Hanover Scorpions defeat Leipzig in the top game
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At the top, the Scorpions are within two points of Halle, but they have a 0.282 lead on the points quotient due to four fewer games played so far. It looks much closer for the Scorpions, because Tilburg is only 0.036 points behind. Despite the defeat in Mellendorf, Leipzig is relatively clear in fourth place and behind them Indians, Herne and Hamburg are fighting for fifth place. Herford’s lead over Essen in 10th place was also unbelievably narrow. The mosquitoes are 0.002 points behind. The increase in performance from Krefeld is also astonishing, as it seems that Limburg would like to take 12th place.
Hanover Scorpions – Icefighters Leipzig 3: 2 (2: 0, 0: 0, 1: 2)
In a real play-off fight, the defending champions managed to get revenge for the 2:3 home defeat in October 2021. In the extremely fair game with only eight penalties, despite the high willingness to fight, the hosts looked like the sure winner after 45 minutes. The Scorpions lead 3-0 and up until then had done their heraldic animal all credit. They panicked the Icefighters with targeted kicks and they were only able to counter successfully when it was too late. The first goal might have come, but the second goal, goalkeeper Mark Arnsperger had left his goal, came too late with 41 seconds before the end, but still gave the home crowd an entertaining time. The best players for the winner were Brad Ross and goalkeeper Ansgar Preuss, for Leipzig Connor Hannon and goalkeeper Mark Arnsperger.
Goals: 1: 0 (10:52) Victor Knaub, 2: 0 (16:44) Andre Reiß (Ross, Hammond), 3: 0 (44:39) Tyler Gron (Ross, Klöpper 5: 4), 3: 1 (52:49) Sebastian Hon (Noack, Hannon), 3: 2 (59:19) Patrick Demetz (Slanina, Eichelkraut)
Tilburg Trappers – EG Diez-Limburg 5: 2 (1: 1, 1: 0, 3: 1)
A clear success of the Tilburg, however, with the tough resistance of the Limburg sword deeds. With almost a full three rows, the Rhineland-Palatinate also had the physical strength to withstand the pressure from the Dutch. Up to the 51st minute it was only 3:1, then the strength of the EGDL was no longer enough, but the twelfth-placed team can be proud of their performance. In the case of the Netherlands, where back-up Jowin Ansems was in goal, the trio Ties van Soest did particularly well with four points, as well as Max Hermens and Mickey Bastings with two scorer points each.
Goals: 0: 1 (04:30) Cody Drover (Köhler, Loppatto), 1: 1 (19:04) Ties van Soest (Hermens, de Bonth), 2: 1 (26:22) Ties van Soest (Bastings, van Oorschot), 3: 1 (41:41) Kevin Bruijsten (van Soest, Bastings), 4: 1 (50:31) Diego Hofland (de Hondt, van Soest), 4: 2 (56:32) Nikita Krymskiy ( Koehler, Weis), 5: 2 (57:44) Brett Bulmer (Hermens, van der Schuit)
Hannover Indians – Herforder EV 11: 0 (5: 0, 3: 0, 3: 0)
It was clear that the Hanoverians were the favorites before the game, but it wasn’t going to be that clear in the end. With the biggest win since February 2016, back then against Prussia Berlin, the Indians are definitely making a challenge for fifth place. They overtook Herne in terms of points, but are still 0.16 points behind Leipzig because they still have three games to catch up. Outstanding players in a homogeneous team were Kyle Gibbons, Robin Palka, Joe Kiss and Nicolas Turnwald with four points each, followed by Tobias Möller, Niko Selivanov-Esposito, Sebastian Christmann and Parker Bowles, who each contributed three points. Outstanding in the plus/minus statistics is Tobias Möller with plus 6. And don’t forget goalkeeper David Böttcher-Miserotti with his first shutout of the season. At Herford, the entire team disappointed. Keeper Philip Lehr, formerly an Indian himself, drew the conclusion himself after 26 minutes of play and went off the ice with a 65.1 percent catch rate and a score of 0:7. His successor Kieren Vogel was statistically more stable, but could not prevent the double-digit result. Here, too, an astonishing statistic: In the Indian statistics since the foundation in 1998, there have been more home defeats than victories against Herford. This was the first Indians victory in the seventh encounter.
