Krefeld penguins

There was a lot to celebrate for EC Bad Nauheim on Friday evening in the 9-2 win over Freiburg.
Photo: Andreas Chuc

On the penultimate weekend in the DEL2 main round, the tension increases in the fight for places behind the leader of the table, Kassel. While the leader continued his winning streak with a 5:2 win over Crimmitschau, Kaufbeuren lost 3:4 at home to Dresden in the chasing duel. In the final minutes, the Ravensburg Towerstars turned a 0:2 deficit into a 3:2 home win against Landshut. The Krefeld penguins had trouble beating Bayreuth 5:4. On the other hand, Bad Nauheim celebrated a 9-2 shoot-out against Freiburg. In the fight for the pre-playoff places, Regensburg managed an important threesome against Weißwasser. The duel between Heilbronn and Selb was won by the wolves in overtime.

The Kassel Huskies lived up to their role as favorites for a long time against the ice pirates Crimmitschau, who were successful twice in a row after the change of coach. The North Hessians started at high speed and scored two goals. Numerous chances were missed before Lois Spitzner (42nd) increased. But the West Saxons were able to reply again. Scott Feser (48′) and Jasper Lindsten (53′) shortened the lead with two power play hits and ensured an exciting final phase until Tomas Sykora’s empty net hit. Jake Weidner (60th) finally scored to make it 5-2.

Things were less exciting in Bad Nauheim. In the first third, the Kurstadt team pulled away from Freiburg with four goals. The second third was balanced, with both teams netting once each. The last twenty minutes were again richer in goals, which went to the home side with 4:1 goals.

There was more in the race for a direct playoff placement for EV Landshut. In the 19th minute, the hosts Ravensburg Towerstars used a double advantage to make it 1-0, which Tyson McLellan scored. Jakob Mayenschein increased in the 29th minute. In the final phase of the intense game, the Upper Swabians hit back mercilessly. Nickolas Latta equalized with a double strike (54th/56th), Louis Latta put the puck in the net to make it 3-2 20 seconds before the end.

The Krefeld Penguins got away with a black eye against Bayreuth at the bottom. In the end it was a narrow 5:4 win, but the team struggled against the Wagnerstadters for a long time. The 0:1 deficit from the 8th minute could be turned to 2:1 by the first break, but the guests played cheerfully and even took the lead again by the 42nd minute with 4:2. Two goals in the majority then brought the balance. Odeen Peter Tufto (55th) finally scored the winning goal.

The Selber wolves were allowed to cheer at their feared opponent Heilbronn. However, they had to concede the first goal in the second minute, which Simon Thiel scored for the Falcons. However, Mark McNeill (5th) and Lukas Vantuch (18th) ensured the lead for Upper Franconia until the first break. In a hard-fought game, the people from Porzellanstadt missed out on making more. Gradually, Heilbronn came back into play more dangerously and fought to equalize in the 46th minute. The game was decided in overtime by Nick Miglio.

The guests got off to a good start in the duel between second-placed Kaufbeuren and fourth-placed Dresdner Eislöwen. Adam Kiedewicz scored for his colors after 86 seconds. In a thrilling game, John Lammers (33’/36′) made it 2-1 – defender Fabian Koziol was able to score a point in his first game of the season after a long injury break. The 2:2 by Niklas Postel (51st) was followed only a minute later by the renewed Kaufbeuren lead, scored by Johannes Krauss. The Saxons equalized again in the 58th minute through Tomas Andres. With 0.7 seconds remaining, it was Jordan Knackstedt who scored Dresden’s winning goal.

In front of almost 4,000 spectators, the Eisbären Regensburg took a big step towards staying up in the league. The Upper Palatinate acted snappy from the start and earned the 1-0 through Korbinian Schütz in the 12th minute. The narrow result also lasted for a long time. Although the Lausitzer Fuchse tried to get close, keeper Devin Williams could not be overcome. But the polar bears also struggled with their options. Nine seconds before the end, Lars Schiller scored the winning goal into the opponent’s orphaned goal.

Michael Sporer

Very dominant: The Kassel Huskies beat the Red Devils from Bad Nauheim 8-2 on Friday evening. Photo: Imago / Lobeca

The DEL2 turns onto the home straight. This Friday, the three currently best-placed teams have each scored the full number of points. Dresden had to settle for two points against Landshut and things didn’t go according to plan for Krefeld in the home game against the Falcons. But first things first: The biggest surprise was certainly the Falcons’ victory in the penguins. In a tight game, which could have ended the other way around, Heilbronn won 4:3 and thus took important points in the fight for the play-down home advantage. Krefeld, however, gambled away such in the duel for the playoff home right.

