Once a fan, now a player

Created: 01/04/2022, 6:54 PM

By: Patrick Hilmes

One of them: A few years ago Anselm Gerg (front) cheered Simon Mayr and Co. from the stands, now he's on the ice with them.

© Andreas Mayr

Anselm Gerg has everything to make it far in ice hockey.

In order to achieve this, the young SC Riessersee player accepts a double burden.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen -

Anselm Gerg sits with his parents in the stands of the Olympic ice sports center.

Together they visit a game of the SC Riessersee - join in the excitement, cheer.

That used to be the case and has not changed.

The Gergs still take their place in the stands, but without the junior.

He is no longer sitting next to them, but is standing on the ice below.

Meanwhile, Gerg is one of those people who are cheered on, with whom the audience cheers.

Since this season he has been part of the upper league team of the traditional ice hockey club and at the same time one of the most promising talents.

He keeps pushing his limit upwards. "

SCR coach Pat Cortina on Anselm Gerg

Also the largest of the SCR?

His coach, Pat Cortina, doesn't want to say that: “For me, talent isn't simply having certain skills, but also being able to use them appropriately for the team.

And Anselm hasn't got that far yet. ”No wonder, because Gerg is only 17 years old.

So far, he has lacked consistency in his performance.

He cannot always use his qualities profitably for the team.

But the basic requirements are correct.

“He has all the necessary skills.

I especially like how well he can read the game.

In addition, it has improved enormously in the past few months.

He keeps pushing his limit up, ”emphasizes Cortina.

Premier goal against feet

This is also evident in the white-blue games.

The last few scenes in which Gergs' talent flashed up became more frequent.

For example last Sunday at home against the top team from Regensburg, or for example in the 6-2 win over EV Füssen in mid-December.

In this game, the 1.85 meter tall and 80 kilogram offensive player scored his premier goal in the major league.

But he didn't really celebrate it - neither on the ice nor later.

On the one hand, Gerg did not initially realize that his shot had hit the net out of the turmoil, on the other hand, he is not the "party type".

Favorite player: Simon Mayr

The various congratulations, of course, made him happy, including those from his team-mates.

He looked up at some of them not so long ago and watched them from the stands.

His favorite player: Simon Mayr.

“I've always liked his style of play,” admits Gerg.

It was correspondingly “funny” at the beginning when Gerg Mayr and Co. no longer cheered from afar, but stood with them on the ice.

"At first I was pretty nervous, but now it's normal."

Sometimes training twice a day

Gerg is present in every training session of the top division team and has already played 15 out of 24 games. Nevertheless, this season he has unwound more kilometers on the ice than anyone else at SCR. Because Gerg also plays for the U20 of the white-blue team, was in the squad in all 21 games and also takes almost every training session with him. Means: often two units a day. And that after a year without match practice. Because the Garmisch-Partenkirchner had injured his knee, missed the Corona-related shortened and canceled season 20/21 in DNL II. But isn't the current double burden a bit much for a 17-year-old? “In the beginning I needed some time to get back in. But that's okay. And if it gets too much for me, it's no problem to skip a training session. "

Difference between Oberliga and DNL II: Think faster

But Gerg knows how important these units are.

Cortina also confirms this.

“He understood that it's not just about the games, but that he is developing, especially in training.” Gerg still has to get used to the league, also in a point that he hadn't considered before his debut .

“I wouldn't have thought it, but the biggest difference to the DNL is that you have to think faster, so that your team-mates think faster too.” He is helped by the experience he gained at his second favorite club.

In the 19/20 season Gerg ran for the U17 of the EHC Munich, as a leading player.

“That was new to me because I was always one of the youngest.

But that helped me a lot for my development. ”That should continue with the SCR.