Collapse in round two: HCE goes swimming against Hannover – HC Erlangen
– Two home defeats in a row should be more than enough, said Michael Haaß, coach of HC Erlangen, before the home game against Hanover. This was also lost.
During the day, Sturm Ignatz had shaken the trees around the Nürnberger Versicherung arena properly, in the evening the handball players from HC Erlangen and their colleagues from TSV Hannover-Burgdorf wanted to do it in the arena. Michael Haaß’s team has earned respect so far this season mainly by tackling defensive strength and fearlessly.
This is exactly what those responsible expected on Thursday evening against guests who had disguised themselves as penultimate in the table before their trip to Franconia. In the run-up to the event, Haaß and Managing Director René Selke were primarily asked to act as a warning to remind players and fans that the team of ex-national coach Christian Prokop is significantly better than its current reputation.
After a strong first 30 minutes, the Erlangen cover and above all the attack was just a storm – and after 60 minutes the hosts looked as kinked as many branches in front of the hall. Final score: 31:35.
Steinert calls in sick
The HCE had only scored 20 goals in the previous week against Lübbecke – but only scored 21. While the grabbing has mostly worked perfectly so far, the attack is still quite neat at times, so a message before the start of the game should have raised some worries for everyone involved: Christoph Steinert, Erlangen’s best thrower, reported sick that morning, the goals at the same time achieve others in front of 3325 spectators.
Antonio Metzner, for example, who was badly fouled in the hospital in Lübbecke and still reported able to work against Hanover in good time. Or middle man Nico Büdel, who had to help out in an unfamiliar position when Metzner needed a break. Or of course Simon Jeppsson, who kept using his springs, scored seven hits, but made too many missed throws and playback errors.
In the past few years the comparisons with Hanover had always ended in a draw, this time Haaß wanted to keep the two points after two home defeats in a row. After 13 minutes it looked for the first time as if it could actually work. It was 8: 5 for the hosts, although Prokop had requested the first time-out seconds before to wake up his handball player. The HCE had already survived two minutes outnumbered and because goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin had already parried five balls and Metzner again threw himself undeterred in the cover of the guests after a first miss, everything seemed possible.
The fact that Hanover, which so far had almost only played against top teams, was only allowed to demonstrate from the middle of the first half onwards. After 21 minutes it was 11:11 – and the bosses Haaß and Selke felt confirmed.
As a result, HC Erlangen kept pulling away on two goals – TSV Hannover-Burgdorf repeatedly found a way back into the game; even when the hosts played a lead of four goals just before half-time (28/16:12). Nikolai Link had successfully completed a fast-paced counter-attack on his own in giant steps, Ferlin had once again brought his fingers to the ball, Prokop twitched again nervously with the green card with the white T. Because the HCE and the fiery atmosphere in the arena but did not take advantage of their superiority, it was the 16:14 break.
The key was also the cover – and then the HCE left the HCE much early to strength after the break. If the match seemed to be heading for a draw again after 52 minutes (28:28), seconds later it overturned completely and unexpectedly. After the first tour of the guests, Erlangen literally collapsed in all positions. The reminders had done nothing.
Gain: Ferlin; Jeppsson 7, Metzner 7, Büdel 4, Bissel 3, Sellin 2, Link 2, Firnhaber 2, Leban 2, Olsson 2, Zechel, Overby, hunter.
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