SKN St. Pölten Rush Blog

Wolves win the cup title!

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:12:55 GMT

Wolves win the cup title!

The sensation is perfect – our wolves have already landed their first big coup in their first season and secured this year's cup title after a thrilling final against the Klosterneuburg Duchess!

The stage for the big hit in the cup final on Sunday could not have been better: a packed hall with loud fans on both sides created an electrifying atmosphere at the summit meeting of Austria's two best women's basketball teams between our Wolves and the Klosterneuburg Duchess. And it was precisely this atmosphere that was transferred from the first second of the game onto the court, as both teams gave each other no quarter from the start.

Our team was able to make a more prominent impact in the opening minutes and pull ahead a little, but as the game went on, the Klosterneuburg team came into the game better and better and were able to make up the deficit. They went into halftime with a very narrow 35:33 lead.

After the break, both teams were on an equal footing, and the momentum in the game changed back and forth several times. Our Wolves, however, managed to defend their narrow lead again and again before launching a major final offensive shortly before the end: A buzzer-beater three-pointer from a long distance by Inga Orekhova finally gave them a seven-point lead with two minutes to go. A powerful hit from which the guests would not recover.

Our team then confidently held on to this lead until the final whistle sounded, before the celebrations knew no bounds after the 76:65 victory. Our team, led by head coach Lana Petrovic and finals MVP Michaela Wildbacher (19 points), secured their first major title at the first attempt and are now going into the play-offs and the associated battle for this year's championship full of confidence.

SKN St. Pölten Women vs Klosteneuburg Duchess

76:65 (22:19, 35:33, 50:50)

Best throwers: Wildbacher 19, Orekhova, Krisper each 18

Voices about the game:

Nina Krisper: "We had trouble getting into the game at first, the shots weren't going in. In the final quarter, we decided to share the ball and show that we are currently the best team in the league. Then the shots started going in, we had a bit of luck too."

Lana Petrovic: "I am very proud of my team, the girls deserve the title. We created a good offense from good defense, gave everything until the end. We managed to turn the score in our favor in the last minutes of the game."

Wolves celebrate reaching the finals!

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:09:41 GMT

Wolves celebrate reaching the finals!

The next big goal of the season has been achieved: Our women's team won this evening against UBSC DBBC Graz with a confident 91:51, winning the "Best of 3" series 2:0 and booking their ticket for the final series for this year's national championship title.

Play-off time under difficult conditions: The team around head coach Lana Petrovic unfortunately had to do without Nina Krisper and Loulou Kenes in the second game of the semi-final series, both of whom had to miss out due to injury. However, this circumstance did not affect the aim of securing a place in the final in the second game. On the contrary: The Wolves exceeded their own expectations offensively in the first ten minutes and quickly secured a double-digit lead through strong team play and a high hit rate. With a score of 28:11 after ten minutes, they already had a comfortable cushion in the bag.

After a short dry spell at the beginning, they carried this momentum into the second half of the game and were able to distance themselves even further from the Graz team, thanks in particular to a very concentrated defensive performance. They went into the break with a score of 48:26 and a lead of 22 points.

After the break, Inga Orekhova also got a well-deserved break, but the guests were unable to catch up. Our Wolves were too focused and confident that evening and never let the game slip from their grasp.

In the end, the score was a well-deserved 91:51 victory, meaning our Wolves are in the final of this year's play-offs and will play against the winner of the Duchess Klosterneuburg vs UBI Graz duel for this year's title. The first game of the final series will take place on Saturday, March 30th, on home turf at 8:15 p.m.!

SKN St. Pölten Women vs. UBSC-DBBC Graz

91:51 (28:11; 48:26; 69:40)
Saturday, 6:00 p.m. – Sportzentrum NÖ Best scorers: A. Kolyandrova 24 (9 rebounds), B. Kunz 19, M. Wildbacher and M. Kolyandrova (10 assists) 15 each, S. Kuzma 17, S. Werner 10, L. Meskic 9.

Voices about the game:

Johanna Mölls: "We didn't think the game would be so clear-cut, but of course we're happy about it. We showed good effort and played as a team, that's what made us special today."

Bettina Kunz : "We achieved a lot in the two semifinals. We were able to prove that we had prepared well. Now there is just a week left until the start of the final series, and then we have to deliver the best basketball of the season."

Larisa Dzanko, player UBSC-DBBC: “We are a very young team and can only gain experience. We did our best

Wolves score 1-0 in the final!

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:06:47 GMT

Wolves score 1-0 in the final!

The first step towards the title has been taken! Our wolves won the first final match against UBI Graz with a clear 58:41 and thus made it 1:0 in the "best of five" series!

Both teams were clearly nervous in the first quarter: Numerous errors in the offense initially dominated the action on the court, before our team was the first to get going and was able to pull further and further away from the Graz team in the middle of the second quarter. At the break, they had a fully deserved 11-point cushion in their pocket.

And this was managed very well, especially thanks to a very consistent and strong performance in defense, even after the break. UBI Graz did try to catch up a few times, but they always found the right answer, which meant that they were able to secure a clear 58:41 victory and thus the first point in the best-of-five series.

However, there is not much time to relax – Game 2 is already scheduled for 6 p.m. on Easter Monday!

SKN St. Pölten Women vs. UBI Holding Graz
58:41 (12:8, 36:25, 49:37)
Saturday, 8:15 p.m. – bet-at-home Arena, St. Pölten
Best scorers: Inga Orekhova 18, Michaela Wildbacher and Bettina Kunz 11 each, Anna Kolyandrova 10 (10 rebounds) and Camilla Neumann 14 (15 rebounds), Simone Schwarzinger 7, Lenny Jacimovic 6.

Michaela Wildbacher: " After a nervous start from both teams, we were able to recover a little quicker and gain a small lead at half time. We implemented what we had planned in defense. We also shared the ball well in offense and held our nerve in the end, which helped us win. "

Valentina Mayrhofer: " After a few problems at the beginning, we pulled ourselves together as a team and tried to implement what we had planned to make the series as short as possible. We are very happy about the first victory and are going into the next game highly concentrated. "

Wolves win the double!

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 04:03:00 GMT

Wolves win the double!

The sensation is perfect: In their first win2day BDSL season, our SKN St. Pölten women have also won the national championship title! In the third league final match against UBI Holding Graz, the Wolves had to wait a long time, just as they did in the first two games of the series. But in the end, they lifted the trophy!

The Graz team started with a high pace and a lot of pressure, allowing them to pull ahead early and even extend their lead to eleven points in the second quarter. After the break, the Lower Austrians found a better rhythm, and the Styrians also missed easy points at the free throw line. The fact that the SKN could not take complete control was also due to the fact that the UBI players were strong defensively and on the rebound. The final quarter started at 51:51, where an open exchange of blows developed. The star players on both sides now took on responsibility. With three minutes to go, the SKN women were ahead 64:63. The cup winners from St. Pölten were now able to deal with the immense pressure a little better. Thanks to a strong team performance, they scored the last points of the game to make the final score 71:64, sweeping the final series and securing the first title in the club's history!

The Finals MVP is former WNBA Inga Orekhova, who drew the attention of the Graz defense throughout the series, contributed important points in the decisive moments and led her team with her experience throughout the season!

SKN St. Pölten Women vs. UBI Holding Graz
71:64 (12:18, 33:42, 51:51)
Sunday, 8.15 p.m. – bet-at-home Arena, St. Pölten

Best scorers: Nina Krisper 16, Anna Kolyandrova 14, Inga Orekhova 12 and Camilla Neumann 17, Simone Schwarzinger and Johanna Maresch 11 each.

Lana Petrovic: "I'm at a loss for words. We had high goals and worked hard. Congratulations to our opponents for their performance. I'm super proud of my girls, 3-0, at home, that's crazy. I'm super grateful to the board and the people behind the scenes. We're looking forward to celebrating! We focused on the mistakes after the break. Both teams were tired, we wanted it more."

Nina Krisper: "It's unbelievable. I'm speechless. It wasn't certain whether I would be able to play. The feeling of happiness now prevails, and luckily the pain is limited. Now it's time to celebrate."

Quarterfinal duel with the Lions!

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:11:55 GMT

Quarterfinal duel with the Lions!

The pairing for this year's quarter-finals is set: Our Wolfpack will meet the Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions in the first round of this year's play-offs. Here you can find all the information about the upcoming series!

Our wolves only finished the placement round in sixth place overall, but their 87:76 win last weekend in Wels gave them a lot of self-confidence for the task ahead. And that includes a best-of-five series against the Traiskirchen Lions, who secured third place and thus home advantage in the upcoming play-off duel.

The pack has already crossed swords with the lions five times this season, but unfortunately they were defeated five times.”

