Young duo in the fight for

number one in the Tölzer Löwen

Created: 05/12/2022Updated: 05/12/2022, 17:35

By: Nick Scheder

Gave the Tölzers a tough nut to crack in the 2020/21 season: In the future, Enrico Salvarani should keep the lions' box clean.

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One of the most important personal details at the Tölzer Löwen has been clarified: with Enrico Salvarani and Josef Hölzl, two talents are fighting for the position of first-choice goalkeeper.

Bad Tölz - The space between the posts - an extremely important position in ice hockey.

The last two DEL 2 seasons have shown how important it is.

With Maximilian Franzreb as the absolute bench in goal, the lions made it to second place.

With the successors Marco Wölfl and Jimmy Hertel it went in the other direction, with the bitter relegation at the end.

For the upcoming season in the Oberliga, the Löwen do not want to make any compromises and have now signed a goalkeeper duo with a lot of potential: Enrico Salvarani from the Ravensburg Towerstars and the third Tölzer keeper from the previous season, Josef Hölzl, who ended the season as number one.

"It was probably the hardest time of his life for him," says Löwen boss Ralph Bader.

Salvarani gained experience in the DEL 2

The young duo (Salvarani is 23 years old, Hölzl 21) should have a healthy competition for number one in goal.

On paper, however, Salvarani is more likely to be in the role: training with the young eagles in Mannheim, experience gained in the Oberliga (Hanover and Essen) and second goalkeeper in the DEL 2 in the past two seasons - most recently in Ravensburg, before that at Freiburg.

In the 2020/21 season he gave the Tölzers as opponents of the lions a few tough nuts to crack.

Bader is well aware of the importance of the goalkeeping position.

With Hölzl, he knows what he has in him and didn't have to negotiate long.

"As a Tölzer, you prefer to play at home and I want to take my chance," says the 21-year-old.

"My goal is to improve and develop myself." The Löwen boss believes he is capable of that.

"He showed he could do it last season when he outranked Jimmy Hertel," says Bader.

Hölzl was playing really well until the Corona break, "It was only the illness that threw him off track," says the TEG boss.

Both have to prove themselves on the ice.”

Löwen Managing Director Ralph Bader

In the play-downs, Hölzl's lack of experience was already noticeable.

But that will change with more practice.

Especially because Bader would like to give his keepers a goalkeeper trainer in the future.

"Then they can develop really well and tackle the duel for number one.

Coach Ryan Foster and I have full confidence in them both.” They now have to confirm that.

Bader: "Both have to prove themselves on the ice."

That also applies to Salvarani, whom Bader can only assess from the video study, from former clubs and other feedback.

"But I'm delighted that we've been able to sign an up-and-coming German goalkeeper and we have every confidence that he's exactly the right person."

Smooth negotiations

Bader also had smooth talks with Salvarani, who already has a family relationship with the Oberland.

He also thinks his decision per Oberliga is good.

"It's nice that he would rather play than sit a league higher on the bench." The decision was not difficult for the new signing himself.

"I always wanted to play for Tölz," says Salvarani, who also likes the organization of Tölz ice hockey.

"I want to get involved in the new tasks." And probably hold on to one or the other victory for the Tölzers.

Also read:

New Lions coach Ryan Foster is a success coach

Big tasks, the hardest time: Josef Hölzl was the third goalkeeper to Tölz number one in the DEL 2 in the previous season. © Archive