Dorfen core team in good shape

Created: 01/18/2022, 13:00

Waldkraiburg below, Dorfen above: That's how it was when the Ice Pirates surprisingly won 6-1.

© Hermann Weingartner

The ESC Dorfen puck hunters are in good shape shortly before the relegation round, which begins on Friday.

Dorfen – In the last game of the Bayernliga main round, the Eispiraten in Schweinfurt recorded their fourth win in five games since the beginning of the year against the Mighty Dogs with a 6:5 after extra time.

And that with a team that was again badly decimated, in which, in addition to three lines of attack, only four defenders were available, two of them trained - supplemented by all-rounders Christoph Lönnig and Sebastina Rappolder.

Already in the home derby on Friday evening, the ice pirates tamed the favorite lions from Waldkraiburg, who had previously dubbed Dorfen their "favourite opponent", with 6:1 goals and thoroughly redeemed themselves for the 2:8 defeat in the first leg. In the press conference, EHC coach Alex Piskunov spoke of a "lack of attitude" and his team's "worst game" this season. Although this game no longer had any significance for the table situation, his team, which had arrived with almost 150 fans behind them, "shouldn't let themselves be shown like that".

ESC head coach Franz Steer paid great respect to his team. "My people disciplinedly followed the previously discussed route," he praised. "I'm very happy with my entire team, especially with the third row, with the 1b players Alexander Voglhuber and Dario Braun." Back-up goalie Simon von Fraunberg was back for the first time because Luca Endres is still convalescent.

After the success in Schweinfurt, Steer was again very satisfied. "If someone had told me before the season that the replacements would fit in so well, I would have said: 'You're crazy'," he said. "What my boys are currently doing in view of the constant absences is very, very good." He had to replace five regular defenders again. According to Steer, this uncertain time is “extremely stressful” for both the coach and the players. You noticed in the last third that the last two English weeks stuck in the bones of the team, especially with the constant understaffing. In Schweinfurt, in addition to the regular defenders Benedikt Dietrich, Maximilian Huber and Erik Walter, goalkeeper Endres was still absent, so that keeper Andreas Marek had the burden of five games in a row.

Schweinfurt's trainer AndreasClothes was dissatisfied, although he noted that his team had improved compared to the previous "terribly miserable 1:10 defeat in Amberg".

The provisional schedules have already been sent to the clubs.

Last night, the Bayernliga representatives met for an online conference to finally approve it.

BY GEORG BRENNAUER