“The win in Wels was really good for us for the upcoming play-offs. Now it's time to start the quarter-final series against Traiskirchen with just as hard work in defense and the same passion in offense. The Lions are a very well-coached team with good individual players. We have to find the appropriate solutions here in order to survive. “But I am convinced that we can succeed,” says Johannes Skoll, who will continue to look after the team on an interim basis with Mike Kress on the sidelines, and looks forward to the showdown positively.

It starts on Sunday away in Traiskirchen, before the first appearance at the Lower Austria sports center is on the program on Tuesday. We have summarized all the dates in the series here for you.

Quarterfinal series 2023/24 Best-of-Five

Traiskichen Lions vs SKN St. Pölten Basketball

Game 1: Sunday, April 21, 5:30 p.m., Lions Dome (A)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 23rd, 7:00 p.m., Sports Center Lower Austria (H)
Game 3: Thursday, April 25, 6:00 p.m., Lions Dome (A)
Game 4 (if necessary): Sunday, April 28th, 5:00 p.m., Sports Center Lower Austria (H)
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 1, 5:30 p.m., Lions Dome (A)

The first play-off game is coming up!

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:09:41 GMT

The first play-off game is coming up!

The wait is finally over: Tomorrow, Sunday, our pack starts the play-off series against the Traiskirchen Lions. The clear goal of our team: get our first derby win of the season against the Lions and thus secure the advantage in the series!

This duel has taken place five times in the last few months and offered all basketball fans some extremely exciting duels that were only decided in the very last minutes of each game. So far this season, the winner has always been Traiskirchen. A circumstance that our wolves now absolutely want to change.

“The success against the Flyers gave the team another real jolt. Everyone is already looking forward to the upcoming play-offs. It will be important to get the Lions' key players under control as best as possible in order to secure their first point in the series on Sunday. “That’s what we’re working towards as a team,” says captain Roman Jagsch, looking ahead to the next 40 minutes.

The support of our fans from the stands will also be important. We hope that many of you will loudly support our team in the Lions Dome in order to get one step closer to our big goal - reaching the play-off semi-finals for the first time since being promoted back to the Bundesliga. Tickets can be purchased online at https://tickets.traiskirchen-lions.at https://tickets.traiskirchen-lions.at .

Game one of the series kicks off tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. For everyone who cannot make the trip to Traiskirchen, the live stream of the game is available as usual at www.basketballaustria.tv !

Perfect series start in Traiskirchen!

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:07:27 GMT

Perfect series start in Traiskirchen!

Our wolves have made the first statement in this year's play-offs! In game one of the quarter-final series with the Traiskirchen Lions, the pack showed a strong performance on both sides of the court and secured the 76:64 victory with an outstanding final quarter and thus the first point in the best-of-five series!

They have already had to admit defeat to the Traiskirchen Lions five times this season...a mistake that the Wolves absolutely wanted to erase at the start of the quarter-finals. Full of self-confidence from the success in Wels, they showed from the very first second that they wanted to follow up on this goal with action and fully embraced the fight in the Lions Dome right from the start.

With a rock-solid performance in defense, the Traiskirchen team were never really allowed to develop and had an open exchange of blows with the home team that lasted over the entire first (18:14 lead) and second quarter (31:32 deficit).

This pair run continued after the break before the Lions started a short spurt and were able to extend their lead to seven points. However, the Wolves didn't let this bother them and kept the deficit within limits with important goals from MJ Randolph and Janis Tomaschek. From our team's point of view, the score was 44:49 going into the last ten minutes.

And there the Wolves performed at their best: with consistent defensive work, they repeatedly pulled the hosts' teeth and provoked turnovers and difficult throws, while offensively they repeatedly brought MJ Randolph and Matej Kavas into ideal finishing positions, which our two top scorers in converted into important points during crunch time. So they took a double-digit lead for the first time three minutes before the end and didn't relinquish it until the final siren.

This secured a well-deserved 76:64 victory and made it 1-0 in the quarter-final series. The second meeting will take place on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) at the Lower Austria Sports Center - we need your full support from the stands. EVERYONE IN THE HALL!!!

Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions vs. SKN St. Pölten Basketball

64:76 (14:18; 32:31; 49:44)
Sunday, 5:30 p.m. – Lions Dome, Traiskirchen

Score: 1-0 for St. Pölten

Best scorers: Clare 14, Demonia 12, Kostic 11 or Randolph Jr. 24, Kavas 22, Ogumeno-Johnson 12 (10 rebounds).

Voices about the game:

Michael Randolph Jr.: “We knew that Traiskirchen was a tough opponent. We wanted to prepare well and learn from the mistakes of the last few games. The job is not done yet, we cannot be satisfied yet. Today we can celebrate this victory, but tomorrow it’s time to get back to work and prepare for the next game.”

Roman Jagsch: “Very important first win for us away from home in front of a great backdrop. If we execute our defense like that and keep our opponents under 70 points, it will be very difficult to beat us.”

Game two against the Lions ahead!

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:04:01 GMT

Game two against the Lions ahead!

After the important victory last night, our pack has little time to catch its breath: Game two of the quarter-final series against the Traiskirchen Lions will take place tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m.! And you want to secure your second victory en suite.

For some experts within the Austrian basketball scene, our Wolves' opening victory came as a surprise. Now the pack wants to prove that this success was no fluke and further expand its advantage in this quarter-final series.

It is clear to everyone involved that this undertaking will be just as difficult as the opening match in Traiskirchen. The Lions, who started the series as favorites, will certainly be out for revenge. Nevertheless, the Wolves' ranks believe in their own strengths.

“In the first play-off game we showed what is possible when we play together as a team and follow the game plan. “Now we definitely want to go one better in the first home game of the series,” says Matej Kavas, summarizing the route for the next 40 minutes. Steven Kaltenbrunner, for his part, takes the same line: “This first success gave us another push. But we know that we haven't achieved anything yet. It’s important to push our limits again in the second game, work hard on both sides of the court and do everything we can to get the second point.”

In addition to a concentrated performance, loud support from the stands will also be important. That's why we need every single fan to whip our pack forward on Tuesday from 7 p.m.!

Tickets are available at the box office and now online at this link ! Due to the expected interest from spectators, we ask that you arrive early in order to be able to guarantee regular entry into the hall.

SKN St. Pölten Basketball vs. Traiskirchen Lions

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 7:00 p.m

Sports center Lower Austria

Pack has to accept series equalization!

Wed, 22 May 2024 04:01:01 GMT

Pack has to accept series equalization!

Everything was even again - our Wolves had to admit defeat to the Lions in the first home game of the play-offs, which means the series is now 1-1. Unfortunately, the decisive factor for this was an expandable throwing rate on the offensive...

Like two days before, our team stood up well to the guests on both sides of the court, but unfortunately they didn't adjust their sights well that evening. They remained within striking distance of the Lions for a long time, but unfortunately that didn't change the 33:41 deficit at the break.

Unfortunately, after the break, the Traiskirchen team found their rhythm quicker and pulled away decisively in the third quarter. In the end there was a 61:80 defeat, which led to the series equalizing 1:1.

On Thursday (6:00 p.m.) Game 3 will be about the first match point for one of the two teams.

SKN St. Pölten Basketball vs. Arkadia Traiskirchen Lions
61:80 (15:21; 33:41; 43:60)
Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. – Sports Center Lower Austria
Standing: 1:1

Best scorers: Randolph Jr. 19 (9 rebounds), Ogemuno-Johnson 10, Dukic, Kavas and Vukicevic 6 each, Demonia 24, Lawrence 15, Lasenbergs 10

Roman Jagsch: “They made life very difficult for us with their defense. We haven’t found a way to score and 61 points at home is not enough.”

Felix Angerbauer: “We fought hard for over 40 minutes and played good defense. Unfortunately our shots didn’t fall today and we are preparing for the game on Thursday.”

Wolves under pressure after second defeat!

Wed, 22 May 2024 03:43:45 GMT

Wolves under pressure after second defeat!

The third game of the series against the Traiskirchen Lions was not for the faint of heart right from the start. In the end, our Wolves had to admit defeat and now they absolutely have to win on Sunday in order to extend the series.

Both teams were able to rely on a very strong defense for long periods of the game in the Lions Dome. Neither team managed to break away decisively, which meant that duel three could not be surpassed in terms of drama until shortly before the end. Unfortunately, in crunch time, the Lions had the upper hand in the crucial moments and secured their second victory and thus their first match point with a 73:68 home win.

The fact that this is not recycled is of course at the top of our pack's agenda! In the fourth quarter-final game on Sunday (5:00 p.m.), our team will do everything in its power to keep the chance of the semi-finals alive and force a decisive fifth game in this best-of-five series.

“We showed on Thursday that we are capable of beating the Lions in this series. Unfortunately, we didn't make the right decisions in the crucial situations and were therefore unable to prevail. “We definitely want to change that in Game 4, get a home win and thus send the series into the decisive game,” says Janis Tomaschek, who also believes in another win for the Wolves.

