19-year-old Freezer shares the keeper position with Daniel Fießinger: “Complement us well”
At the end it was time to take a big breather. After the U2 national team's narrow but well-deserved 1-20 victory over Italy in the second game of the 2016 IIHF U20 Ice Hockey World Championship Division I in Vienna, those responsible and players were relieved. “We played more stable against Italy than against Kazakhstan and in the end we deserved to win,” said goalkeeper Maximilian Franzreb, who successfully completed his first appearance in the second World Cup game.
He was right. The numbers alone spoke for themselves. The German team shot almost 90 times - including all blocked shots - at the opponent's box. The only drawback: Despite this clear superiority, “only” two goals were scored. Given the three points won, it ultimately didn't matter to Franzreb. Nevertheless, he also noticed: “We still have to improve the evaluation of opportunities a little.”
In any case, the U20 national team is on track. When it comes to the declared goal of direct promotion, the team of BundesYoung talent coach Christian Künast has a clean slate. Also thanks to two strong goalkeepers. Both Daniel Fießinger in the first match against Kazakhstan (3:2) and Franzreb yesterday showed a strong performance and presented themselves as reliable support. It is the first U20 World Cup for both of them. Franzreb: “It is of course a great honor to be able to wear the German colors at the U20 World Cup!”
He has truly earned his appointment. The 19-year-old is one of the shooting stars at his club this season Hamburg Freezers. Franzreb, actually number three behind Sebastien Caron and Dimitrij Kotschnew, played four games after their injuries, celebrated two wins and even kept one clean sheet in the away game in Wolfsburg. It goes without saying that Künast also took note of this development with goodwill. “The nomination shows that I am on the right path,” said Franzreb happily. His goals conceded average in the DEL is 2,59 with one Fangrate of 91 percent. Things went even better in Young Talent. In eight games for the HSV Young Freezers (DNL) he even saved almost 93 percent of the shots.
Franzreb is also keeping an eye on his employer on the Elbe these days. The Freezers moved up the table at the weekend: “Fourth place is the goal. We definitely want to get into the playoffs,” said Franzreb. And even if the goalkeeper position is in Hamburg There will probably be more players again in January, the ambitious goalkeeper wants to “continue to train hard and hope for my chance.”
That's exactly what Franzreb hopes for during the rest of the World Cup. He forms a strong duo with Fießinger. Of course, both of them have the desire to be between the posts in Vienna. Ultimately, your own ambitions are subordinated to the collective. Franzreb therefore says clearly: “Daniel and I complement each other well. Which of us ends up playing more is therefore irrelevant. Because the goal is to be at the top as a team and win the title.”