That evening, Kassel and Kaufbeuren showed how to safely collect points. The Buron Joker were already leading 2-0 against Regensburg after less than half a minute. After eight minutes and the third goal conceded, Eisbären goalie Devin Williams was over and Patrick Berger took over. He also reached behind himself again in the first section. The cheese was eaten here at the latest, the clock was ticking down. Because Regensburg never gave up, they still scored two goals. At the final score of 5:2 they didn’t shake.

Kassel even beat Bad Nauheim 8-2 in front of around 5,000 spectators. From the second third, the sled dogs pulled away in the game. Detsch and Weidner scored twice for Kassel.

Selb and Weißwasser fought a close duel for tenth place – in the end the Wolves won 3:2 after a penalty shoot-out. The two points for Selb could be just as important in the final bill as the one for the foxes. And yet the foxes are likely to be annoyed that they didn’t quite manage to keep their 2-1 lead in the final section on time. Selbs Lavallée equalized about four minutes before the end.

Ravensburg made it exciting. The Towerstars played a strong first third and went 3-1 into the dressing room for the first time. In the period that followed, they usually had the right answer to goals from Freiburg. Nevertheless, the people of Breisgau never gave up. When Christoph Kiefersauer reduced the lead to 4:5 about five minutes before the end, a point for Freiburg was within reach. But Ravensburg acted cleverly – the Towerstars fans were finally redeemed 38 seconds before the end with the 6:4 into the empty Freiburg goal.

Bayreuth lost 3:5 in Crimmitschau and yet the Tigers kept up well for a long time. After almost 50 minutes it was still 3:3. A power play goal by Reisnecker in the 58th minute allowed the home side to turn back onto the road to victory, 71 seconds before the end Gams increased the final score with an empty net.

Manuel Weiss

Tyler Spurgeon’s goal secured ESV Kaufbeuren’s 2-1 win over the Lausitzer Foxes.
Foto: imago images/Nordphoto/Hafner

Table leader Kassel was unstoppable on Tuesday evening in the DEL2 for the 14th game in a row. The Huskies won against Heilbronn 4:1. Regensburg (4:2 against Landshut) and Dresden (4:3 after overtime in Crimmitschau) were happy about derby victories. Kaufbeuren narrowly won 2-1 against Weißwasser, while Bad Nauheim (4-2 in Selb), Ravensburg (4-2 in Krefeld) and Freiburg (5-2 in Bayreuth) collected valuable points abroad.

The first derby of the 38th matchday rose in Regensburg. The rival from Landshut was a guest. The 4,712 spectators saw a fast-paced first third with only a few scenes in the goal area. In the 25th minute Topi presented Piipponen for the polar bears. A broken gang then caused a delay. The promoted team came out better from the short break, Kyle Osterberg increased (40th). Third three had it all. Landshut came back, but Regensburg stayed cool and kept going forward. Again Osterberg made the decision in the 59th minute outnumbered.

Dresden made a guest appearance in Crimmitschau for the second derby of the evening. And the duel began according to the taste of the guests. The Ice Lions were effective and led 3-0 after 13 minutes with goals from Tomas Andres, Simon Karlsson and Matej Mrazek. However, the ice pirates remained visually superior, Dresden went too much on the defensive. That should take revenge in a dramatic finish. Timo Gams and Tyler Doherty (55th/60th) crowned the Crimmitschauer race to catch up, which at least was enough for a point. In overtime, Eislöwen defender Karlsson secured the away win with his second goal.

The Heilbronner Falken played a really good opening third in Kassel. The reward was the lead by August von Ungern-Sternberg (12th). Only in the middle section did the sovereign table leader turn up the heat. Lois Spitzner and James Arniel responded with a double hit (31st/33rd) for the Huskies. After that, the hosts had everything under control. In the final round, Tomas Sykora and Tristan Keck finally secured the 14th consecutive victory for the sled dogs.

The game between Krefeld and Ravensburg started 30 minutes later than planned due to a delayed arrival of the Towerstars. Apparently, the two offensive rows used the free time in particular. Result: a wild exchange of blows in the first third with advantages for the guests. After that, however, the two teams had shot their powder. With a shot in the orphaned Krefeld box, Josh MacDonald got the final score (60th).

A number goal by Tyler Spurgeon meant the decision between Kaufbeuren and Weißwasser. The Canadian scored in the 39th minute to make it 2-1. The narrow lead brought the second in the table deservedly to the finish against the strong playing Lausitzer Fuchse.

