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News Patricia Strunk of Neuss won the German championship for the second time in a row with Dusseldorfer HC. Since August he has been studying abroad combining sports.
Patricia Strunk is drawn to America from the News. The 19-year-old Düsseldorfer HC hockey player flies to Ohio in August to play for Kent State University. But she left DHC and won a second consecutive championship with the women’s team in her second year with three other Newers, Annika Spring, Louisa Stainder and Lily Otten.
Patricia Strunk of the News is moving to America to combine hockey and studies.
Photo: Strunk
“Applying for a sports scholarship was really a spontaneous idea. I did an online test to see if the scholarship was real,” says Patricia Strunk, who then contacted universities with the help of an agency. When choosing a university, it was important to Strung that Ohio also offered computer science. “I wanted to continue my degree there. It was very fitting to finish. But the talk with the coaches also gave me a good feeling,” explains the 19-year-old. However, the midfielder won’t have much time to settle down. Two days after the planned visit, preparation begins with a medical and running test. She will have to use a tight schedule in the future. , training six days a week is scheduled with games at Kent State University. But that’s not a problem for the ambitious Patricia Strong. “Everything comes to me first.” Allow me,” she says.
In America, the German champion had to adapt to a different game than what she was used to from Germany. “In America, hockey doesn’t start until high school, so there’s less emphasis on technique than in Germany, but it’s more physical,” explains Strunk. On top of that, the university has bigger goals. “We play in Division 1, the top flight, and we want to qualify for the national championships in pre-season,” he says. A lot will change for Patricia Strong, not just in terms of the game. In order to get used to the new country as soon as possible, he has decided not to live on campus, but in a shared apartment outside the university campus, where he lives with several other players. His expectations are high after having good experiences in preliminary talks. “Everyone has been so nice and helpful, and my coaches are my on-site contact,” says Patricia Strunk.
DHC will probably have to do without the midfielder for four years. “I can very well imagine staying in the US until I get my bachelor’s degree,” says the computer science student. After a year, he wanted to decide whether to continue his path in America.
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