In addition to a concentrated performance, loud support from the stands will also be important. That's why we need every single fan on Sunday from 5 p.m. to whip our pack forward!

SKN St. Pölten Basketball vs. Traiskirchen Lions

Sunday, April 28, 2024, 5:00 p.m

Sports center Lower Austria

TICKETS FOR WM-DIV.IA FROM April 21st - 27.4. AVAILABLE NOW IN KLAGENFURT

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:27:29 GMT

TICKETS FOR WM-DIV.IA FROM April 21st - 27.4. AVAILABLE NOW IN KLAGENFURT

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SKN BASKETBALL COLLEAGUES ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:25:50 GMT

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SKN BASKETBALL COLLEAGUES ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE!

COLLECT AND REDEEM LOTS - AND HELP THE SABERS

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:22:47 GMT

COLLECT AND REDEEM LOTS - AND HELP THE SABERS

It's that time again! Like last year, the Sabers are once again taking part in the BILLA campaign “I live for my club”! Here is the link to redeem for the Sabers (note: we are still saved here with the old club name!):

https://meinverein.billa.at/loszulassen/vereinsseite?partyId=10003000253&fbclid=IwAR194a85SVCLafAOxDBXqnK3ugF8B3zyAjTxn77Ox3Tk-kCjwVUtP6O01ww

Thank you in advance!

WELCOME EMMA

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:20:27 GMT

WELCOME EMMA

We are very pleased to announce another new acquisition: Emma McKnight!

The Canadian played 5 seasons for Queens University in the Canadian USports League. The forward will hunt for goals for the Sabers with No. 44!

NEW ERA IN WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

Tue, 14 May 2024 06:16:04 GMT

NEW ERA IN WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

Photo (c) Nicolas Zangerle

In cooperation between the Austrian Ice Hockey Association, the win2day ICE Hockey League and win2day, the win2day Austrian Women's Hockey League will begin operations in the 2024/2025 season.

win2day, together with the associations from Austria (ÖEHV) and Hungary (HIHF) as well as the ICE Hockey League organization, is raising women's ice hockey to a new level across Europe from the 2024/25 season.

The focus is on the professionalization of the existing European Women's Hockey League and the newly launched Austrian Women's Hockey League.

You can find more information here: https://www.eishockey.at/aktuelles-infos/news/neue-aera-im-fraueneishockey-mit-der-win2day-austrian-women-s-hockey-league-und-der- european-women%E2%80%99s-hockey-league-new

#supporterstories – Claudia and Carina Aichernig

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 04:36:09 GMT

#supporterstories – Claudia and Carina Aichernig

No encounter between our she-wolves goes by without the two fun-loving Tyrolean women in the stands. No matter whether Potsdam, Prague or St. Pölten – the mother-daughter team from Telfs, Claudia and Carina Aichernig, are always there! “In the fall of 2019, we were there at all the she-wolves’ encounters and loudly supported the team,” says mother Claudia proudly. Together with their daughter Carina, no journey is too far for the two Tyrolean women, who always travel by train.

It all started in 2016, at the Olympic Games in Rio. Carina Aichernig was particularly fond of the women's football tournament here. Germany's Olympic victory, the surprisingly early exit of defending champions USA, the courageous Swedes - all these memories have triggered something of a fever for women's football. A year later, the Austrians' successful run once again captivated the young woman from Telfs. When the visit to our she-wolf duel in Kössen was on the agenda that same year, it was clear to mother and daughter: “The SKN is a club close to our hearts!”

Every weekend the two Tyrolean women set out to follow their wolves up close. Both also accept numerous hardships. “We often get up very early and then sit for 4.5 hours in the direction of St. Pölten. Then, first of all, we have a proper brunch,” says mother Claudia about the weekly ritual. Daughter Carina often has her learning materials in her backpack on long journeys, mother Claudia always has her e-book at hand and thus developed her passion for reading. “I got into football because of my daughter’s enthusiasm. As a Tyrolean, you know your way around winter sports, but I was never really interested in the round leather before,” admits Claudia Aichernig. Nothing can go wrong on the drive home. Often they both arrive home on the very last train to Telfs. After a detailed analysis, hobby photographer Carina then uploads her pictures to Instagram. “We laugh together and mourn together when things don’t go well. This time together really bonds my daughter and me together,” reveals Claudia.

Vágó jersey as a special souvenir
Claudia works as a service assistant in a car dealership in her home town of Telfs. She first gained a foothold in her professional life in her parents' textile business. “Often the entire vacation is spent on football,” she laughs. Daughter Carina made good use of all the time on the train and graduated from business school last year. “I definitely want to do something in the football business,” says the young Tyrolean about her chosen career. In addition to the women of the SKN, the daughter's heart beats for SK Rapid Vienna. She was particularly impressed by the team and the atmosphere in the stands. “I have already seen Rapid live five times. If it doesn't work out, I'll sit in front of the TV in the Rapid jersey and keep my fingers crossed for the team," says Carina.

Numerous beautiful memories have been accumulated over the last few years. The 2019 cup final is right at the forefront, when player-coach Fanni Vágó gave Carina her jersey after her last game in the SKN dress for the time being. The picture together with Liese Brancao and the winner's cup was also very special for the two Tyroleans. “Those kinds of memories make your eyes watery,” admits Claudia Aichernig. The Tyrolean women were particularly stressed on Mother's Day weekend 2019. On Friday they went to Prague to attend a training session for the women's team from Sparta Prague. Saturday after the Prague championship game we took the night train back to Tyrol, as our away game against Wacker Innsbruck was taking place there on Sunday in the Tivoli Stadium. Monday, just a few hours after a truly exhausting weekend, Carina took an important exam. “But everything went well,” grins the young Tyrolean.

When it comes to the team, the fan comes first.
In the meantime, some SKN fan items have been collected at Aichernig. Among the numerous jerseys, scarves and autograph cards there are also very special examples that are not available for purchase. “I’m very proud of the SKN sweater that Li gave me,” says Carina happily. “It is this family atmosphere that particularly impresses us. Everyone is really friendly, greets us when they see us and always has time for a quick chat. If, like a few years ago in Haus im Ennstal, the entire team is taken off the bus by the sports director before the trip home for a photo with us and all the players are happy to do this without batting an eyelid, then that says it all "It says a lot about the team's appreciation for its fans," says mother Claudia, impressed.

Blog Post #3 – The land of fire and ice!

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 10:34:32 GMT

Blog Post #3 – The land of fire and ice!

If I got a penny for every time someone said to me that Iceland is actually green and Greenland is actually ice…. I would have a pretty large bag of pennies!

Despite this rather obvious fact that Iceland is actually green there’s often not a lot more that people know about the country, but they always seem really interested in knowing more about it.

So, what’s so special about Iceland?

Iceland is an island. Eventhough it’s rather small and hosts not a large population, it is filled with adventures, harsh nature and powerful natural sources..

I would describe it as a wonderful extremist.

The Icelandic flag is a good starting point when trying to gain knowledge about the land. It withholds a red cross in the centre that represents fire, a white outer cross that represents ice and the rest is filled with the colour blue which represents the sea.

The land of fire and ice! Two opposites that when united become even more powerful than before. A good example of what can happen when these two forces join hands is the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010. I’m sure you’re familiar with this eruption, but if not, what describes it best is that it interrupted a massive amount of flights, animals died, houses fell down because of the weight of the ash and people were advised to stay insight because of the pollution.

If this eruption sparks your interest or you’re just curious to see a visual representation of this particular event, here’s a link to a youtube video that can give you a stunning visual of the event:

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Okay, so by now you know that Iceland has volcanoes. Let’s move onto the next element, ice. Eventhough Iceland is actually green it still has frosty weather and glaciers. The glaciers cover around 11% of our land and they provide a great source of fresh water.. It’s the best water I have ever tasted. It is usually so pure, you can drink it directly from the stream.

Amongst our glaciers is Vatnajökull which is one of the largest glacier within Europe, if not the largest one. To put that into somewhat a visual context, the glacier covers around 7,900 square meters and is roughly 3,000 km3 in volume.

Langjökull is another Icelandic glacier and what’s interesting about it is that there’s a pathway that allows people to have a guided tour into the glacier, opening up another dimension to the before unseen scenery. I was very lucky to have gotten to see it while it was being built and I can state that it was breathtaking. I might not be doing this experience its justice, but I hope these pictures can give you a feeling of how mesmerising and massive glaciers and ice are.

The last element that fills our flag is the sea. There’s not really much to say about the sea other than that it withholds a lot of fish, which we pride ourselves in, and that it’s an untamed force that we grow up respecting. We understand that, like all other natural forces, the sea that surrounds our island is something that cannot be controlled by man.

Our sand is usually black and our beaches are most often rocky. The nature is harsh, but beautiful. It’s a really unique country that I could probably fill multiple pages writing about. No worries, I will not do that here.. but if interested in Iceland I am always open to a conversation over 10 drops.