The Selber Wolves conceded the third bankruptcy in a row. In the home game against Bad Nauheim, the final section should bring the decision. Kevin Schmidt put the visitors in front before Marius Erk made the decision with an empty net goal just before the end.

Bayreuth, bottom of the table, confirmed the small upward trend of the past few weeks and kept the duel against Freiburg close for a long time. But in the end, the Wolves had more staying power – Michael Prapavessis, again Shawn O’Donnell and Sebastian Hon secured the away three.

Tony Poland

Clear victory in the derby for Selb: Wolves sent Eisbären Regensburg home on Sunday with a 6-0 package.
Photo: Mario Wiedel

Eight goals in the first period – and then nothing more for 40 minutes: In the most important game on matchday 35 of DEL2, ESV Kaufbeuren beat EC Bad Nauheim – and celebrated a 6:2 home win. With a clear 6-0 victory, the Selber Wolves sent Regensburg Eisbären home again in the duel of the last two years on Sunday afternoon. And the Saxon teams of Dresden (4-0 in the derby against Weißwasser) and Crimmitschau at home against Freiburg (3-0 thanks to a hat-trick by the Finnish Henri Kanninen) both triumphed with clean sheets. EV Landshut (5:3 in Krefeld), Ravensburg Towerstars (4:1 against Freiburg) and Kassel Huskies (3:2 against Bayreuth) were also successful on Sunday evening. What the first Sunday game of 2023 in the DEL2 also had to offer: fantastic scenery, also in Dresden, Selb and Krefeld.

In the derby between newly promoted sides Selb and Regensburg, the hosts did justice to a magnificent crowd of 3,185 fans and, with two goals each in the first two-thirds of the match, fought their way to a reassuring 4-0 win before the end . At the end of the game it was 6-0 for Upper Franconia, who completed another six-point weekend and scored an exclamation point in the fight for tenth place. Michel Weidekamp, ​​who has been in good form recently, has kept clean sheets in 29 shots on goal in Wolves’ case. And striker Mark McNeill scored – as on Friday – a hat-trick.

After 20 minutes of play, the duel between ESV Kaufbeuren and EC Bad Nauheim was decided with the score of 6:2 for the hosts Allgäu. Guests from Hesse experienced a pitch-black opening third with two goals conceded early in the first minute of the game. The score was 6:2 after 20 minutes left: Bad Nauheim backup Rihards Babulis, who replaced Felix Bick in the guest goal at the first break of the third, did not concede another goal.

The Dresdner Eislöwen fans certainly needed some patience at the Sachsenderby with a sell out crowd in front of over 4,400 against Weißwasser. The Ice Lions took an early lead through a goal from Swede Johan Porsberger, but it wasn’t until the closing period that any more goals were scored. Vladislav Filin’s 2:0, David Rundqvist’s goal with the double advantage and Tom Knobloch’s shorthander sealed the 4:0 in the hosts’ derby against the Lausitzer Füchse, defeated that evening and who they could not overcome Janick Schwandernder in the goal of Dresden in 22 attempts could.

With a hat-trick in the first half, Henri Kanninen put his Crimmitschau ice pirates on the road to victory in the home game against Freiburg, and the West Saxons have never left it. The experienced Finn’s three goals for the home side remained the only ones in the match until the end. Ilya Sharipov kept clean with 22 saves and was pleased with his second clean sheet of the season.

Philip Riefers (7th), who returned to the Krefeld team after an injury break of several weeks, gave the Penguins the lead against EV Landshut. Andreas Schwarz equalized just 17 seconds later. In the second third, the hosts advanced twice more in front of 3,648 spectators, but the Lower Bavarians kept pace. After 56 seconds in the final section, Tyson McLellan got the EVL lead for the first time with a hidden shot on the power play. In the end he was the winner of the game. Julian Kornelli puts the lid on with a goal into an empty net.

The Ravensburg Towerstars left nothing to chance in the duel with Heilbronn. Max Hadraschek’s 3-0 victory – in good time 16 seconds before the second break – could be interpreted as a preliminary decision. After Maximilan Leitner’s only goal through Falken, Towerstars striker Fabian Dietz made it 4-1. The Bayreuth Tigers, who competed with the sovereign leaders Kassel with a mini-squad, almost caused a big surprise. Huskies defender Steven Seigo only scored the decisive goal with the 3:2 in the 55th minute of the game, thus making the 11th consecutive perfect win for northern Hessen. Previously, the sled dogs had repeatedly failed due to outstanding Tigers goaltender Brandon Halverson (48 saves).

Sebastian Gross/Tim Hess