Peiting's trainer is still in corona quarantine.
Therefore, Markus Keppeler will also look after the team this weekend.
The Oberliga team has had good experiences with their assistant coach so far.
Peiting
– Corona has shown one thing emphatically this season: the pandemic forces flexibility.
EC Peiting also had to prove this after coach Anton Toni Saal went into corona quarantine shortly before the catch-up game against the Starbulls Rosenheim last Tuesday and assistant coach Markus Keppeler had to take over for him.
"Of course I like doing it, but I feel more comfortable in my role as assistant coach," said the 43-year-old, commenting on the development that will put him in charge of the next games in the Oberliga Süd.
Keppeler celebrated a successful debut with a 4:3 win against Rosenheim
His debut against the table third from Rosenheim was already successful with a 4:3 victory.
“We have to perform the same way at the weekend.
Fight and hard work throughout the game,” Keppeler said to his men ahead of today's Friday game with the Passau Black Hawks (8 p.m.) and Sunday's home game against the Blue Devils Weiden (6 p.m.).
In the three-river city, Peitingen are the favorites due to the table situation - Passau is penultimate, ECP is sixth.
“Passau will try everything to score.
We have to act more and play our game.
Markus Keppeler on Friday's game in Passau
After all, they still have a chance at the pre-playoffs, but we need the points just as urgently,” says Keppeler, looking at Pfaffenwinkler’s duel with Höchstadt for direct qualification for the playoffs, for which sixth place is required.
"Passau will play differently than Rosenheim.
We have to act more and play our game through,” demands Keppeler.
He's expecting a much more defensive opponent than the offensive Starbulls.
The three comparisons so far this season have shown that the Black Hawks, who are coached by former Peitingen player Ales Kreuzer, are an unpleasant opponent for the ECP.
It went into overtime twice, with Peitingen ultimately winning both times (3:2 and 5:4).
Only the 4:
Peiting clearly lost all three duels against Weiden this season
The previous three duels against Weiden, on the other hand, were anything but close and the ECP lost them clearly (2:7, 3:6, 3:7).
“We are the clear outsiders against the leaders.
But we're happy to accept the role," says Keppeler.
The Peitinger assistant coach is looking forward to seeing his long-time boss in Peiting, Sebastian Buchwieser, who has formed a top team at his new place of work.
"We know the team.
We have to give everything against them for 60 minutes,” said Keppeler, who is hoping for an upset against Weiden.
Weiden coped well with the expulsion of sports director Ken Latta
The excitement surrounding the dismissal of sports director Ken Latta and the farewell of the Latta brothers Nick and Louis did not let the Oberpfälzer get off the road to success.
The Blue Devils are unbeaten in five games.
"The boys are extra motivated against their former coach," reports Keppeler, who doesn't want to be intimidated by the opponents who are almost overwhelming at the moment.
Maximilian Söll returns to the team at Peiting
He is also positive that the personnel situation has improved somewhat.
Daniel Reichert played against Rosenheim again on Tuesday, and Maximilian Söll will return to the team for the away game in Passau.
Only Fabian Weyrich, Tim Rohrbach and Thomas Heger are missing from the regular cast.
Keppeler is also pleased with the development of new signing Lukas Motloch: "He gets better from game to game," says Keppeler, who coordinates closely with Saal before the two games of the weekend.
Nardo Nagtzaam could also be naturalized in the coming week.
Then the second new player, Shane Heffernan, who is currently out of action due to Corona, could also be used.