This weekend, the final qualification tournaments for the 2022 Beijing Olympics are happening at sites around the world. A number of current Division I and Division III women’s hockey players are representing their countries at these tournaments.
This is the first year the Olympic field will contain 10 women’s teams. The top six teams in world rankings, plus host China, all automatically qualify. The final three spots will go to the winners of each tournament happening this week.
In Beijing, Group A will consist of the US, Canada, Finland, ROC and Switzerland. Group B will be Japan, China and this weekend’s three winners.
Per the IIHF, “The 2022 Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament will be played according to a similar format used at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships with two tiered groups of five teams each. The five teams from Group A and the top three teams from Group B will advance to the quarter-finals.”
The final qualification tournaments are happening within three groups:
Group C is Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway and Poland. That tournament is in Chomutov, Czech Republic.
Group D is Germany, Denmark, Austria and Italy. The tournament is being played in Fussen, Germany.
Group E is Sweden, France, Slovakia and Korea. The tournament is in Lulea, Sweden.
Here are the collegians competing this weekend:
| Group C: | |
| Czech Republic | |
|---|---|
| Klara Hymlarova | St. Cloud State |
| Dominika Lásková | Merrimack |
| Natalie Mlynkova | Vermont |
| Noemi Neubauerová | Colgate |
| Tynka Patkova | Vermont |
| Hungary | |
| Lotti Odnoga | Dartmouth |
| Mira Seregély | Maine |
| Norway | |
| Ingrid Berge | Norwich |
| Une Bjelland | Adrian |
| Thea Jørgensen | Lindenwood |
| Ena Nystrøm | Mercyhurst |
| Group D: | |
| Germany | |
|---|---|
| Sandra Arbstreiter | Providence |
| Tabea Botthof | Yale |
| Nina Christof | Rensselaer (commit) |
| Nina Jobst-Smith | Minnesota Duluth |
| Lilli Welcke | Maine (commit) |
| Denmark |
| Amalie Andersen | Maine |
| Lilli Friis-Hansen | Rensselaer |
| Austria | |
|---|---|
| MeiLan Haberl | Yale |
| Austria Matzka | Vermont |
| Theresa Schafzahl | Vermont |
| Anja Trummer | Yale |
| Italy | |
| Nadia Mattivi | Boston University |
| Group E: | |
| Sweden | |
|---|---|
| Josefin Bouveng | Princeton (Commit) |
| Sara Hjalmarsson | Providence |
| Emma Soderberg | Minnesota Duluth |
| France | |
| Chloé Aurard | Northeastern |
| Slovakia | |
| Simone Martina Bednárik | Oswego |
As reminder and for the convenience of having this all in one place, here are the collegians centralized or rostered to compete with countries who have already qualified for Beijing:
| USA | |
|---|---|
| Cayla Barnes | Boston College |
| Natalie Buchbinder | Wisconsin |
| Jesse Compher* | Boston University |
| Britta Curl* | Wisconsin |
| Lacey Eden | Wisconsin |
| Caroline Harvey | Wisconsin (commit) |
| Abbey Murphy | Minnesota |
| Anna Wilgren | Minnesota State |
| Grace Zumwinkle* | Minnesota |
| Canada | |
|---|---|
| Ashton Bell* | Minnesota Duluth |
| Sarah Fillier | Princeton |
| Emma Maltais* | Ohio State |
| Finland | |
| Sini Karjalainen | Vermont |
| Jenniina Nylund | St. Cloud State |
| Jenna Silvonen | Mercyhurst |
| Switzerland | |
|---|---|
| Andrea Brändli | Ohio State |
| Rahel Enzler | Maine |
| Saskia Maurer | St. Thomas |
| Alina Müller | Northeastern |
| Nicole Vallario | St. Thomas |
* indicates players who have completed four years and are not currently on collegiate rosters, but could return to school to use their bonus Covid year of eligibility.
A number of US and Canadian players who have Chinese heritage have been centralized in Russia with the Chinese National Team in hopes of being eligible to play for Team China. As of now, they have not been granted citizenship or an exemption to play international competition, but that may occur before China’s first match on February 3, 2022.
Those players are:
| Kassy Betinol | Minnesota Duluth |
| Dani Castino | Merrimack |
| Tia Chan | Connecticut |
| Anna Fairman | last played at Robert Morris |
| Vivian Lu | Brown |
| Taylor Lum | St. Lawrence |
| Anna Segedi | St. Lawrence |
| Camryn Wong | Connecticut |