enjoying each new opportunity as she develops her game.
Noemi Neubauerová never stopped challenging herself throughout her young hockey career. From her home in Prague, to attending school in the United States, to now, where she plays for Brynäs IF of the SDHL, Neubauerová continues to find opportunities to help elevate her both as an individual, as well as a hockey player.
“A lot of my childhood was around hockey,” said Neubauerová. “I remember seeing hockey being played on tv and I said to my mom ‘I want to do that. My mom actually didn’t think I’d stick with it, saying ‘I thought you’d go to two practices’ because it was at six in the morning, but I was super passionate about it.”
Neubauerová said that seeing the older girls play, especially ones playing against boys in higher leagues, had a tremendous impact on her choosing to play hockey and inspiring her, sharing that “a big source of inspiration for me were some of the older girls that I’m actually now playing with on the Czech national team. They still inspire me and help me so much through difficult times or when I need any help with the details on the ice. I know I can trust them.”
Neubauerová also sees the potential for this type of inspiration in the new PWHL.
“It’s absolutely huge. This is just the beginning," she said of the PWHL. "It just started, and so for someone like me, I think it’s a great option to consider for the future and for younger players, to have the motivation to know that they can work hard and they can get to the highest level.”
Neubauerová reflected on her motivation and inspiration to continue playing the game, sharing that “sometimes you feel down, you don’t feel motivated playing, but then it’s the people around you that pick you up. Or it’s a change of scenery that you need that ultimately just gives you the 'Ah! This is why I play and this is why I love it.' I’m so happy to have been able to meet all those people and to go to all of these different places.”
For the fans who are just discovering Noemi Neubauerová, she describes herself as a player who will “be really disruptive for the other team...physical, big and disrupt your passes and your confidence a little bit by being on you 24/7.”
During her collegiate career at Colgate University where she studied psychological & brain sciences, as well as writing, Neubauerová played in 115 games with the Colgate Raiders, amassing 51 points. She also added 26 points in 36 games with Providence College taking advantage of a graduate season at the school.
“I had a lot of good experiences from just being there, studying and playing hockey there," she said. "I struggled a little bit at the beginning with school...time management of doing all my work and studying and also doing my best playing hockey, so that was definitely something I struggled with in my freshman year."
"For me, Colgate was a really, really big life phase... Of course, there were some ups and downs, even with hockey, but at the end of the day, I’m so happy I went there, spent four years there, got my Bachelor’s Degree and got a lot of life experiences from there."
Neubauerová also has some international experience under her belt, as she’s played in four World Championships, where she won back-to-back bronze medals for the first time in the Czech program’s history, and the Olympics.
“To me, I don’t even realize that, as a team, we made history multiple times. We never before won Olympic qualifications, we never went to the Olympics before as Czechs. I’m just so grateful for all of the experiences,” she said of her experience with Czechia.
“We’ve shown people in Czech that we can play hockey and I think that we’ve inspired a lot of the younger girls and there’s more girls playing hockey now who can see that there’s a point to play where you can really reach the top. It’s things like this that really, really gets me going and excited.”
Beyond international play, the PWHL is also a possibility for Neubauerová, who has some connections to PWHL Ottawa, as she has friends on the team, including Sandra Abstreiter and the head coach Carla MacLeod coached her with Czechia.
“Carla is great at getting us going. In the locker room, she knows exactly what you need to hear between periods or before the game. I don’t think she has two different personalities, on and off the ice. She’s super easy to approach and talk about anything. She’ll always be there for you.”
The move to the SDHL with Brynäs IF this season for Neubauerová was a bit of a surprise as she never expected to go to Sweden, especially after signing in the offseason with the PHF's Metropolitan Riveters.
“I was very set on staying in the States. I had been there for nine years,” Neubauerová said.
When the PHF was acquired and folded, plans changed.
“One of my teammates on team Czech told me that I should have a call with the team and try it out. After speaking with the coaches, it kinda gave me the hook to go. I think it was an absolutely amazing decision for me to be here. I feel like my whole life kinda slowed down a little bit. I love it here. I love the girls, I love the team, I love the coaches. I think it’s exactly what I needed."
After years of balancing her studies and her hockey career, one of the highlights for Neubauerová has been the pace of living in Sweden. She enjoys going out for “fika,” the Swedish word for “a coffee break,” and spending some time talking and socializing.
When she does get the chance to head back home to Czechia, Neubauerová has one place in mind to check out in Prague, the Charles Bridge.
“It’s just one of the oldest and most historical bridges in Prague," she said. "It carries so much history and there’s a really nice view of both sides of Prague, the oldest part of the city and the newer part. I just love the view.”
Whether she's in the USA, Czechia or Sweden, Noemi Neubauerová has become a decorated international hockey player, NCAA graduate, and a player to watch as her professional hockey career continues.