Opponents don't matter
Created: 01/04/2023, 07:00
By: Patrick Hilmes
Barely getting close: Weiden's two-meter hen Elia Ostwald defended the target against Riessersee's Lubor Dibelka on Monday evening.
©Andreas Mayr
Although it is against the bottom of the ice hockey Oberliga Süd, Pat Cortina wants to see his SC Riessersee play at EHC Klostersee as if it were against a top team.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen -
Peiting, Höchstadt, Memmingen, Deggendorf, Rosenheim, Bad Tölz, Weiden.
That has been the SC Riessersee program for the past few weeks.
One top game chased the next, none of these opponents will probably have anything to do with relegation this Oberliga season, the majority will make it into the playoffs.
Now follows for the white-blues the contrast program with the guest appearance at the EHC Klostersee, in his character beaten tail light.
But Pat Cortina doesn't want to know anything about that.
Tonight in Grafing he wants to see his SCR perform as if it were against a top team again.
That was the case on Monday evening.
The Blue Devils Weiden gave their visiting card in the Olympic Ice Sports Center.
On it you can read, among other things: First place in the table with 15 points ahead of the closest pursuer, away without losing points, best offensive in the league.
More top team is hardly possible.
In the end, this was also reflected on the scoreboard: With a 4:2 away win, Weiden stole the points.
Why Weiden won on Monday evening
But how actually?
Anyone who watched the duel live should have noticed that the Blue Devils do not perform miracles.
Spectacular relay races?
none.
Fantastic solo runs?
none.
Unstoppable slap shots?
none.
No sign of magic ice hockey.
Cortina saw it similarly: "Weiden doesn't do anything particularly special." At the same time, the coach knows why the Upper Palatinate are at the top of the rankings.
"Because they defend the puck very well."
Loss of performance of SC Riessersee in the second third
The white-blue rarely succeeded, especially in the second third.
Weiden turned the game around, turning a 0-1 deficit into a 3-1 lead.
Particularly bitter: the third goal of the guests 1.9 seconds before the break.
Cortina cannot explain how the performance drop between 20 and 40 minutes could have happened.
"Maybe we thought about how we could win by scoring the next goal." On the other hand, the game shifted to the third of the SCR.
When it was five-a-side, Weiden dominated.
Seven minutes of the second period took place in the white-blue third, only 45 seconds in that of the Blue Devils.
At the same time, however, the coach was enthusiastic about the morale of his team.
"We came back very strong."
SCR coach again hopes for the learning effect
The SCR determined the final section and was about to equalize.
Up to an unnecessary penalty for being one man on the ice too much.
"In the situation, we weren't focused on the next step, but on the one after that." And so the SCR robbed itself of the chance to trip Weiden after all.
But Cortina is not that important.
He hopes again for the learning effect.
“A big part of the game is defending the puck like Weiden did.
This is the only way to defeat such teams.
If we understand that, that's more important than the three points.” The Italian-Canadian has unpacked his binoculars again and wants to see the team continue to develop.
And that today against Klostersee.
Cortina doesn't care about the table position of the EHC.
"We have to play as if we wanted to conquer Weiden." The traditional club must not care about the opponent.