A quick side-fact, 10 drops (10 dropar) is in reference to coffee. It’s a saying in Iceland meaning that you only want that certain quantity, a quick sip, a quick visit, a quick conversation over coffee.

I will leave you with a couple of photos that will hopefully encourage you to visit this beautiful country when possible.

Ps. We do not live in igloos!

spusu SKN St. Pölten Women – Autumn 2023 in numbers

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:40:13 GMT

spusu SKN St. Pölten Women – Autumn 2023 in numbers

Only 75 minutes separated SKN newcomer Ella Touon from the full distance in the autumn season, meaning the Swiss woman set the best mark for the She-Wolves in the first half of the 2023 season. With ten goals in the final phase, the spusu SKN women scored a third of all goals in the final quarter of an hour. The she-wolves were once again in a class of their own in the 2023 calendar year.

Table Admiral Women's Bundesliga after autumn season 2023

In Essen, SKN summer newcomer Ella Touon was one of the players with the most minutes of action. And the Swiss team player also continued this trend in St. Pölten, managing the most playing time of all Wolves in autumn 2023 with 735 minutes. Touon was only substituted on or off each time, but otherwise played through in all other matches. Captain Jennifer Klein also played in all of the matches in the Bundesliga autumn, only missing the duel in Linz and ending up in second place in the minutes played. Diana Lemešová rounds off the podium with 718 minutes and was sent off in the away games against Austria and Blau-Weiß. A mark that was only surpassed in this category by her compatriot Mária Mikolajová with three yellow cards. With six goals in the autumn, Rita Schumacher is at the top of the top scorers list in the Bundesliga rankings; the former Wolfsburg player scored an average of every 100 minutes in the first half of the season!

Deployment statistics fall 2023

While the Wolves netted nine times in the first half hour of a Bundesliga game, the SKN goalkeepers always kept tight during this phase and did not have to fish the ball out of the net during this phase. In the final quarter of an hour of the first 45 minutes, however, the SKN goal rang three times, and Jennifer Klein and Co. held off with just two goals. An even clearer picture emerged after the break, here too the Wolves held their own from minute 46 to 75 and netted nine times in return. The final quarter of an hour in particular was once again the strongest phase of the autumn with ten goals. The Wolves scored at least a third of all goals in the first half of the season in the last quarter of an hour of the game.

Goal statistics fall 2023

The spusu SKN women have an incredible 91 autumn rounds in a row without defeat after the first half of the season in 2023. The last time the Wolves suffered a defeat in the autumn season was in 2013, after the St. Pöltner women had an early 2-0 lead in Neulengbach ultimately a 2:4 defeat. Since that day, the SKN women have only had to give up points twice and won all other autumn games. Same in 2023.

In the annual table of the Admiral Women's Bundesliga, St. Pölten is once again at the top, followed by Altach/Vorderland, who defeated the SKN at least in the spring rankings. Sturm Graz follows in third position. Closely followed by Vienna, which is only three points behind Graz. Neulengbach, in fifth place, had one of the best back teams in 2023 and only allowed a total of 16 goals in the past calendar year, making it one of the top 3 in this ranking.

What do the spusu SKN women have in common with top clubs like Chelsea, Wolfsburg, Barcelona or Roma? They are all winter queens and spend the winter at the top of the table in their national league. Some notable figures from the top European league: Overall, 18 of 35 league leaders managed an autumn championship without losing points, including the She-Wolves, 24 of 35 Winter Queens remained undefeated in the autumn. Bosnia's SFK 2000 was the only team at the top to remain without conceding a goal in the autumn. Slovenia's leader ZNK Mura drove over the league rivals like a steamroller, scoring a total of 103 goals in autumn 2023! And with Chelsea, SSU Poli Timişoara, OH Leuven and Brøndby, only four of 35 Winter Queens conceded double-digit goals. All other table leaders were able to keep their goals conceded in single digits in the fall.

Champions League record winners come to St. Pölten

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:31:22 GMT

Champions League record winners come to St. Pölten

The new year has barely begun when the first big highlight is already in store for Austrian women's football! On January 25th, the eight-time Champions League winners from Olympique Lyon will come to St. Pölten. It's not just a duel between the reigning Austrian and French champions, both are also undefeated at the top of the table in their national league after the autumn season! The French squad is full of international superstars: Lindsey Horan (2019 World Champion), the aces of the French national team such as Wendie Renard, Kadidiatou Diani and veteran Eugénie Le Sommer. In addition, the Dutch Daniëlle van de Donk as well as three German top performers, Däbritz, Marozsán and Benkarth, and not forgetting Ada Hegerberg, the exceptional talent from Norway.

However, the Wolves will give the favorites a hot fight and won't let Lyon take the points without a fight. Already in the first leg they stood up to the French and made life really difficult for the eight-time champions. Of course, the twelfth man and woman in the stands also play an important role. No tickets for the top game in the NV Arena yet? We'll show you how you can be there on January 25th!

Tickets: These are available online via ticketmaster.at and in the Tabak-Trafik in Traisenpark St. Pölten for the full price of 18 euros. Children between 7 and 14 years old and people aged 65 and over receive reduced tickets at a price of 12 euros. With the NÖ Card you can buy a one-time ticket for an SKN Women's game free of charge. Tickets for NÖ Card holders are available at the East box office upon presentation of the NÖ Card.

Info for members: All members of the SKN Women have free entry to all home games of the Women Wolves, this is included in their membership. Memberships can be purchased online in our fan shop. Members also receive discounted VIP tickets for games in the Champions League. If you are interested, we ask members to send an email to office@skn-frauen.at .

VIP tickets: On match days in the group phase of the UEFA Women's Champions League, the VIP area of the NV Arena is also open and offers all fans the opportunity to watch the duel against the Champions League record winners in a very special setting.
VIP tickets for the top game against Lyon are available for 150 euros. In addition to single tickets for the VIP area, VIP tickets for tables of four are also possible.
All VIP tickets can only be purchased by email to office@skn-frauen.at .

Fanshop: Are you ready for the Champions League cracker? Not yet? Then stop by our online shop now and secure your souvenir for the big game! Among other things, there are pennants, autograph cards and the hip fan scarf for the group phase of the UEFA Women's Champions League, with all the teams in the SKN group. A perfect souvenir of the She Wolves' games against Brann, Slavia and Lyon.

The magazine for the Women's Champions League: To get you in the perfect mood for the duel against the French champions, the current Wölfinnen magazine is available online ! On 56 pages you will find all the information about the SKN Wolves, records from the Women's Champions League, facts about all opponents in the group phase and an introduction to the SKN Women's family.

UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24 - Group phase
Matchday 5: Thu, January 25th, 2024/9 p.m.
SKN St. Pölten Women - Olympique Lyon
Venue: NV Arena, St. Pölten
Tickets via ticketmaster.at

Mariella Falkensteiner is moving to USV Neulengbach

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:27:59 GMT

Mariella Falkensteiner is moving to USV Neulengbach

Without Mariella Falkensteiner, the she-wolves of the spusu SKN St. Pölten recently started their winter preparations for 2024. The offensive force is moving to the Vienna Woods and will now be hunting for goals for USV Neulengbach. Mariella Falkensteiner came to the SKN from her hometown club Kirchberg an der Pielach in 2018 and worked her way up to the expanded Bundesliga squad with the Wolves. In addition to ten appearances in Austria's top women's league, Mariella Falkensteiner celebrated three championship titles and two cup victories with the spusu SKN women.

“I am grateful for the wonderful time and the experiences I was able to gain at SKN. “I’m now looking forward to the new task in Neulengbach and keeping my fingers crossed for the Wolves for their three Champions League games in January ,” said Mariella Falkensteiner. There will be a reunion with the Kirchberger woman in March, on March 10th. The She-Wolves will meet Neulengbach in the quarter-finals of the SPORTLAND Lower Austria Women's Cup in the Vienna Woods Stadium.

Self-confidence boosted for Slavia with a test match win

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:25:52 GMT

Self-confidence boosted for Slavia with a test match win

With a 3-1 win in the test against RB Leipzig, the Wolves showed that they are ready for the Champions League duel against Slavia next Thursday.

Cold! It was bitterly cold on Saturday during the friendly test against Leipzig in Linz. However, the she-wolves of the spusu SKN defied the cold and won the first game of the year 3-1. After Leipzig took the lead, Sarah Mattner turned the game around with a brace before Valentina Mädl made her comeback to make it 3-1. “An intense game from both sides. “I’m glad that we were able to test against such a robust opponent before the duel against Slavia,” said coach Liese Brancao.

