The weekend of September 20 and 21 was all about the start of the new women’s ice hockey season. With both an international friendly in Amsterdam and the Talentpool Women, the tone was set for the coming months.
Netherlands - Belgium U18
On Saturday, September 20, the Belgian U18 women’s team played a friendly against their Dutch counterparts at the Jaap Edenhal. The Netherlands came out on top with a 3-0 win.
The Dutch team clearly benefitted from already having several weeks of training, while Belgium is only just beginning its preparation. In addition, Belgium had to say goodbye to eight “overaged” players and largely rely on first-year U16 talent. Despite this difference in experience, Belgium put up a brave fight, making the match a valuable learning opportunity for both teams.
Talentpool Women: detection, development and experience
A day later, on Sunday, September 21, the focus shifted to the development of the next generation during the Talentpool Women. This program is aimed not only at detecting new talent but also at further developing players already in the system.
The day program included:
- On-ice skill training to refine technical abilities,
- Off-ice testing for physical and athletic assessment,
- Teambuilding activities to strengthen cooperation and team spirit,
- A nutrition workshop on healthy sports lifestyles,
- And a closing session with game drills.
From this Talentpool, several players have already been called up to join the training sessions of the National U18 Women’s Team. This makes the program an essential bridge between youth development and international competition.
Strong start to the season
With the combination of a serious international test against Belgium and an intensive Talentpool day, the season was kicked off in the best possible way.