The four Erdinger national ice hockey players are sad that they will miss the Olympics in Beijing.
Füssen / Erding - There they stood, the German ice hockey women, including an Erdinger quartet, and hung their heads even though the German national anthem was playing after the victory against Denmark.
The 3-2 after penalty shootout was not enough: Denmark, as the winner of the qualifying tournament in Füssen, goes to the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2022.
Actually, the DEB team had already gambled away the China ticket at the beginning with the unexpected 0: 3 against Austria. After the 4: 1 against Italy there was hope again, especially because Austria had lost to Denmark. Germany would have needed a big win against the Danes to win the group, but nothing came of it - despite a 2-0 lead after 34 minutes.
"It is very, very unfortunate and heartbreaking to think at the moment that it is really over now and that we are not allowed to go to Beijing," says Erdinger Sandra Abstreiter, who was in goal in the game against Austria. “Before the Denmark game we were all still super motivated and believed in ourselves and that we could possibly even make it through a win with a six-goal difference.” Of course, we still couldn't talk about the success after the penalty shoot-out really happy, ”said the 23-year-old goalkeeper sadly.
Tabea Botthof is also immensely disappointed, "because reaching the Olympics in 2022 was our dream, which has now failed," says Erdinger.
“Unfortunately, we couldn't get our best performance at this tournament, especially in our first game against Austria.
The game ultimately broke our necks because we didn't put what we can actually do on the ice. "
Franzi Feldmeier, who stormed in the same row with her former Erdinger teammate Berni Karpf, sees it similarly.
"It is of course very bitter because we did not qualify as favorites," she says.
“I think there was definitely a lot more in all three games.
We only showed good ice hockey against Denmark for two-thirds of the time, and that is not enough internationally. "
Despite the great disappointment, Abstreiter pays tribute to the Scandinavians. “In the end, I think the Danes played a great tournament and, as much as it hurts to say that, they deserve it when you go through the qualifying so consistently and with such discipline.” Erdinger, who is in the USA is on the Providence College team, but doesn't have long to mourn, because she left for the USA the day after the tournament, "because we have another game on Friday".
Botthof sees it positively, “that we received so much media attention and spectators at this tournament, because that is a step in the right direction for women's ice hockey”.
And Feldmeier is already looking ahead again.
“There is so much potential and talent in our team that just needs to be used,” she believes.
And at the next Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina in 2026, the young Erdinger women Botthof (21), Feldmeier (22), Abstreiter (23) and Karpf (25) are certainly not too old.