Since the beginning of January, the Wolves have been working on correcting the mistakes made in previous games in the Champions League group phase. This is also the case on Sunday and Monday in the last two units before we go to the Czech Republic on Tuesday. The trainer is pleased with the performances of the returnees Valentina Mädl and Lainie Fuchs. “It was primarily important for both of them to collect playing minutes,” says Brancao. Things will get serious next Thursday, January 18th. Then the Wolves will meet Slavia Prague in the Champions League group phase in Mladá Boleslav from 6:45 p.m. and want to take away three important points in the fight for third place in the group.

Test match winter preparation 2024
spusu SKN St.Pölten Women – RB Leipzig Women 3:1 (1:1)
Goals: Sarah Mattner (39th, 47th), Valentina Mädl (78th)

Back to the site of the greatest triumph

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:23:20 GMT

Back to the site of the greatest triumph

With the 1-0 win against Slavia Prague in Mladá Boleslav in November 2022, Mária Mikolajová marked SKN's first win in the group stage of the UEFA Women's Champions League. On Thursday both teams will meet again in the Městský stadium.

91st minute in the SKN Women's Champions League group game against Slavia Prague in Mladá Boleslav. At the center circle, Rita Schumacher plays a ball to Mária Mikolajová. The attacker runs towards the penalty area, hesitates briefly and then shoots ice-coldly into the goal of keeper Olivie Lukášová. The Slovakian's 1-0 win on November 23, 2022 not only earned her the “Player of the Match” award, but was also a historical milestone - the first victory for a red-white-red team in the UEFA Women's group stage s Champions League. On Thursday there will be another direct duel between the two teams in Jungbunzlau.

This is made possible by a pitch renovation in the Eden Arena, which means they have to move to Mladá Boleslav - the place where they triumphed last season. The SKN Women have been working since the beginning of January to correct the mistakes made in previous Champions League games. “It was good that we were able to test against a robust and strong opponent before the duel with Slavia,” said coach Liese Brancao, who can now rely on several variants in attack thanks to Valentina Mädl’s comeback. The performance in the 3-1 win against RB Leipzig last weekend offers hope for another point win at the Městský stadium.

On the Czech side, they are pushing aside the role of favorites, knowing how dangerous their opponents from St. Pölten are. Although Slavia only started their winter preparation a few days after the Wolves, Karel Piták – Czech women's coach of the year 2023 – would like to build on the performance in the first leg: “One of our best performances in the last two years. We have to act more calmly in front of the opponent's box. Then I am sure that we will score the goals we need,” said Piták. A view that defender Lucie Bendová shares with her coach. She also wants to celebrate with the home fans about goals against St. Pölten. The Prague team has not given up hope of progressing, even if they are aware of the difficult starting position. “We want to win! If we beat St. Pölten and Brann, we'll have seven points. Of course the chance of progressing has decreased due to the draw in the NV Arena, but we definitely want to win against St. Pölten to keep our chance of reaching the quarter-finals alive,” said Coach Piták. A project that is also being pursued by the Lower Austrians.

Visitors to the game in Mladá Boleslav will enjoy free entry to the Městský stadium on Thursday, so Slavia are also counting on strong support from the stands. Fans of the SKN St. Pölten Women can watch the game live on Thursday from 6:45 p.m. via DAZN.

UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24 - Addendum 4th round group stage
Thursday, January 18th, 2024 / 6:45 p.m. - Venue: Městský stadion, Mladá Boleslav
Slavia Prague - SKN St. Pölten Women
Live on DAZN

NOTHING TO GET IN MLADÁ BOLESLAV'S ICE CHEST

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:20:27 GMT

NOTHING TO GET IN MLADÁ BOLESLAV'S ICE CHEST

The SKN Women's Champions League supplement in Mladá Boleslav against Slavia Prague ended with a defeat on Thursday.

The harsh wind of the Champions League blew past the Wolves' 0-1 defeat in the fourth round match against Slavia Prague in Mladá Boleslav. Just in the St. Pölten women's strongest phase, the Czech Michaela Khýrová scored the winning goal for Slavia, who put a lot of pressure right from the start and made life really difficult for the guests from Lower Austria. It was only after twenty minutes that the St. Pölten women found their way into the game better in temperatures just below freezing.

With the restart, substitutes Mateja Zver and Valentina Mädl provided a breath of fresh air in the attack. A noticeable upswing that was abruptly stopped after the 0-1 score. Mädl and Brunnthaler caused dangerous scenes in the opposing penalty area several times, and even with a double chance from Sarah Mattner and Melanie Brunnthaler, Slavia's defense remained victorious. This ends this year's Champions League adventure for the SKN women in two weeks against Brann, who are now mathematically out of the running for second place. The top game against Lyon follows next Thursday in the NV Arena.

UEFA Women's Champions League - group stage
SK Slavia Prague - spusu SKN St.Pölten 1:0 (0:0)
Lineup : Carina Schlüter, Diana Lemesova, Leonarda Balog, Jennifer Klein, Ella Touon (66.Sophie Hillebrand), Claudia Wenger, Maria Mikolayova, Ella Mastrantonio (46.Mateja Zver), Rita Schumacher (46.Valentina Mädl), Melanie Brunnthaler, Sarah Mattner

4th place for U16 young wolves in Wolkersdorf

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:33:44 GMT

4th place for U16 young wolves in Wolkersdorf

On Saturday evening the 2nd Wein4tel Indoor Cup of ASV Asparn took place on the Zaya. The Wolves sent the U16 team to the women's tournament in Weinviertel, which performed bravely as the youngest team in the tournament. With three draws against group opponents Großrußbach,äßenspeigen and Horn II, they finished Group B in second place and met hosts and organizers ASV Asparn/Zaya in the placement game for third place. This duel also ended in a draw after regular time, meaning both teams went into extra time. This was played using the golden goal system, with one player from both teams having to leave the field every minute. In the end, the hosts from the Weinviertel had the upper hand and secured third place. The overall winner was SKN group opponent USVG Großrußbach, who also prevailed in the final in extra time against Brunn am Gebirge.

For SKN women's youth leader Walter Oberschlick, fourth place is an absolutely satisfactory result: “If you look at the fact that we were by far the youngest team, the girls played a strong tournament and performed admirably. I am very satisfied with the performance at this tournament!” said Oberschlick.

Result 2. ASV Wein4tel Indoor Cup
1. USVG Großrußbach Women
2. SC Brunn/Geb. II
3. ASV Asparn an der Zaya
4. spusu SKN St. Pölten Women U16

Pictures of the tournament

Wolfram Gruna new Future League coach

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:26:11 GMT

Wolfram Gruna new Future League coach

At the end of the autumn season, youth leader Walter Oberschlick took over as interim coach of the spusu SKN St. Pölten Women's Future League team. From now on, Wolfram Gruna will be in charge of the fortunes of the young wolves. Gruna, who worked as a goalkeeper for Rapid for many years, a short stint at Arsenal London (youth team) and numerous Viennese and Lower Austrian clubs, knows women's football very well. He most recently worked as a coach at USC Landhaus and transformed the Floridsdorfers from relegation to title candidates in the second division. Ultimately, USC Landhaus' promotion battle was narrowly lost in the previous season against SPG Lustenau/Dornbirn. “It was a personal defeat, not having achieved promotion, from which I was able to take a lot of lessons and experiences with me,” said Gruna.

The young wolves of the spusu SKN have so far left an extremely positive impression on the new coach: “The quality in the young squad is absolutely there, we don’t need to hide in comparison.” Gruna also has a concrete plan in mind when it comes to playing style: “I prefer one offensive style of play, possession-oriented with a lot of effort towards the goal. “But the development of the players is above all,” said the new coach, who runs a goalkeeping academy in Tulln.

The record champions visit St. Pölten

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:23:08 GMT

The record champions visit St. Pölten

Domestic championship, cup, Supercup and Champions League – Olympique Lyon is the record winner in all of these categories. Thursday there will be a direct duel with the she-wolves in the NV Arena.

The SKN Women's bitter 0-1 loss in Mlada Boleslav against Slavia Prague was still weighing on the Wolves' bones the day after the game. In addition, the defeat in Jungblunzau extinguished the SKN's last spark in terms of promotion hopes. But with every preparation session for the duel against Olympique Lyon, the anticipation replaced the disappointment about the elimination. “A highlight game! Not just for us, but also for our fans and the entire club,” enthuses SKN captain Jennifer Klein.

French women come to St. Pölten with a sense of achievement.
Their opponents Lyon are an absolute house number in European women's football. Eight Champions League titles, 16 national championships, ten cup victories and three Super Cup victories – all record values! Coach Sonia Bompastor's team, which as a player scored 4-0 in Lyon's 8-0 win against Neulengbach in 2008, is a true world selection of the best kickers. Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg, Daniëlle van de Donk and Lindsey Horan, to name just a few. But after the 2-2 draw against Brann, the Lyonnais failed to finish the group phase without losing points in the third year. Ada Hegerberg and Co. come to Lower Austria with a lot of tailwind thanks to a 2-1 win against Montpellier. “St. Pölten defended well in Lyon and shone with numerous saves from the goalkeeper,” said Bompastor, praising the SKN’s performance in the first leg.

