On the night from Friday to Saturday, the Professional Women’s Hockey League enters its third season, the first with eight teams. Theresa Schafzahl has been there from the start and Anna Meixner is also starting her second season in North America.
The Salzburg native, in the service of the Ottawa Charge, welcomes the New York Sirens on the night from Saturday to Sunday, Schafzahl meets Montreal Victoire with Boston Fleet in front of the home crowd on Sunday evening. In the interview, the two legionnaires talk about the start of the season, their expectations, the development of the league and much more.
Are you happy that the regular season finally starts this week?
Anna Meixner: “Yes, I’m very happy that the season is starting now. I had a wonderful long summer at home in Zell am See, but I’ve really been counting down the days until it finally starts.”
Theresa Schafzahl: “I’m also very happy that the regular season is starting now. We had an incredibly long off season. I think it was almost six months in which we didn’t play a game in the league and I personally didn’t play a game with the national team either. It’s been a long time since I was able to play a real game. Of course you work hard all summer in summer training. Often alone in the weight room and on the ice. You’re really happy that you can be on the ice again with the whole team and play a real game. That’s what you work towards in the summer.”
What are your expectations going into the season?
Theresa Schafzahl: “I expect that we will have a strong team. We have acquired a lot of good new players from the draft and from free agency. As in previous years, there will be tough competition between the players, but I think that I am very well prepared and I will hopefully take on a good role. As a team, I expect that we will hopefully be better than last year, that we can create more offensively and don’t have to rely so much on our goalkeepers. It will be a very difficult season again. Everyone Teams are good, there will be close games. The expectation is that we make it to the playoffs.”
Anna Meixner: “Above all, I’m going into the new season with high expectations of myself. I want to prove and establish myself in the league, I want to show my best ice hockey and then hopefully it will be a successful season.”
What did you focus on in summer training and how did that make itself felt in the preparation?
Anna Meixner: “I haven’t changed much in my program. I already have a routine, I’ve been doing this for a few years now. I’ve focused on getting on the ice a lot and building muscle mass. I feel well prepared. The first days in the training camp were hard, but very successful.”
Theresa Schafzahl: “There was no special focus in summer training. I make sure that I am as prepared as possible in all areas. Of course, physical preparation is very important. The game is incredibly fast and physical. That’s why I tried to continue working on my strength and speed. And of course endurance is always important. Unfortunately, I have repeatedly had to struggle with knee problems in recent years. Here I tried to prepare as best as I could, so that hopefully it won’t limit me during the season. On the ice, the preparation was broadly spread. There “You try to work on all your technical skills, your shooting, your stick handling and your skating technique, and you see that you can make decisions more quickly.”
Theresa you are entering your third, Anna you are entering your second full PWHL season. To what extent does the fact that everything is no longer new make your everyday life easier?
Theresa Schafzahl: “That definitely makes it easier. I know the league well, I know all the supervisors on our team. If I have questions, I know who to go to. I know all the procedures and that’s definitely an advantage that everything is already familiar. I see the biggest advantage in the fact that I’ve already played a few games in the league. I know how the game is structured, so to speak, what works in the league and what doesn’t and I was able to prepare specifically for that in the summer.”
Anna Meixner: “I think it makes it a lot easier for me that it’s my second year. I’m starting the season with a completely different feeling. Last year my nerves got involved a bit. I didn’t really know the people, the area, the hall. This year it was a breather for me. I was happy to see everyone, I know the hall, I know how the training goes. That makes everything a little more relaxed and I think that’s really good for me. I just try every day to do my best and hopefully something good will come out of it for me.”
What awaits you in the coming season? How strong is the league currently in your opinion?
Anna Meixner: “I think the league is very strong. The pace in training is incredibly high, every player is simply extremely good. This year there are two new teams, Vancouver and Seattle. It will be a tough fight. Last year the playoffs were only decided in the last game of the regular season. I think that will be the case this year too. That’s the cool thing, that everyone can beat everyone and you can expect it to be a tough game.”
Theresa Schafzahl: “I think the league will be incredibly strong. There are a few players from Europe joining us again and a lot of good players from college. I think it will be very interesting to see how the two new teams will establish themselves in the league. In terms of the squad, the two new teams are really very strong. But I think that it will be the case in the last two years that everyone can beat everyone. It will be an exciting season.”
When would the 2025/26 season end up being a successful one for you?
Theresa Schafzahl: “I would say if we as a team make the playoffs and then have one or two good playoff series and hopefully win the championship. Personally, if I can find a good role in the team where I can contribute a lot to the game, get a consistent amount of ice time, can contribute more offensively, hopefully can pick up a few goals and assists and can help the team in any way.”
Anna Meixner: “For me, if I can say that I have improved, that I have established myself in the league, that I was able to show what I can do. The most important thing is to have fun and stay injury-free.”
www.eishockey.at, Image: Nicolas Zangerle/NZ Photos
