Sandra Abstreiter: From Skater at 16 to Germany's No. 1 Goalie and the PWHL

24 minutes ago

5 min read

The Athletes Podcast — Episode 270. Listen on Apple · Spotify · or on Buzzsprout.

Sandra Abstreiter's first taste of a World Championship came from the end of the bench. She was Germany's third goalie, the starter had been hurt, and before a game against Canada she was told there was a chance she would play the third period. "We were down 5-0 after the second," she remembers. Then she went in and faced Canada's stars, including Marie-Philip Poulin. Today Poulin is her teammate, and Sandra is the starting goalie for Germany's national team and a member of the PWHL's Montreal Victoire.

In Episode 270 she tells David Stark how a skater who didn't put on goalie pads until she was 16 taught herself the position, why fuelling changed her training, and why she refuses to let hockey become her whole identity.

A late start, and a lot of film

Most goalies at the top of the women's game started young. Sandra didn't. She switched to goal at 16, and she knew she had ground to make up. "If I start that late, I need to help myself a little bit in whatever way I can," she says.

Her answer was film. She found goalie-training videos of professional goalies working with their coaches and studied them obsessively. "I watched a bunch of their videos when I started playing goalie," she says. She watched them for hours, took the drills to practice the next day, and kept whatever worked for her. It was trial and error, but it was her own coaching system, built from the best examples she could find.

She also has a goalie's honest take on being a multi-sport kid. Playing other sports "probably is very helpful," she agrees, but she laughs that goalies tend to be average at a lot of things and excellent at one: stopping pucks.

Gear you trust, and fuel you track

Confidence for a goalie often starts with equipment. When Warrior reached out so she could demo its G7 gear, she tried it for about ten minutes and loved it. Less than a week later she wore the new set on a road trip. "I'm so confident in these," she remembers thinking.

The bigger change was off the ice. That summer she started tracking her meals and her training load more closely, with a heart-rate strap and a close eye on protein and calories. Like many female athletes, she found she was under-fuelling without realising it. "Especially on a hard training day, it's very easy to not eat enough," she says.

She uses protein powder as an easy way to hit her numbers, and she's a fan of creatine. "Creatine has been amazing," she says. Her legs, she explains, feel fresher for longer in a session.

The PWHL Takeover Tour

Sandra played in the PWHL's Takeover Tour games, and the crowds blew her away. The Vancouver game was sold out. "I think we got the best locations because we got to go to Vancouver," she says.

She also describes a camp in Denver that her agency, Cook Stark Management, invited her to, where brands supplied the food and snacks so athletes could focus on training. There was a baseball game and a hike at Red Rocks. "I thought it was amazing," she says. Sandra had signed with Eleni, who later joined Cook Stark Management, where David introduces her as director of hockey operations.

Starter or backup, it's still hockey

At the time of recording, Sandra was the backup in Montreal while starting for Germany internationally. Plenty of athletes struggle with that kind of switch in role. Her approach is simple: she plays because she loves it. "I see it as everything, it's still all just hockey," she says. "It is just hockey, it's not the end of the world."

Being the backup also means facing the best shooter in the world every day in practice. Sandra sees that as a gift. "If I can stop Poulin's shot in this specific situation, I'll probably be fine with most other people," she says.

More than a hockey player

One of the most useful parts of the conversation for young athletes is about identity. Sandra doesn't want to be "just a hockey player." She values her friendships and enjoys sharing who she is through her content. "You're not gonna do it for your whole entire life," she says of the game.

Her recovery reflects that. She doesn't cold plunge and rarely uses the sauna, and she admits she should stretch more. Her main recovery tool is mental. "I think what's important for me is to just completely get away from it," she says.

Don't dream small dreams

To close, Sandra shares advice she calls "a little cheesy," passed to her by Eleni: don't dream small dreams.

"Just keep believing, keep dreaming, keep coming up with the craziest ideas. As long as you believe in it, and as long as you obviously work hard for it... there's gonna be ups and downs, there's gonna be not so fun moments. And if you believe it, then I think you can do it."

From a 16-year-old learning the position on video to a World Championship debut against Canada and a PWHL locker room alongside the player she once faced, her own career is proof of it.

Key takeaways

Starting late isn't the end. Sandra became a goalie at 16 and closed the gap by studying professional film and testing it at practice.
Fuel the work. Tracking meals showed her how easy it is to under-eat on hard days. Protein and creatine helped her recover.
Your role doesn't define you. Starter or backup, "it's still all just hockey."
Practise against the best. Facing Marie-Philip Poulin every day raises her level.
Keep an identity outside sport. Getting completely away from hockey is how she recharges.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Sandra Abstreiter?

Sandra Abstreiter is a German ice hockey goaltender. She is the starting goalie for Germany's women's national team and plays in the PWHL for the Montreal Victoire. She played college hockey at Providence and is represented by Cook Stark Management.

When did Sandra Abstreiter start playing goalie?

She switched from skater to goalie at 16 and taught herself the position by watching hours of professional goalie-training video, then testing the drills at practice.

What is Sandra Abstreiter's advice for young athletes?

"Don't dream small dreams." Keep believing, work hard, and accept that there will be ups and downs along the way.