Franz Steer is aiming for eighth place

Created: 12/13/2022, 10:00 am

By: Georg Brennauer

The ESC had a lot to celebrate at the weekend.

© Georg Brennauer

ESC Dorfen is still missing a six-point weekend in its track record this season.

Dorfen – Last weekend, the ice pirates were close.

They took four points from their two encounters against Schongau and Pfaffenhofen - eight seconds were missing for a perfect score.

The trend among the ice pirates is clearly upwards after the improvement in the permanent injury and illness-related personnel problems.

The unfortunate 4:5 penalty home defeat on Friday against the strong Schongau team, who are currently fourth in the table with 36 points, was followed by a 4:2 win in Pfaffenhofen on Sunday.

Schongau's interim coach Markus Ratberger, coach Rainer Höfler had surprisingly thrown in, spoke in the press conference of a "very balanced game" and confirmed a happier outcome for his mammoths, who only managed to equalize 4:4 eight seconds before the end.

"Dorfen is a strong team, we knew that before the start face-off," he emphasized and recalled the first leg, which ended 4-3 after extra time for Schongau.

He praised the Ice Pirates as a team "that is in a place where it doesn't belong".

Ratberger especially thanked his goalkeeper Daniel Blankenburg, who defused all three penalties of the ESC in the shootout.

Despite an overall strong performance by his ice pirates, ESC head coach Franz Steer was a bit disappointed after the Schongau game.

There were a few “free riders” in his team that evening.

With two goals conceded in the middle third, he missed the body play.

"If our player attacks the body, that doesn't happen," he grumbled.

"In ice hockey, you have to play a check to the end." Some players are not at the highest level, "because they are obviously satisfied, and satisfaction is a step backwards".

Steer also emphasized that he had already told his people that they also had to step on the gas in training, “because when the squad is complete again, I will only send the most ambitious people onto the ice”.

Christof Hradek set a good example.

At the beginning of the season he could hardly hold his bat because of a hand injury, and then it was said: "Who did you get there?" Now the ex-Waldkraiburger is one of the most effective strikers.

After the 4:2 win in Pfaffenhofen, the successful revenge for the 6:7 penalty defeat in the first leg, Steer was only satisfied with the win: "It certainly wasn't an ice hockey treat." A few things could have been done well , but there were also some things that were inadequate.

He acted with four offensive lines and played with three center forwards and four outside pairs.

Nevertheless, forechecking, for example, did not always work as expected.

Pfaffenhofen's new coach Stefan Teufel referred to the numerically tight squad with 14 field players - against 17 of ESC Dorfen.

When the moderator remarked at the end of the press conference that both teams were now just preparing for the relegation round, Steer immediately countered: "Maybe for you, but I want to finish eighth." The ice pirates are currently missing – in one game less – only eight points.