AHTC Wien are hoping they can use some of Austrian momentum this weekend as they bid for promotion from the women’s EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I in Vienna from Friday, February 14 to Sunday, February 16.
The hosts are in an initial group with Copenhagen HC (Denmark), FHC Akademik Plus Sofia (Bulgaria) and Swansea HC (Wales) while Pool B will feature Iris Hockey Lambersart (France), KPH Rača (Slovakia), Partille (Sweden) and Ukimerioni Kutaisi (Georgia).
All will be hoping to reach the top two in the group stages and advance to the semi-finals on Saturday evening. The top two finishers in the competition will earn promotion for their nation.
Find out more about each of the competing clubs below.
** Click here for the match schedule – further info on squad lists is available on the “More Info” tabe
EuroHockey Indoor Club Challenge I – team by team previews
Pool A
AHTC Wien (Austria) – pictured above
The host club are riding high having won the Austrian indoor and outdoor championship in the past year, bringing their total to 13 indoor titles since 1947.
It is a side with some serious firepower with key players like captain Laura Kern, Helene Herzog and Katharina Proksch along with Miriam Gerö all part of the Austrian national team squad who took silver at the FIH Indoor World Cup in Croatia.
Proksch’s younger sister Philippa and Anja Haselsteiner were also part of the Austrian Under-21s who won gold in Poland in January in the European championship.
Copenhagen HC (Denmark)
Copenhagen bring a cosmopolitan side to the competition with half their side hailing from Denmark, dove-tailing with two Dutch, two German, an American and an Argentinean player.
The club have won their national indoor championship seven times and are in good shape again this season, winning each game they have played so far. This includes the Mason Cup in Lyngby where they defeated teams from Germany, the Netherlands and the Irish development team whom they beat in the final.
Nine out of their 12 players have played in one or more Euro club tournaments before while captain Caroline Mourier is playing her sixth Euro club tournament at only 24 years of age.
FHC Akademik Plus Sofia (Bulgaria)
HC Akademik plus was established in 1991 in Sofia and remains a small family oriented club that has players of all ages, citing the best thing about the club is: “that we encourage every member of a family to play. Being togheter and enjoying hockey is our goal”.
That spirit is in evidence in the age range of their panel from 15 to 66; 16-year-olds Elizabet and Nikol Stamenova are looking forward to their second tournament while there is also 66-year-old goalkeeper Dara Dimitrova named in the panel.
Elena Pesheva is the long-term captain of the side, playing in several Challenge I competitions in Portugal, Slovenia and France over the past decade. They finished in sixth place at this level a year ago in Murska Sobota.
Swansea HC (WAL)
Swansea returns to the EuroHockey Indoor Championships in Vienna this season, following their victory in the 2023 Welsh National Championships, where they triumphed against Penarth.
Vienna marks another chapter in Swansea’s rich European indoor hockey legacy, having secured bronze medals in the 2020 and 2022 competitions. Following promotion, 2023 saw the squad gain valuable exposure to the higher level Cambrai event.
Leading the team is captain Fleur Gallagher, a seasoned player with 22 indoor caps, including five appearances and a goal in Cambrai. Georgina Pitts, a medal winner in both the 2020 and 2022 editions of the tournament is also in the side.
Rising talent Olivia Forey injects youthful energy, yet has already amassed 24 caps. She boasts an impressive record of nine goals for Wales at the Under-16 Hockey5s and Under-18 Championships in 2024.
She is joined by another product of the Welsh player pathway, goalkeeper Grace Diamond. Bethan Collier adds further experience to the squad, boasting 30 indoor caps and four EuroHockey goals for Swansea, alongside international experience from the 2020 EuroHockey Indoor Championship II with the senior Welsh women’s team
The recent Welsh indoor championships provided Swansea with good preparation for Vienna, even though they narrowly missed out on the gold.