Goals: 1: 0 (00:21) Robin Palka (Kiss, Gibbons), 2: 0 (05:17) Niko Selivanov-Esposito (Aichinger, Turnwald), 3: 0 (08:50) Niko Selivanov-Esposito (Kiss , Palka 5: 4), 4: 0 (12:46) Parker Bowles (Möller, Pohanka), 5: 0 (18:40) Sebastian Christmann (Selivanov-Esposito, Thalmeier), 6: 0 (23:52) Sebastian Christmann (Bovenschen, Bowles), 7:0 (25:17) Niko Turnwald (Palka, Gibbons), 8:0 (32:40) Branislav Pohanka (Turnwald, Bowles 5-4), 9:0 (40:38) Joe Kiss (Gibbons, Möller), 10: 0 (50:17) Sebastian Christmann (Gibbons, Turnwald), 11: 0 (53:31) Joe Kiss (Palka, Möller)
Krefeld EV U23 – Black Dragons Erfurt 3: 2 (1: 0, 2: 1, 0: 1)
A warning sign from Krefeld. The table penultimate defeated the clearly favored Erfurt and overtook, at least as far as the plus points are concerned, the EG Diez-Limburg. The game was, Krefeld gained an advantage in which they were able to capitalize on at least one power play evenly on four. The best point collector at KEV was Edwin Schitz with two points, while Kyle Beach and Louis Anders also collected two points at Erfurt. The loser of the game was Erfurt’s second block, which did not contribute a point but conceded all goals.
Goals: 1: 0 (15:46) Ty Kolle (Schitz, Schaaf), 2: 0 (26:21) Luca Hauf (Rutkowski, Mahkovec 5: 4), 2: 1 (30:45) Kyle Beach (Anders, Böttner), 3: 1 (33:54) Manuel Nix (Schitz, Schuster), 3: 2 (57:21) Louis Anders (Beach, Gerartz)
Crocodiles Hamburg – Hammer Eisbären 7: 0 (0: 0, 4: 0, 3: 0)
That was probably nothing for the polar bears. The savings trip to Hamburg with two away games within 24 hours was a complete failure with zero points and 0:11 goals. Even as the last table one had certainly imagined more on the trip to the Elbe. Like yesterday, Hamburg immediately took the initiative, put Hamm on the defensive and shot his keeper Daniel Filimonow warm. If the polar bears were still in the game in the first third, they probably countered dangerously, the second third went completely to Hamburg. While Filimonov was sweating, his opponent Nils Kapteinat was threatened with frostbite due to the lack of an opportunity to play. After probably thunder in the Hammer cabin for the third third, Hamm played ice hockey again, but while the guests failed everything, the Crocodiles scored three deserved goals. Outstanding Hamburg War Thomas Gauch, who set a personal record with six points and improved his scorer list from 86th to 66th with 32 points. Jan Tramm also excelled with four points and Dominik Lascheit and Thomas Zuravlev with three points each. Not to forget goalkeeper Nils Kapteinat, who also celebrated a season premiere with his shut-out. The best hammer besides keeper Filimonow was David Trivellato, who at least won both face-offs and came out with only a -2 in the plus/minus rating. And another treat on the side: The 7:0 was not even the biggest win of the crocodiles against Hamm. In March 1998 there was a 15:2 against ASV Hamm.
Goals: 1:0 (23:35) Sam Verelst (Gauch, Lascheit), 2:0 (34:16) Thomas Zuravlev (Tramm, Gauch), 3:0 (35:26) Maximilian Schaludek (Gauch, Tramm 5- 4), 4: 0 (38:00) Adam Domogalla (Verelst, Rennert), 5: 0 (49:04) Thomas Zuravlev (Gauch, Tramm), 6: 0 (51:47) Dominik Lascheit (Tramm, Gauch) , 7: 0 (56:09) Thomas Gauch (Zuravlev, Lascheit)