Sabres St. Pölten crown the first master of AWHL!

Sabres St. Pölten crown the first master of AWHL!

St. Pölten, Österreich - On March 29, 2025, the Sabres St. Pölten League (AWHL). In an exciting final, you defeat the KSV Highlanders from Kapfenberg 5-2 and take the title to St. Pölten for the first time.

The Sabres have an impressive history: previously they were champions as a Viennese club. In 2023 the move to St. Pölten took place, where they are now successfully playing in the AWHL. In the crucial game, Hannah Tait led the team and scored two goals in the first third. With a 2-0 lead, the Sabres went into the middle section.

The final in detail

After a strong start, Katharina Killius increased to 3: 0 in the 24th minute, followed by Emma McKnight, who scored 4: 0 in the 27th minute. Despite the apparent superiority of the Sabres, the Highlanders came back into play. Vanessa Picka shortened to 1: 4 in the 44th minute, and only 27 seconds later Nikola Rumanova scored the 2: 4.

In the final phase, Anna Billa closed the lid with an Empty-Net goal in the 59th minute and made the final score of 5: 2. Hannah Tait was chosen for her outstanding performance with two goals and three assists for the MVP of the tournament.

game for third place

In the game for third place, the Lakers Carinthia prevailed 4-2 against the Graz99ers Huskies. The game started goalless, but in the 34th minute Isabelle Hardy Carinthia put the lead. Graz managed to equalize by Shelby Bailen before Bara Kafkova Graz took the lead in the final phase. But Carinthia showed fighting spirit and equalized by Adele Vavrova in the 52nd minute. Christina Schusser took the lead for Carinthia in the 54th minute, and Carolyn Whitney secured the final score of 4: 2.

The success of the Austrian women in hockey are remarkable. The Austrian ice hockey team of women has existed in international competition. After the 2022 World Cup, the team currently occupies 14th place in the IIHF world rankings.

The successes in recent years, including multiple ascents and placements in divisions, confirm the continuous growth and development of women's ice hockey in Austria. The winning of the first championship title in the AWHL through the Sabres St. Pölten marks another step in this positive direction.