“We have to take the positive with us”

Created: 06/17/2022, 10:00 am

By: Wolfgang Krzizok

A glimmer of hope germinated: After a pass from Lucy Klein (2nd from right), Yvette Reichelt (left) reduced the deficit to 2:5 for Germany against Slovakia – but in the end there was a 2:6 defeat.

All eight nations in the same hotel The goal is promotion © IIHF

The German U18 ice hockey juniors flew to the World Championships in Madison (USA) with high hopes.

Erding/Madison – The promoted team had set themselves the goal of the quarter-finals.

But after a great opening win against Switzerland, all other games were lost, and so the German national team has to go back to Division 1. "Of course it's stupid that we were relegated again," says Lucy Klein, who is in the youth team of TSV Erding plays, "but the experience alone was worth attending."

For the 16-year-old, the World Cup was "really an experience, and being there was great."

All eight teams were accommodated in a hotel.

"Each nation had its own floor," enthuses the woman from Erding.

"And the flags of the respective countries hung in the dining rooms - that was really cool." But it was also "very exhausting", because including the preparation, the team was on the road for around three weeks.

The tournament could hardly have started better for the German team coached by national coach Franziska Busch.

There was a 1-0 win against Switzerland at the start, the goal came 46 seconds before the end.

"Everyone just wanted to play," says Klein.

"You could also tell from our team shout before the game."

The next opponent was the Czech Republic, which was clearly the favourite.

"Somehow it was clear to us from the start that we would hardly have a chance there," admits Klein.

"You could also see that when the team screamed that we had very little self-confidence." The game went accordingly and was clearly lost with 2:6 goals.

Then the third and decisive game against Slovakia was on the program, which had only moved up to Group A after the Russians had been excluded.

After Switzerland defeated the Slovaks 3-1, the door to the quarter-finals was wide open for Germany.

"We probably had too much self-confidence and thought we'd win anyway," says the Erdinger self-critically.

Germany also quickly took the lead, but then not much went together.

Slovakia drew 5-1 up to the 45th minute.

After the 2:5 by Yvette Reichelt, which Klein had hung up (52nd), Slovakia still scored to 6:2 and thus made it through to the quarter-finals due to the better goal difference.

Germany and Switzerland had to play off the relegated team in a best-of-three series.

"We knew that we could do it, after all we had already beaten Switzerland," says the 16-year-old.

"On the other hand, there was the fear that we could be relegated again immediately after promotion." And the disappointment was great when game one was lost 0-1.

The decisive goal for Switzerland came eight minutes before the end when they were outnumbered.

"It was then somehow clear that we wouldn't make it anymore," says Klein.

"We also had no strength and no more self-confidence."

National coach Busch tried everything in the second game and kept changing the ranks, but the pressure from the Swiss was too strong.

With a never threatened 7:3 - after 38 minutes it was already 6:0 - the Swiss secured relegation and sent Germany back to Division 1. Canada became world champions with a 3:2 win in the final against the USA.

"Of course the disappointment was great," says Lucy Klein, who has been back home since Wednesday and is looking straight ahead.

"Now we just have to take the positives with us and try to get promoted again at the next World Cup."