The Netherlands enter the 2023 World Championships Division 1A tournament as underdogs, who will be fighting to avoid relegation.
If there's an underdog in this tournament, it's the Netherlands. Ranked 18th in the World, Netherlands would have been relegated after finishing last at the 2022 World Division 1A Championships, but at that event, only promotion was awarded.
The team was outscored 17-4, and lost all four of their games. Despite there being six teams in this year's competition, the Netherlands are still the favorite to be relegated without a surprise performance.
Netherlands will be led by the same trio who have powered this national program for years - forwards Savine Wielenga and Julie Zwarthoed, and defender Kayleigh Hamers.
The trio played in the SDHL last season, facing the best competition of any Netherlands players. Maree Dijkema is the lone other SDHL player on the roster.
Playing in the EWHL this year with MAC Budapest, Bieke van Nes also showed offensive upside finishing in the top ten in league scoring with 24 points in 18 games.
After this group, however, Netherlands' roster thins out dramatically. In net Eline Gabriele will again be counted upon to backstop her nation. Gabriele had good numbers in Sweden's second division, but didn't see a ton of repetitions.
One player to watch is 19-year-old Kimberley Collard, who took a big step forward offensively this season playing prep hockey at A21 Academy in Canada, but aside from Collard and 17-year-old Danique Koghee, perhaps the most troubling portion of the Netherlands' roster is that there is little in the way of youth coming to bolster this roster in future years.
One youngster to watch in the future for the Netherlands is Emily Olsthoorn, who plays U-16 'AAA' for the Anaheim Lady Ducks. She has the potential to step up and contribute in the future.