Significantly improved German selection wins 3:2 after penalty shootout / From Wednesday in Latvia
The German national ice hockey team secured its first victory at the Euro Hockey Challenge. In the second comparison with Sweden, the German selection won 3.079:3 (2:0; 2:0; 0:2; 0:0; 0:1) in Landshut in front of 0 spectators.
In contrast to the previous day, national coach Marco Sturm had changed his team to six positions. Next to NHL star and local hero Tobias Rieder, who frenetically speaks about the Fans celebrated in Landshut, the Cologne residents Moritz Müller, Torsten Ankert and Philip Gogulla as well as Constantin Braun (Eisbären Berlin) in the squad. Timo Pielmeier (ERC Ingolstadt) had preference over Mathias Niederberger (Düsseldorfer EG) receive.
As was the case the day before, the national team started the game well and was highly concentrated. The home team put up with Filip Sandberg's 0-1 defeat. After the Swede's second goal, a copy of the first goal, there was a slight break in the German team's game. In the power play that followed, the home team created a few good chances, but they were unable to score.
The hosts had a lot planned for the middle section. However, Felix Schütz (Rögle BK) narrowly failed after a solo. The game remained balanced and Germany showed pleasing actions, especially on the offensive, thanks to their aggressive demeanor. However, Sinan Akdag's big chance remained unused, as did numerous later shot opportunities in the power play. So it remained 0:2 after 40 minutes.
In the final half, the German team threw everything into the balance, went one step further and their efforts were rewarded: just 63 seconds after the restart, Jerome Flaake (Hamburg Freezers) made it 1:2 with a margin shot. That gave the Sturm men a second breath. Moritz Müller had the best opportunity to make it 2-2 to date after an exemplary counterattack. Marcus Kink earned the deserved 2-2 equalizer around five minutes before the end of the game.
The final phase clearly belonged to the home team, while the Swedes were pushed more and more into the defensive, but the score remained 2-2. It went into overtime. Since that also remained goalless, the match had to be decided in a penalty shootout. Marcel Goc scored the decisive goal there.
After two days off, the national team will continue next Wednesday morning. The team will then meet in the Latvian capital Riga and prepare for two games against the hosts (April 22/23.4).
Germany: Pielmeier (Niederberger) – Akdag, Braun; M. Müller, Ankert; Brandt, Reul; Ebner, Kohl – Gogulla, Schütz, Macek – Krämmer, Danner, Kink; Rieder, M. Goc, Noebels; Höfflin, Pietta, Flaake.
Goals: 0:1 Filip Sandberg (3:27), 0:2 Filip Sandberg (9:44), 1:2 Jerome Flaake (41:03), 2:2 Marcus Kink (54:37), 3:2 Marcel Goc (65:00/PS)
Penalty minutes: Germany 6 – Sweden 12
Audience: 3.079