Tölzer Löwen: descent after a big fight
Created: 04/13/2022, 00:03
By: Nick Scheder
Disappointment: The Tölzer Löwen in front of their fans after the 3:4 against Bayreuth.
The DEL 2 is history for the time being after five years.
© Oliver Rabuser
You fought back.
Fought tooth and nail to stay up in the league.
It wasn't enough: the Tölzer Löwen took the lead three times.
Bayreuth equalized three times in the sixth play-down game.
And in extra time, what was probably the most important player in the Tigers sent Tölz to the Oberliga.
Bad Tölz - more than 60 minutes full throttle.
But in the end they didn't make it: The Tölzer Löwen had to admit defeat in extra time with a score of 3:4.
They lost the second round of the play-downs and are relegated from the DEL 2. "Hats off to the team anyway," says coach Kevin Gaudet.
"This time she gave everything, always fought, but we weren't lucky – like we have been all season."
Descent after big fight
The fight for relegation - the lions hadn't given it up yet with a 2:3 series deficit.
They ran for their lives in the first third, even after Markus Eberhardt scored the early lead.
The defender probably had to do something good after his senseless punch in the previous home game.
He actually made the best play of the play-downs.
Defensively very solid, offensively with the goal and other good chances.
But then a scene that was symptomatic of these play-downs: Tölz put the pressure on, got a power play – and Bayreuth scored the goal.
Cason Hohmann grabbed the disc after a bad pass in his own attack, ran into the Tölzer zone and, somewhat surprisingly, shot it himself – under Josef Hölzl's catch hand, 1:1.
Didn't put a lid on it
But the Tölz keeper didn't lose his composure, thwarting a number of big chances, Tölz had more, Bayreuth the better chances.
The hosts could have made the decision in the second third.
Cam Spiro once again proved his executor qualities and was spot on at 2-1.
But before that, Lubor Dibelka failed at at least as good an opportunity to Timo Herden, who switched between the posts at lightning speed.
Pascal Aquin's blueliner wasn't placed enough, Tyler McNeely also got stuck on the Bayreuth keeper during his solo, Leitner too harmless, hit with the attempted shot instead of the pass.
Davis failed twice on the Bayreuth side, Hölzl made a strong save against Dani Bindels, and the Löwen stayed ahead.
But would the power be enough?
To the victory that saved her in the decisive game?
Dibelka and a few others were already pumping hard in the second third.
But they kept fighting.
Ville Järveläinen's equalizer in Tölzer outnumbered could not be brought out.
But followed up: Thomas Brandl, not quite fit with groin problems, gritted his teeth and humorlessly hammered the disc under the bar, 3:2.
At some point the disc will go in
Pure excitement.
Bayreuth's coach Robin Farkas blew the final offensive.
Hölzl under constant fire.
herds of ice.
Even more pressure.
More shots.
Not half a minute left on the clock.
And at some point the disc went into the goal.
Järveläinen made it 3:3 over the line - extra time.
At least the players could catch their breath for a quarter of an hour.
In the meantime, however, Bayreuth also needed this.
However, the rest was only necessary for 94 seconds of extra time.
That's how long it took until there was uncertainty in the Tölz defense.
The disc came to Järveläinen lurking completely free.
And game over.
Bader settles accounts with predecessors
Big disappointment for the lions, who still congratulated the opponent.
But then, after a short farewell to the rather sparse fans, we went into the dressing room with hanging heads.
Löwen boss Ralph Bader used the opportunity for an initial reckoning: "I don't blame this team and the coach, the mistakes were made at the beginning of the season," says the TEG managing director, targeting his predecessors: "It's irresponsible to start the season with such a small team.
You can't play DEL 2 seriously with nine forwards and five defenders.” Now it's time to do better.
And Bader promises one more thing: "We'll get up and come back!"
Tölzer Löwen - Bayreuth aet 3:4 (1:1, 1:0, 1:2/0:1)
Goals: 1: 0 (0:51) Eberhardt (Ott), 1: 1 (11:42) Hohmann (4-5), 2: 1 (28:37) Spiro (Brady/McNeely), 2: 2 (50 :01) Jarvelainen (Hohmann/Davis, 3-4), 3-2 (54:44) Brandl (Dibelka/Aquin), 3-3 (59:23) Jarvelainen (Hohmann, 6-5), 3-4 ( 61:34) Järveläinen (Hudecek), – penalty minutes: Tölz 6, Bayreuth 6, – referee: Kannengiesser/Klein, – spectators: 1744.
