The Kölner Junghaie secured the following on Sunday, April 5, 2026. German Championship in the U17 Young Talent League of the 2025/2026 season. In the Cologne Arena 2, the Young Sharks prevailed in the fourth game of the best-of-five series against the Mannheim Young Eagles with a score of 3:2 after a penalty shootout, thus crowning a strong season with the championship title.
After a thrilling start to the final series, the score was tied 1-1 after two games. In the first game in Mannheim, the Cologne Sharks led 2-0 well into the final period before the Mannheim Eagles turned the game around, tying the series with just four seconds remaining. The hosts then prevailed in the ensuing penalty shootout. The Cologne Sharks won game two on Sunday in Cologne 3-2, leveling the series. In the third game on Saturday in Mannheim, the Cologne Sharks triumphed 8-6, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
Today in Cologne, the final decision was made in favor of the Cologne team. The game was a back-and-forth affair during regulation time, ending 2-2 after 60 minutes. With overtime also ending without a winner, a penalty shootout was needed to decide the title. The Cologne Sharks emerged victorious and celebrated their championship win.
Reactions to the Final Series
Jannik Melzer, Head Coach Kölner Junghaie"I'm very satisfied with the season. The guys worked hard and fought for this. We had some highs and lows throughout the season. But the guys mastered that mentally, and in the playoffs we really came together as a team and became a unit. That's how we were able to win the first two tough playoff series. The final series was incredibly fun; all the games were close and evenly matched. In the end, the little things decided it in our favor, and we are the lucky winners."
Jonas Schwarzfischer, Head of Game Operations at DEB: “Congratulations to the Kölner Junghaie to the U17 championship. They deservedly prevailed in a balanced and thrilling final series, which remained exciting until the very last penalty shot. Both teams demonstrated over four games what makes the U17 Young Talent League so special. A big compliment is also due to the Mannheim Young Eagles – as defending champions, they kept the series close until the very end. We congratulate Cologne on their championship title and thank both teams for this final series.
Results of the U17 final series
April 28.03.2026, XNUMX | Young Eagle Mannheim – Kölner Junghaie | 4:3 after P. (0:1, 0:0, 3:2, 0:0, 1:0)
29.03.2026 | Kölner Junghaie – Young Eagle Mannheim | 3:2 (1:1, 2:1, 0:0)
April 04.04.2026, XNUMX | Young Eagle Mannheim – Kölner Junghaie | 6:8 (2:4, 2:1, 2:3)
05.04.2026 | Kölner Junghaie – Young Eagle Mannheim | 3:2 n.P. (0:1, 2:1, 0:1, 0:0, 1:0)
All results are available at: DEB U17 Playoffs