Points away, competition is catching up

Created: 01/05/2023, 10:00 am

By: Wolfgang Krzizok

Pain subsides: After the puck was thrown at linesman Natalie Bertl (left), the BEV now rated the game as lost for Erding with 0:5 goals.

© Christian Riedel

The pressure on the Erding Gladiators has increased again.

Erding – The game against Schongau, which was canceled on December 23, was rated as lost with 0:5 goals.

That means: The team of team boss Felix Schütz has only got three points from the last four games and is now only four points ahead of ninth place.

There are six points against ERV Schweinfurt, who is tenth in the table and will be visiting the Stadtwerke Erding Arena on Friday at 8 p.m.

The game against Schongau was canceled because a spectator threw a puck onto the ice and hit the linesman in the head, who was unable to continue (we reported).

The Bavarian Ice Sports Association (BEV) informed those responsible for TSV on Tuesday that the game for Erding “was rated as lost with 0:5 goals and 0:3 points” after a “violent attack on the game officials while the game was running".

"It's unfortunate that a single person could cause such great damage," emphasizes Erding's ice hockey department head, Michael Westphal.

"But we have to accept the decision and will look ahead." Unfortunately, the unknown puck thrower has not yet been found despite a reward of 1,000 euros.

Team manager Schütz is also disappointed with the rating.

"It's not the players' fault," he says.

"They would have preferred to give us a fine and we could have played the game again - Schongau would have agreed to a replay."

Looking at the current situation, Schütz says: "The table is always tight." Of course, his team has now lost three games, "and nine points are a lot, but the others have to win their games first."

The people of Schweinfurt have scored six points over the years and, among other things, won against their direct competitor Kempten 6:4.

Goal guarantors are the two North Americans Dylan Hood and Joey Sides, who together have scored 42 of the 98 goals the Mighty Dogs have scored so far.

Goalkeeper Benedict Roßberg, who has been in the box in all 22 league games so far, is also a bench.

The gladiators can compete almost completely on Friday.

Tomas Plihal is back from home leave, Basti Cramer is healthy again and Elias Maier is back in the squad after a long injury break.

"I'm assuming he'll play," says Schütz.

Only the injured Dominik Wagner is still missing.

The Erdinger Eishackler still have five games to complete before the end of the qualifying round.

“And I know that all five of us can win,” emphasizes team boss Schütz.

The first opponent in the new year is Schweinfurt, and this is where the first step towards the championship round should be taken.