Gladiators want to take the last step

Created: 01/13/2023, 10:00 am

Keep an eye on the championship round and want to make everything clear at the weekend: the gladiators (from left) Thomas Plihal, Lukas Krämmer, Daniel Krzizok, Paul Wallek and Michael Franz. © Christian Riedel

With two wins at the weekend, the championship round for TSV Erding would be fixed.

Erding – The Erding Gladiators can make everything clear this weekend.

Tonight at 8:00 p.m. they are at home against VfE Ulm/Neu-Ulm, and on Sunday (5:30 p.m.) they travel to ESV Buchloe.

If the Erdinger Eishackler get six points, they are sure to be in the championship round, because ninth-placed ERV Schweinfurt is already seven points behind, which he cannot catch up in the two remaining games.

When looking at the general schedule, many an ice hockey fan wonders what those responsible at the Bavarian Ice Sports Association (BEV) were thinking.

At the end of the year, four games had to be played in eight days in the Bayernliga – an amateur league, mind you.

Now the last four encounters are played within three weeks, and last weekend the Gladiators only played once.

Erding's team boss Felix Schütz sees it very relaxed.

"The fact that we only had one game this year played into our hands because we had a lot of injuries," he says.

“This short break did us good.

Besides, we play how we have to play anyway.”

Tonight's opponents Ulm, who won the first leg 4-2 in the season opener, are one point ahead of the Gladiators in the table but still have a game to go.

Sunday opponents Buchloe, on the other hand, are nine points behind Erdinger and only have one theoretical chance.

In addition, where the Pirates have to survive against leader Miesbach tonight.

"I don't know either team because I wasn't there for the first leg," says Schütz and admits with a smile: "We haven't done much video analysis lately." But anyway, he's more focused on his own quality.

"We're strong enough that we can beat both of them and that we can secure the championship round," said Schütz confidently.

Especially since his squad is complete.

The recently injured Dominik Wagner, who was shot in the ear, also trained again this week.

So the coaches have a luxury problem?

"I don't like that expression," grumbles Schütz.

"Every coach wants depth in the squad." He and his colleague Ales Jirik now have a little more work to do behind the gang, because while Jirik coaches the strikers, Schütz takes care of the defenders.

The Erdinger team boss emphasizes once again how important a large squad is and is already looking ahead to the championship round.

"There and in the playoffs, the games will be more intense and tougher," says Schütz.

"And as a coach you're happy when you have a large squad."