Why not a surprise this time too?
“However, we know our class and want to present our best side against Lyon. We recently took a close look at our opponents through video study and, with our fans behind us, we want to annoy Lyon for as long as possible,” said coach Liese Brancao. The Brazilian met her counterpart Sonia Bompastor as a player in 2008 with Neulengbach. At that time, both players faced each other, and on Thursday they will meet on the sidelines in the NV Arena. And SKN captain Jennier Klein wants to build on the performance of the She-Wolves in France: “We want to annoy Lyon as well and for as long as we can. We showed in France that we can do this. Why not this time too?”

UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24 - Group stage
Thursday, January 25th, 2024/9 p.m. - Venue: NV Arena, St. Pölten
SKN St. Pölten Women - Olympique Lyon (France)
Live on DAZN

Tickets via ticketmaster.at

Lesson from the record champion

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:19:31 GMT

Lesson from the record champion

Even at halftime, things in the NV Arena were clearly in favor of the guests from Lyon, and in the end the French won the Champions League group game against St. Pölten 7-0.

Olympique Lyon, one of the best European women's teams, came to the NV Arena for the last home game of the Champions League group phase on Thursday evening. However, the Wolves' anticipation quickly faded and with a Lyon double strike midway through the first half, the fair in St. Pölten was quickly read. After another goal from Hegerberg, the score was finally turned in favor of the guests before the break.

But the bravely fighting St. Pölten women had to fish the ball out of the net four more times in the second 45 minutes. Gilles, Marozsán, Diani and again Sarah Däbritz made the final score 7-0, with several great saves Carina Schlüter prevented an even greater defeat. Next week we'll finish off in Bergen, where the group game against Brann is on the program on Wednesday from 6.45 p.m.

UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24 - Group phase
SKN St. Pölten Women - Olympique Lyon 0:7 (0:3)
SKN line-up: Schlüter, Bíróová, Klein, Tabotta, Balog, Touon (86. Schumacher), Lemešová (46 . Mattner), Wenger (70. Hillebrand), Mikolajová (64. Johanning), Zver (70. Brunnthaler), Mädl

Double victory for SKN junior teams in Bruck/Leitha

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:16:06 GMT

Double victory for SKN junior teams in Bruck/Leitha

The Young Wolves began their journey home from Bruck an der Leitha last weekend with three trophies, triumphed in both indoor tournaments in the Bruck sports hall and delivered an impressive test of talent in each case.

On Saturday, two teams from the spusu SKN women made their way to Bruck an der Leitha and competed in the host SCGA's indoor cup in the Bruck sports hall. The Future League had an almost perfect group phase, did not concede a goal and only lost a score in the 0-0 draw in the final group game against Brunn am Gebirge. In the end, we won the group with confidence and made it to the final. The U16 Women's Wolves, however, had a more difficult time. With two draws and one win from four games, the Young Wolves only ended up in fourth place in the group due to the poorer goal difference and played in the duel for seventh place in the final round, which they lost to Vienna. In the final, however, the Future League continued to keep its box clean and won the tournament with a 2-0 win against Felixdorf.

Women's indoor tournament SCGA - Bruck an der Leitha 2024
1. spusu SKN St. Pölten Women (Future League)
2. SC Felixdorf
3. Brunn am Gebirge
7. spusu SKN St. Pölten Women (U16)

Complete success at the youth tournament on Sunday.
At the Sunday girls' youth cup, the St. Pölten girls competed with the younger years of the U16 team and showed a fabulous performance! The Young Wolves team also remained clean in the group phase on Sunday - this time without even losing a point. The start of the tournament was confident with a 6-0 win against Mannersdorf. The final against Vienna was closer, but here too the team of Walter Oberschlick and Yvonne Oppenauer retained the upper hand and ultimately triumphed 1-0 against the Viennese. “A convincing performance. It was really great to see what the girls did today,” says the SKN women’s youth sports director, Walter Oberschlick.

Girls Junior Indoor Tournament SCGA – Bruck an der Leitha 2024
1. spusu SKN St. Pölten Women (U16)
2. First Vienna II
3. First Vienna I

The first outdoor test of winter preparation is on the program next Tuesday at the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich. Then the She Wolves of the Future League will compete against second division team SV Horn from 7 p.m.

Against Brann for a conciliatory farewell to the queen class

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:11:25 GMT

Against Brann for a conciliatory farewell to the queen class

In the duel between the geographically easternmost club (St. Pölten) against the geographically northernmost club (Brann) in the UWCL group phase, the guests from Lower Austria on Wednesday evening from 6.45 p.m. in Bergen are not only about making up for the defeat in the NV Arena, but also also about a worthy farewell from the premier class.

On November 14th, the SKN St. Pölten Wolves started the first game of the UEFA Women's Champions League group phase at home against Brann Bergen with hope. “We can certainly have a say about promotion, but we have to give our full performance to achieve it,” coach Liese Brancao was already aware of the difficulty of the starting position. 78 days later, the spirit of optimism at the time gave way to disillusionment; in five group games they only managed to score a point at home in a goalless draw against Slavia Prague. In addition, Rita Schumacher and Co. have not scored a goal in the Champions League for 382 minutes - reason enough to really attack again in Norway!

She-Wolves want to break the Champions League goal ban.
The mood among the guests from St. Pölten is excellent. On Monday the SKN delegation traveled to Bergen, where the final training session was on Tuesday. “We would like to say goodbye to the Champions League this season with a good performance,” said coach Liese Brancao, looking at the duel in the Åsane Arena. And the team is also burning for revenge for the 1:2 in the NV Arena. But that will be difficult enough, so far Brann is still unbeaten in the Åsane Arena. Won two of the three previous matches and recently drew sensationally against Lyon.

Brann Bergen finally secured his ticket to the next round of the Champions League with the 1-0 win over Slavia Prague in Mlada Boleslav last week and announced the extension of coach Martin Ho's contract a few days later - so he is currently riding the wave of success. The encounter on Wednesday evening will be led by referee Kateryna Monzul, who, among other things, led Austria's European Championship duels against Denmark (2017) and Norway (2022). But in 2011, Neulengbach also led a Champions League game for a red-white-red club. At that time, the guests from Malmö won 3-1 in the Wienerwaldstadion. Also on Neulengbach's side in 2011: defender Alexandra Bíróová and today's SKN coach Liese Brancao.

UEFA Women's Champions League 2023/24 - Group phase
Wednesday, January 31, 2024 / 6.45 p.m. - Venue: Åsane Arena
SK Brann Bergen - SKN St. Pölten Women
live on DAZN and in the YouTube stream

A courageous performance in Bergen was not rewarded

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:05:52 GMT

A courageous performance in Bergen was not rewarded

It wasn't until stoppage time that host Brann Bergen celebrated the 2-1 winning goal; up until then, the SKN's She-Wolves had shown an appealing performance, which ultimately went unrewarded.

Winter conditions in Bergen awaited host Brann and the SKN St. Pölten she-wolves in the final Champions League game of Group B, in which the St. Pölten women took an early lead thanks to a goal from Sarah Mattner. The celebration didn't last too long, however, and after twenty minutes Kielland equalized in favor of the hosts.

After the break, the St. Pölten women continued to play well and were able to test the Norwegians several times. Diana Lemešová was just a few centimeters away from scoring a goal. In difficult conditions, both teams entered the final phase on equal terms, with Eikeland scoring the winning goal for Brann in stoppage time. A bitter blow in the neck for the St. Pölten women, who narrowly missed winning a point in Bergen.

Next SKN compulsory game on March 10th against Neulengbach
The group phase for the SKN women ends with fourth place in the group, the only point the Wolves scored was in a goalless draw against Slavia Prague in St. Pölten. The SKN's next competitive game will be in the cup against Neulengbach on March 10th.

UEFA Women's Champions League - group phase
Brann - SKN St.Pölten 2:1 (1:1)
Lineup: Carina Schlüter, Diana Lemesova, Leonarda Balog, Alexandra Biroova, Jennifer Klein, Anna Johanning (58.Sophie Hillebrand), Diana Lemesova (58 .Valentina Mädl), Claudia Wenger, Maria Mikolajova, Sarah Mattner, Melanie Brunnthaler (72.Rita Schumacher), Mateja Zver

Goal: Sarah Mattner (7th)

St. Pölten in basketball fever!

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 05:02:08 GMT

St. Pölten in basketball fever!

Saturday is the basketball event of the year! At the VAZ there is an XXL program consisting of entertainment and sport, where all basketball lovers will get their money's worth. In addition to the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters, the SKN family will also be represented with both basketball teams and play in championship games.

