A woman in the premier league of men's ice hockey? Yes indeed. The Nijmegen-Canadian Bobbi Strople, a student at Radboud University, competes for the Nijmegen Devils in the top men's league as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

A long, tightly braided tail flutters across the ice. Two golden earrings are visible behind the safety mask. If you look even more closely, you might recognise the face of a woman.

Yes, there is a woman playing ice hockey with the men of Nijmegen Devils: the 25-year-old Nijmegen-Canadian Bobbi Strople. And she takes on the duels in this tough sport just as uncompromisingly as her male teammates. On Friday night, Strople went down 9-0 against title contender Amsterdam at Nijmegen’s Triavium. It was no fault of the Radboud University law student’s.

‘Sometimes it is exciting when a man comes skating hard at me’, Strople said afterwards. ‘My opponents are simply bigger and sturdier than me. But I can compensate a lot with my speed. I can dodge a bash and run straight away with the puck.’

Can of beer

The student stepped off the ice just moments before and walks into the locker room together with the guys without hesitation. Strople gets a can of beer pressed into her hands by a teammate. In Dutch ice hockey, no distinction is made. Women belong. As a referee, as a player. Those who are good enough just skate and bash around among the men.

Strople’s story is special, but not unique. During training camps of the Dutch women’s ice hockey team, she will meet more female players who compete in the premier league. With Emma Fondse, Devils previously already had a female goalkeeper in their squad.

‘Playing ice hockey at a World Cup is my absolute dream’

Strople, born in Nijmegen, moved to Canada, the home country of her father and the ice hockey Mecca of the world, when she was seven years old. This season, she is back to play ice hockey. ‘I want to go to the world championships in China with the Dutch women’s team in April. To participate, I first have to have played in the Netherlands for nine months. I don’t know yet whether I will really get the green light and meet all the requirements. We have submitted a request to the international ice hockey federation. Playing ice hockey at a World Cup is my absolute dream.’

In Canada, Strople did play in women’s teams and leagues. The sport is not large enough for that in the Netherlands. ‘I knew beforehand what I could expect among the men’, she says in fluent Dutch, although she sometimes needs to find the right words. ‘’Playing ice hockey is just a bit faster. But I am happy with the choice I made. At Devils, I can develop further. I want to take the next step in my career.’

Return to Nijmegen

She was recently taken in by relatives and friends in Nijmegen. Her club Devils also played an important role. Father Paul Strople played ice hockey in the 1990s for Nijmegen Tigers, a predecessor of Devils. He is Canadian, mother Lizeth a Nijmegen native.

‘I first took care of everything to do with ice hockey, then the rest’

‘There are ice hockey players in my team who still remember my dad from way back. Partly because he was also the national coach. When I left for Canada as a seven-year-old girl, I was sad. I took it upon myself to one day return to Nijmegen. To the place where I learned to ice skate. That time has now come.’

She started studying law at Radboud University. ‘I feel at home in Nijmegen. I’ve already made lots of friends.’ But ice hockey remains the main focus. Strople is making every effort to compete at the world championships and hopes to promote to a higher division together with the national team. ‘In Nijmegen, I first took care of everything to do with ice hockey, then the rest. Ice hockey is my life. I am constantly performing better, although I will need to start making more goals.’

This article by Guus Damen was previously published in De Gelderlander. Translated by Jan Scholten.