A season of renewal
Hungary’s women’s hockey program, currently ninth in the world rankings, is chasing a return to the sport’s elite tier after a heart‑breaking near‑miss in the 2026 promotion battle, having appeared in the top division four times in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2025.
The squad is now deep into a two‑week training camp in the quiet village of Mátyásföld, where head coach Delaney Collins is emphasizing chemistry and tactical cohesion as the team gears up for a four‑nation tournament in Füssen, Germany, against Germany, France and Norway.
Collins, who took the helm of the national side earlier this year, believes that blending seasoned veterans with fresh talent will be the key to unlocking the depth needed for a long campaign that stretches until the next World Championship in November 2027.
The roster reads like a who’s‑who of Hungarian hockey: veterans such as Lili Hajdu, Bernadett Németh, Fruzsina Mayer, Boglárka Koncz and Luca Faragó return alongside emerging players like Taylor Baker, who is making a comeback after a stint away from the international stage, and captain Lotti Odnoga, who is slated to attend the PWHL’s Toronto Sceptres training camp this fall.
Goalkeepers Anikó Németh, Noémi Zoé Takács and Zsófia Tóth are also back, bringing continuity between the posts, while a host of other names — including Csenge Csordás, Boglárka Báhiczki‑Tóth, Réka Hiezl, Regina Metzler, Míra Seregély, Emma Kreisz, Madeline Leidt, Zsófia Pázmándi, Petra Polónyi, Krisztina Weiler, Imola Horváth, Berta Mozolai, Hayley Williams, Boróka Bátyi, Anna Kapocsi, Bíborka Simon, Viktória Simon, Helga Tamás and Flóra Tóth — are fighting for every spot on the ice.
Beyond the immediate tournament, the team is looking to raise standards across the board, develop younger talent and keep the momentum alive for a season that will culminate in the 2027 World Championship, scheduled to be held in Milan, the same city that hosted the 2026 Olympics.