Next Saturday the legendary Harlem Globetrotters will be playing in the Lower Austrian state capital. The guest performance – it starts at 12 noon! – is the starting signal for a superlative basketball event at the VAZ St. Pölten. After the appearance of probably the most legendary and spectacular basketball team in the world, there are two more top games in the local basketball leagues:
First, from 4:30 p.m., the SKN Wölfe will meet league leaders Klosterneuburg in the Lower Austria derby. The Dukes have only lost two games so far this season, but the St. Pöltners want to try everything to be the third team to be successful against the leader in the upcoming duel and thus collect important points in the fight for the top 6.
At 7:00 p.m. it continues for our women: In the duel with UBI Graz, the Wolves have set themselves the goal of defending their lead in the table against the third-placed team and achieving the next complete success!

Tickets for Super Basketball Day are still available, available online via oeticket.com . There will be a large supporting program surrounding the games. Culinary supplies are also well taken care of!

The Harlem Globetrotters & SKN Basketball at VAZ
Saturday, February 10th, 2024 - Venue: VAZ St. Pölten

Timetable:
12:00 p.m.: HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
4:30 p.m.: SKN St. Pölten Basketball vs. BK IMMOunited Dukes from Klosterneuburg
7:00 p.m.: SKN St. Pölten Basketball Women vs. UBI Holding Graz

Tickets are available at oeticket.com

She-wolves after a thriller in the cup semi-finals

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:42:17 GMT

Basketball players win their first title in front of their home crowd?

The quarter-final duel between the hosts USV Neulengbach and defending champion St. Pölten was exciting until the end. Zver and Meyer ensure the St. Pölten women's 3-1 win in the Wienerwaldstadion in extra time.

After the narrow defeat in the league, the hosts of the USV Neulengbach gained hope for the Lower Austrian derby in the SPORTLAND Lower Austria Cup against the defending champions, went into the game highly motivated and made life difficult for the she-wolves from St. Pölten. However, there were no goals in regular time, Rita Schumacher had the match ball in the 90th minute, but was denied by goalkeeper Rusek.

The subsequent extension developed into a crime thriller. First Mateja Zver unpacked her right hammer and made it 1-0 with a crossbar shuttle (105th), in the next scene the Slovenian kept it up again and sank a free kick to make it 2-0 (106th). Isabelle Meyer countered the hosts' subsequent goal with 3-1 (118th), which ultimately also meant the semi-final ticket for the spusu SKN women.

SPORTLAND NÖ Women's Cup - Quarterfinals
USV Neulengbach - spusu SKN St.Pölten 1:3 nV
Lineup: Schlüter, Biroova (91.Tabotta), Balog, Klein, Lemesova (82.Touon), Wenger, Mikolajová (91.Johanning), Mattner , Zver, Schumacher (106th Meyer), Hillebrand (70th Brunnthaler)

Goals: Mateja Zver (104th, 105+1) and Isabell Mayer (118th)

Basketball players win their first title in front of their home crowd?

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:40:04 GMT

Basketball players win their first title in front of their home crowd?

Major fight day for the SKN women on Sunday, March 17th in the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich! The big highlight is the basketball cup final between the St. Pölten women and their rivals Klosterneuburg, in which the women wolves could snag their first title. In addition to coach Lana Petrovic's team, both women's soccer teams and the SKN men's basketball teams will be active in the sports center on this day.

It would be a modern fairy tale that the SKN women's basketball team could write on Sunday, March 17th in the final of the national cup competition. Only eleven months after presenting a basketball project within the spusu SKN family (as part of the women's Bundesliga game against Vienna in the NV Arena), Nina Krisper and Co. could win their first title in the young game on Sunday in the cup final against the Duchess from Klosterneuburg Securing history of the women's basketball team. It would be the next milestone after recently completing the basic league round as leader. A look at the statistics shows the absolutely exceptional position of both final teams, which also occupy the first two places in the league, because in all important statistics players from St. Pölten or Klosterneuburg are at the top. Lisa Zderadicka, among others, scored the most points in the regular season, while St. Pölten's Inga Orekhova scored the most three-pointers in the league. Almost a month ago, they showed that the St. Pölten women can perform in front of a big crowd in the 77:65 over UBI Graz at the VAZ St. Pölten as part of the Globetotter tour. The final against the Duchess from Klosterneuburg starts on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. A good omen? The 2013 cup victory was also the first major title in the club's history for the SKN footballers!

The spusu SKN women's soccer team will start the second half of the season on the green lawn in the morning. At 10.30 a.m. the Young Wolves of the SKN will compete against the Young Violets of Vienna Austria, and from 12.30 p.m. both Budesliga teams will meet at the main square of the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich. “Of course we want to start the second half of the season with a complete success and gain self-confidence for the difficult path to hopefully successfully defending our title,” says coach Liese Brancao, setting the direction for the duel against the Violets. Under the Brazilian, the SKN women have not yet lost a point in an opening game of the spring season. The last loss of points at the start of spring came in 2015 in a 1-1 draw at Voithplatz against Sturm Graz. The end of a long and exciting day of sports will be the home game of the SKN men's basketball team against Klosterneuburg from 6.30 p.m., in which Mike Coffin's team absolutely has to score points in order not to lose touch in the placement round.

Various ticket models for Super Sports Sunday
visitors can enjoy seeing all four SKN teams live on March 17th. However, this is only possible with the All in One Ticket, which is available for 30 euros. If you only want to watch women's football and the women's basketball final, you can get access to both games with the combination ticket. Admission to the Future League game between the Young Violets and our Young Wolves on the artificial turf in the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich is free. All ticket variations are available at the box office on the day of the women's Bundesliga game. ATTENTION: The NÖ Card is not valid at spusu SKN Women's games!

On the occasion of Super Sports Sunday, the Sauer driving school is holding a competition in which you can win 5x two combination tickets for the SKN women's games. The competition lasts until Thursday, March 14th. You can participate via Facebook

Schedule SKN top sports Sunday March 17, 2024
10:30 a.m. (football/Future League): spusu SKN Women II – Young Violets
12:30 p.m. (football/Bundesliga): spusu SKN Women – Austria Vienna
3:30 p.m. (basketball/women's cup final): SKN Basketball Women – Duchess Klosterneuburg
6.30 p.m. (Basketball/Men’s Bundesliga): SKN Basketball Men – Dukes Klosterneuburg

Ticket variations for the top sports Sunday
€ 10 - Only women's football Bundesliga
€ 20 - Combination ticket for women (women's football Bundesliga & women's basketball final)
€ 30 - All in one ticket (women's football Bundesliga, women's basketball final & SKN basketball Men's)

Sharing points in the duel with Austria

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:34:13 GMT

Sharing points in the duel with Austria

Crossbar, missed penalty, lack of luck, goalless draw - it was a day to forget for the spusu SKN women at the start of the second half of the Admiral Women's Bundesliga on Sunday. The young wolves and the basketball players were more successful, securing their first ever title with a victory in the cup final.

The weather offered the numerous visitors to the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich the perfect backdrop for the top game of the 10th round of the Admiral Women's Bundesliga. After the honorary kick-off by Roland Borger, from Matchday partner Borger Immobilien , a balanced game developed, in which often only a few centimeters were missing from great luck. As in the cup against Neulengbach, they combined well into the penalty area, but then Austria solved it well and made life difficult for the SKN. The best chance for the guests from Vienna was Triendl, who hit a ball at Carina Schlüter's goal with her inside instep, but it narrowly missed the goal.

Substitute Valentina Mädl brought new momentum into the game at the break and was able to get into the spotlight again and again on the right side and was unlucky in the 55th minute when her header bounced off the crossbar after a corner and out of bounds. As the encounter continued, the game became noticeably more heated and Austria kept getting closer to scoring. At the beginning of the final quarter of an hour, Mauly put Mikolajová in the penalty area, but captain Jennifer Klein put the subsequent penalty over the goal. Shortly afterwards, Carina Schlüter fended off a ball from Volkmer with her foot and kept the zero for her team. Her counterpart, Larissa Haidner, also had a good day and could not be defeated that day, so the top game of the round ended goalless.

For the spusu SKN women it was the first game of the season in which they were unable to take three points. “The attitude was right. The players gave everything until the final whistle to secure the win. But we will do better next week,” says SKN trainer Liese Brancao. Next week we'll be playing against Vienna at Hohe Warte.

ADMIRAL Women's Bundesliga - 10th round
spusu SKN St.Pölten - FK Austria Wien 0-0
Lineup: Schlüter, Tabotta (46.Touon), Biroova (68.Brunnthaler), Balog, Klein, Wenger, Lemesova (46.Mikolajova), Zver, Schumacher (77.Meyer), Mattner (46.Mädl), Hillebrand

Staying at the top of the table with a win
The duel between the Young Wolves and the Young Violets took place on the artificial turf from 10.30 a.m. onwards. Led by captain Juliette Schafhauser, the Future League team started with commitment and was already leading 2-0 at the break thanks to a brace from Johanna Haag. Amelie Kandlhofer particularly stood out, saving a penalty from the guests. Shortly before the hour limit, Emma Scheuher finally put the lid on it and made it 3-0, which meant that mass was said in the SPORT CENTER. With this triumph, they managed the third game in a row without defeat and stayed close to the top of the table.