Head coach, Lee Marshall says: “Although we have a young side, they possess vast experience from club and international tournaments. They grew as the Welsh championships progressed and have really taken to some new structures and principles, giving us options as to how we play in Vienna.
“These EuroHockey events are great to be part of and we are looking forward to competing for medals. With so many of the group having represented Wales in junior, youth or senior competitions they have the sort of experience that could prove decisive as the tournament progresses”.
Pool B
Iris Hockey Lambersart (France)
Iris Hockey Lambersart won the French title once again last week when they edged out Cambrai 2-1 in the final, earning them a return trip to Europe in 2026.
As such, they will be looking to emulate their last appearance in Challenge I when they finished in second place in 2022 in Sveti Ivan Zelina, earning promotion for France to the second tier.
Marie-Sophie Gryndzinski has been their main go-to player for goals, top the French championship charts with 19 goals this season, including one in the final.
The 21-year-old will be among a half dozen players who will be debuting on this stage while the experience comes from captain Morgane Huvelle and Julie Martinot who both previously played for Douai in Europe as well.
KPH Rača (Slovakia)
The KPH Rača women’s indoor team is one of the most accomplished in Slovak field hockey. With 13 national championship titles, the club has built a tradition of excellence, combining experienced leadership with emerging talent.
Competing regularly in European club tournaments, KPH Rača has gained international recognition and continues to raise the level of indoor hockey in Slovakia.
Among their key players is Dominika Chebenová, a highly experienced defender who has been the backbone of the team for years. She has played in numerous European club competitions, making her one of the most seasoned players in Slovak hockey.
Another pushing the boundaries beyond her contributions on the field, Daniela Šutovská balances two demanding roles—playing top-level hockey while working as a doctor. Just as she stays focused and composed in goal, she applies the same mindset in the hospital, making important decisions under pressure.
The team has dedicated the past months to intensive training, focusing on tactical improvements, speed, and technical precision.
Partille (Sweden)
Partille SC has played consistently in EuroHockey club events since the 2013 season with many of their players part of the team since then. Indeed, they have been in Challenge I in eight of the last 10 editions – their best finishes were second in 2016 and third in 2018.
To date, they are storming through the Swedish league season with six wins out of six, netting 73 goals and conceding just three so far.
“We are very excited and happy to come to Vienna and look forward to the tournament,” says coach Christoffer Bemert. They finished in fifth place at this level in Challenge I.
You can read more about their side in this interview with Ella Sampers: https://hockey.nl/nieuws/internationaal/hoe-nederlandse-ella-sampers-het-zweedse-hockey-nieuw-leven-inblaast/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAabDdKBnSbNvNYnXfqnV_ohs-Adxvy8hlDgeIY_ke65_Fuq6Wcw3ng5lY8k_aem_tINUrwzj3Y4JvMx4mgNIgw
Ukimerioni Kutaisi (Georgia)
Ukimerioni Kutaisi has been champions for eight seasons in a row and this will be the sixth time competing in European competitions.
As always, they have a blend of young Ukrainian and Georgian players trying to gain valuable experience. The key player will be captain Viktoriia Mazurkevych as well as Dariia Sherstiuk who was the top scorer in the previous European campaign – fourth place in Murska Sobota in Challenge I.
Some of our their experienced Georgian players have unfortunately retired but have been replaced by upcoming stars from the Under-16 national team that also played in the 5s competition last year. One of these rising stars is Mariam Bladaze who is just 15 years old and the youngest player on the squad.
Coach Avtandil Tevdoradze says of the event: “We are hoping to do better than last year, when we made history by getting into the final four on this level.
“Last year we finished completely even on second place in the group with same points, goal difference and goals scored with our Swedish friends Partille. Just the result in between us seperated us and gave us the unexpected second place in the group.
“We want to show our government and our city leaders what we are capable off to gain valuable support as we are hoping to host the tournament next year! We would love to invite you all next year to the beautiful city of Kutaisi!”
