With circle player Julian Renninger and the two left wingers Theo Bürgin and Josip Jokic, three other players had to pass for health reasons in addition to the known failures. While the team had already started the trip to the Baltic Sea on Friday, the youngsters Lorenz Schlotmann and Arne Quittmann were chauffeured to Lübeck on Saturday, where they both also worked. Quittmann was sent onto the field in the first half to give Tilman Pröhl a breather, while Schlotmann was allowed to play on the left wing in the closing stages.
Although the backcourt players Pouya Norouzi, Philipp Vorlicek and Valentin Spohn, who were missing recently, were operational again, Stefan Neff started with the backcourt line that presented itself well in the 34:31 win against Zaporizhzhia. Jan-Lars Gaubatz started as a middle man, Tim Stefan and Kim Voss-Fels occupied the half positions. All three repaid the trust. Voss-Fels and Stefan gave the green-yellows a 2-0 lead, after Gaubatz’s first two goals the guests were already five goals ahead (9:4, 13th). A minute later, Voss-Fels was successful for the fourth time (10:5). Valentin Schmidt, who took over the left wing position, which was unfamiliar to him, also emanated a goal threat.
In the Eintracht box, Maurice Paske was in great form behind an attentive defensive line and had already made nine saves at the break. The Green-Yellows played forward with a lot of speed. The goal for a 7:4 lead by Pierre Busch after a quick middle was symptomatic, the hosts didn’t even know what happened to them. When after about 15 minutes Norouzi, who made it 12:6, Vorlicek and Spohn came onto the field, things continued smoothly. Only shortly before the break, the Schwartauer fought their way up a bit and made the 13:16 half-time result out of a 11:16 deficit. The hosts could have done more at this stage. The clock had already expired when Paske parried a seven-metre throw against Jan-Eric Speckmann, crowning his already impressive performance.
After the change of sides, the home side, where Paul Skorupa saw the red card for an overly tough action, were able to reduce the score to two at times (18:20, 21:23). But whenever the nearly 1,400 Lübeck fans hoped for a turnaround, the Neff team had the right answer ready. Paske maintained his high level, Tobi Mahncke parried a penalty at 18:21, Norouzi got stronger and stronger in attack. When Eintracht set the score at 24:30 with a 3-0 run after 24:27 (54th), the preliminary decision was made. Lübeck’s best player Mex Raguse ended the game with his eleventh goal, but by then the celebrations had already begun on the Hagen bench. A very strong performance by the badly weakened team!
Source: VfL Eintracht Hagen / Photo: 54°