Basketball players win the first title in the club's history.
Things then became historic in the hall! In the Basketball Austria Women's Cup final, coach Lana Petrovic's team defeated defending champion Klosterneuburg in an exciting game 76:65 and secured the first title in the club's history. Michaela Wildbacher was named MVP of the final. After a tough fight, the basketball men had to admit defeat against the Dukes from Klosterneuburg 84:88 and are still waiting for the first point in the second round.

Rain on the Hohe Wart brought no blessing

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:31:05 GMT

Rain on the Hohe Wart brought no blessing

After a little more than 70 minutes everything looked like a win for the spusu SKN women against Vienna at the Hohe Warte, but then Claudia Wasser shot in the SKN penalty area and scored in stoppage time to equalize for the Vienna women. The Young Wolves showed themselves confidently in the 6-1 win against 1b Vienna!

When they arrived in Vienna, the she-wolves were still beaming with the sun. However, with the kick-off of the game between the hosts Vienna and the spusu SKN St. Pölten women, the rain began, which became heavier as the game continued. St. Pölten started powerfully, but the Viennese team kept getting closer to SKN keeper Carina Schlüter's goal. Much to the delight of the Vienna fans in attendance, who loudly cheered on their team without insulting the opposing team at all - that's fair play! After a failed back pass from a Vienna player near the penalty area to her own teammate, Mateja Zver was quickest and tested the Vienna keeper Piplits, who, however, had the upper hand in this situation. In the 37th minute, Carina Schlüter had to stretch to direct a dangerous ball from the hosts over the crossbar; it was Vienna's best chance in the first half.

At the break, the spusu SKN coaching team brought in two fresh players, Sarah Mattner and Diana Lemešová, the former found the guests' best chance to date in the 53rd minute. She moved into the penalty area after a long ball from Melanie Brunnthaler, but Pia Piplits was able to block the shot from close range with a foot save. After a little more than an hour, the host defense teamed up to save a ball from the Wolves on the line, and a goal from St. Pölten was already in the air at this point. While the Vienna fans in the stands intensified their chants with bagpipes, Maria Mikolajová started a remarkable solo run in the 73rd minute, which resulted in a 1-0 win for the guests with a powerful shot from the Slovakian from a good 25 meters. The increasing rain in the final phase really heated up the atmosphere on the Hohe Warte. When the three points already seemed to be in the clear, Vienna threw everything forward again and was able to equalize at 1-1 with the final whistle from Claudia Wasser.

Next week another duel with Vienna
While the St. Pölten players stared into space in disbelief, the Vienna players hugged each other on the other side. Nothing will change in the table even with a win on Sunday in the top game against Sturm; the she-wolves of the spusu SKN will go into the international break as leaders. In the subsequent interview, the SKN trainer promised a comprehensive analysis of the game at the Hohe Warte. Next week there will be revenge against Vienna. Then in the semi-finals of the SPORTLAND Lower Austria Women's Cup, which is played in the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich.

ADMIRAL Women's Bundesliga - 11th round
First Vienna Women - spusu SKN St. Pölten Women 1:1 (0:0)
Lineup: Carina Schlüter, Leonarda Balog, Alexandra Biroova, Jennifer Klein, Ella Touon, Maria Mikolajova (75. Anna Johanning) , Claudia Wenger (46. Diana Lemesova), Sophie Hillebrand (46. Sarah Mattner), Valentina Mädl, Melanie Brunnthaler (85. Isabelle Meyer), Mateja Zver (75. Rita Schumacher)

Goals: Water (90th); Mikolajová (73.)

Strong performance from the Future League rewarded with three points
After winning against the then league leaders Vienna Austria the previous week, the new leaders from Vienna were waiting this week. The Young Wolves were supported by two Bundesliga players, Aldiana Amuchie and Lainie Fuchs, but even before the break, almost everything was going according to plan for the team coached by the Alzner/Oberschlick team. After a brace from Lainie Fuchs and a goal from Juliette Schafhauser, the guests from St. Pölten quickly took a 3-0 lead before Christina Höfferl created some tension again with the goal before the break. Despite four substitutions, the Young Wolves continued to play a strong game and scored almost every quarter of an hour. First Johanna Rauchberger was there at the hour mark before Denise Engelscharmüller scored at the beginning of the final quarter of an hour. With Verena Weintögl's 6:1 in the final phase, the guests from St. Pölten finally put the lid on it, stole three points from Vienna and once again pushed the table leaders off their throne. The new leader is now Bergheim, the next opponent of the young women, on April 21st!

Girl's golden head gives the SKN a ticket to the final

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:24:37 GMT

Girl's golden head gives the SKN a ticket to the final

The semi-finals in the SPORTLAND Lower Austria Cup between the SKN women and the guests from Vienna had everything on Holy Saturday in the SPORTZENTRUM Niederösterreich: a duel at eye level, excitement and a header from Mädl, with which the she-wolves secured their ticket to the final. Another club from the federal capital, Vienna Austria, is waiting in the final.

After the 1-1 draw at the Hohe Warte, both the hosts of the spusu SKN and the Vienna women went into the semi-final game in the SPORTLAND Lower Austria Cup highly motivated. There were only a few changes to the she-wolves from St. Pölten, otherwise Liese Brancao trusted the elf who kidnapped a point on the Hohe Warte.

The spectators witnessed a thrilling duel before Valentina Mädl made the preliminary decision in the 107th minute with her header in extra time. The final phase was overshadowed by an injury to Vienna player Julia Kappenberger, who landed badly in a duel and was left lying with great pain in her shoulder. After a long break, the German was taken to hospital for checks and further care.

Austria against SKN in the final
In the second semi-final, Austria beat hosts Altach/Vorderland 2-1, meaning the final duel will take place on May 9th in Wr. Neustadt defending champion SKN St. Pölten against Austria Vienna.

SPORTLAND NÖ Women's Cup - semi-final
spusu SKN St.Pölten - First Vienna 1:0 nV
Lineup: Schlüter, Lemesova (81.Johanning), Balog, Klein, Touon, Wenger, Hillebrand (55.Zver), Mikolajova (97.Meyer) , Mattner (71st shoemaker), Brunnthaler, girl

Goal: Valentina Mädl (107.)

Basketball players present in final series
In the main evening, the big stage belonged to the basketball players from SKN St. Pölten. Coach Lana Petrovic's team wants to gild their debut season after winning the cup and also secure the championship in their very first year. The foundation for this was laid with a 58:41 win against final opponent Graz, but the Graz women really held up well at times. The best thrower in the first game was Inga Orekhova with 18 points. The second final game in Styria will take place on Easter Monday. The final series will be played in the “Best of 5” format, and the first team with three wins in the finals can call themselves Austrian basketball champions.

Andrea Pichler – new president of the spusu SKN St. Pölten Women

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 04:21:49 GMT

Andrea Pichler – new president of the spusu SKN St. Pölten Women

Anyone who says women's football in Austria inevitably has to mention the name Wilfried Schmaus. Because it is actually more than questionable where domestic women's club football would be if he hadn't been persuaded to get involved there in 2008. In just a few years, the president of the spusu SKN St. Pölten Women turned the small club ASV Spratzern into a series champion, cup dominator and ultimately the red-white-red model club in women's football.

He has been in charge of the club since 2013. And with his commitment and ideas, he became the locomotive that also led the way in the domestic women's league. After all, thanks to the success of the SKN Wolves in the UEFA Women's Champions League - most recently they made it into the group phase twice in a row and are currently ranked 15th (!) in Europe as the best independent women's club - there are now two home teams eligible to start.

On April 1st, the Wilfried Schmaus era at the spusu SKN St. Pölten women comes to an end. Because the long-term president is handing over his office to Andrea Pichler on this day. The committed power woman worked in the social sector for 20 years and is the owner and managing director of “HELP mobile GmbH” as well as chairwoman of the association “Help me – Charity Association for Families in Austria”. Your stated goal there: make the brand successful in order to donate the profits to the club! “This is how we want to make the world a little better,” explains the neo-president of the spusu SKN women. She also successfully entered viticulture with spusu Wein 2022. And she immediately reveals her goals with and with the She Wolves: “I want to make the club a little more successful with the team, but above all make women’s sport more visible.”

Andrea Pichler has big plans for the spusu SKN St. Pölten women. However, the new president does not have to do without the expertise and support of Wilfried Schmaus - he will be there to advise her right from the start.

Further details about the future at the spusu SKN St. Pölten Frauen, the next steps and what the collaboration and the new board will look like will be available at a press conference on April 18th at 11 a.m. A detailed invitation will follow in the next few days.