Vice world champion completely renewed
The DEB team later celebrates with a three-pack
November 9, 2023, 10:13 p.m
Only one duo is left from the team that sensationally won World Cup silver – but the German national ice hockey team is starting the Germany Cup with a victory. National coach Harold Kreis sees a “promising mix” against Denmark.
The German national ice hockey team started the new season successfully almost six months after winning silver at the World Cup in Finland. In their first appearance in front of a home crowd since the historic success in Tampere, national coach Harold Kreis’s revamped team defeated Denmark 4-1 (0-0, 1-1, 3-0) at the start of the German Cup in Landshut.
In the first test on the way to the World Cup in the Czech Republic (May 10th to 26th, 2024), Leo Pföderl (26th) put the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) team in the lead at the beginning of the second third. Patrick Russell (40th) scored a well-deserved equalizer in the same period, before Colin Ugbekile (53rd), Alexander Ehl (58th) and Maximilian Eisenmenger (60th) ensured the German victory in the final third.
“I was very happy that I was able to score a goal here in my home country and in front of my parents. That’s what makes me most happy,” said Ehl, who was born in Landshut, at MagentaSport: “We were very strong defensively and didn’t allow much. That was a good game.”
On Saturday (6 p.m. / MagentaSport) the DEB team will meet the team from Austria, who suffered a 7-1 defeat against Slovakia at the start on Thursday. The Olympic bronze medalist will be the German team’s third and final opponent on Sunday (2:30 p.m.).
Goalkeeper Tiefensee can shine
In Landshut, where the women’s national team is also celebrating its home tournament premiere this year, Germany will be competing as defending champions – and with a few changes compared to the World Cup. Only the two strikers Ehl (Düsseldorf) and Manuel Wiederer (Berlin) are there as reigning runners-up. Especially with a view to the knockout games for Munich, Mannheim and Ingolstadt in the Champions League in the next two weeks, Kreis did without numerous regular players. The NHL professionals around world-class striker Leon Draisaitl are in action in North America this season.
In addition to a few newcomers, the focus was primarily on the prominent returnees. For example, the Olympic silver medalists Yasin Ehliz and Pföderl, who were also missing in Finland, as were the foreign professionals Tobias Rieder (Sweden) and Marc Michaelis (Switzerland), were part of what the circle described as a “promising mix”.
Ehliz, Rieder and Michaelis immediately formed the first line of attack. In a fast-paced first third, however, the DEB team failed to score despite numerous chances – Pföderl changed this with the first opportunity of the second period, the Eisbären Berlin professional scored from close range.
The Danes also appeared offensive again and again, and Germany’s goalkeeper Arno Tiefensee was able to distinguish himself several times. It was not without reason that the 21-year-old from Adler Mannheim was drafted by the Dallas Stars in the 5th round of the NHL talent draft at the end of June. Shortly before the end of the second third, Tiefensee had to reach behind himself for the first time when Russell scored. In a game that was now more evenly balanced, Ugbekile used a majority to take the lead again seven minutes before the end, before Ehl and Eisenmenger made everything clear with a shot into the empty goal.