“It was great to show the spectators and the people living in Zug the international level of U18 hockey. The [medal-winning] Canadians, Americans, and Czechs did very well. The program in Zug helped to bring young girls into hockey. We had last year 50 new girls starting with hockey, and we had this year again 50 new girls. It’s a lot compared to the past, of course, with great potential looking forward. It’s the right direction that we are going in, and the U18 Women’s Worlds did for sure help.”
For Diaz, it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 20 years since she represented her country at the Winter Games in Turin. It was a learning experience for the Swiss, who were limited to one goal in three preliminary-round games and had a 16-year-old Florence Schelling in net in her first of four Olympics. Diaz wore an “A” and tallied two goals and an assist in Switzerland’s 11-0 rout of host Italy in the seventh-place game.
“It was overwhelming,” Diaz recalled. “Of course, it was the first time ever that Switzerland qualified for the Olympics. So it was game-changing for women’s hockey in Switzerland that we got the chance to be at the Olympics. Also, the way we qualified in China was quite special.”
“Quite special” is an understatement. In the dramatic third period of the must-win finale against the host Chinese on 14 November 2004, Diaz scored a goal and an assist before Claudia Riechsteiner added the go-ahead marker with just 24 seconds left for a 3-2 Swiss win.
Those are the kind of clutch performances that Switzerland needs if it is to return to the Olympic medal podium for the first time since its historic bronze in Sochi in 2014. Ranked fifth in the IIHF Women’s World Ranking, the Swiss are among the 10 teams that will do battle in Milan in February.
Great coaching is a big key to Olympic and pro success. So what would Diaz tell a women’s hockey player who is interested in pursuing coaching after her playing days are done?
“Have the courage to do it! Believe in yourself. I like to support young coaches, and I’m very happy in Switzerland that we have more and more former players that now are coaching as well. I remember when I started coaching, it was like one or two female coaches. Now we have female coaches within our federation and in the PostFinance Women’s League, so that’s great. I always try to be there for them, to support, to network, and to share my experience as well, giving them interesting little ideas that could help them on their way.”