The ice hockey club Erding Gladiators will start the new season with a new team of goalkeepers.
Erding – Thomas Mende will leave the club, the club reports Thomas Hingel from league rivals EC Pfaffenhofen as a newcomer.
According to Gladiators spokesman David Whitney, the first important building block in the goal was that Christoph Schedlbauer had given his commitment for another season.
"We wanted to breathe new life into the competition for the number one spot in Gladiators' Gate.
That's why we decided to sign Thomas Hingel," explains Whitney.
In addition, with 21-year-old Patrick Mayer, they still have a young, very talented keeper up their sleeves, "and so we have a high quality goalkeeper position".
Unfortunately, there was no more room for Thomas Mende.
"He has been a reliable and loyal support in recent years, for which we would like to thank him," emphasizes the spokesman.
"We wish him all the best for his private and sporting future."
"Of course, I was disappointed when I was told that I wouldn't get a new contract offer," says Mende.
"I would have loved to have stayed because the team, the fans and the club have grown on me.
But that's just the business." He will continue to live in Erding, since he is employed at the airport.
"That's why I'll probably sign with a club in the region for the new season," says the 28-year-old.
"In any case, I wish the Gladiators all the best and I'll be sure to stop by at a game or two."
His successor in Erding, Thomas Hingel, was born in Landshut.
He has gone through all of the youth at EVL and is no stranger to the Bayernliga, having stood between the posts for Moosburg, Waldkraiburg, Dorfen and most recently Pfaffenhofen.
"It was always clear to me that sooner or later I would play in Erding, that was always my goal," emphasizes Hingel.
"The Gladiators are the most attractive club in the league."
He is technically not that good with the puck and not necessarily a goalkeeper who plays with him, but he is a so-called "crunch time player".
That means: "I can always get a few percent more out of tight situations or games."
Whitney describes new signing Hingel as a "very important commitment".
They definitely wanted to strengthen themselves, "and after Schedl signaled that he was staying, we wanted to add a goalkeeper of equal value so that the two of them would battle for a place in the goal".
You can get more out of both goalkeepers when there is more pressure and competition.
The gladiators are well known to him, not only from the games against each other.
"I have a lot of friends in the team," notes the 29-year-old Hingel.
He still knows Sebastian Busch, Lukas Krämmer and Florian Zimmermann from Landshut's DNL times, and he has already played with Philipp Michl, Michael Trox and Mark Waldhausen.
Basically, he “always goes to the maximum”, which he demands of himself and the team, emphasizes Hingel.
That's why he also claims to "become number one here in Erding".
As far as the Gladiators are concerned, he formulates the goals rather cautiously: "First get into the playoffs, and then look from round to round."
