Second game, second win: Indians take a crucial step against Weiden
The Hanover Indians lead 2-0 against the Blue Devils Weiden in the quarter-final play-off of the ice hockey league. The European Championship won its home game in front of 3367 spectators at the horse tower after a passionate fight with 5:3 (2:0, 1:2, 2:1).
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The party started nervously on both sides – hardly any chances to score, but countless bad passes that ended in unauthorized long-range shots with the result of many interruptions and little flow of the game. The Blue Devils themselves ensured dynamics, namely with penalties. First, Marius Schmidt had to sit on the bench for five minutes after a violent check against Mike Mieskowski. Shortly thereafter, Chad Bassen received two minutes for stick checks. Sebastian Christmann used the advantage to make it 1-0 (19th minute), nine seconds before the end of the third, Christmann scored twice to make it 2-0.
At the beginning of the middle third, Robin Palka even made it 3-0 (22nd). Dennis Thielsch (26th) put the guests on the scoreboard with a deflected shot over the shoulder of Indians goalkeeper David Miserotti-Böttcher – and thus into the game. Because the Blue Devils acted more and more and showed why they had completed the preliminary round as southern champions. Miserotti-Böttcher was now the focus of attention more and more often, but kept his perspective both when Philipp Siller and Dennis Palka had a double chance and when there were numerous confusing situations in front of his goal.
However, the ECH striker, who had been so strong in the play-offs so far, was powerless when the Weiden team completed a play by Tomas Rubes to make it 2-3 (37 ‘). The Indians hardly came up with relief attacks and saved themselves with difficulty in the second period, with Kyle Gibbons having the 4:2 on the bat a few seconds from the start.
Palka makes the decision in the orphaned goal
In the final third, the EM was able to calm the game down again. Nevertheless, Ralf Herbst (48th) managed to equalize. The game seemed to tip over – but it didn’t. Weiden’s defense overlooked Branislav Pohanka, the captain himself scored to make it 4:3 (51st). 21 seconds before the end, Robin Palka hit the empty goal to make it 5:3, the Weiden keeper Jaroslav Hübl had left the award of an additional field player.