Erding takes the wind out of Pirates' sails

The Erding Gladiators got their ticket for the championship round.

Buchloe/Erding – After the 5:1 (0:0, 4:1, 1:0) at ESV Buchloe on Sunday evening, the team of team boss Felix Schütz and coach Ales Jirik has secured a place in the top eight.

Circumstances can change so quickly.

On Friday against Ulm, the Gladiators were in the best position they have ever been this season.

Schütz and Jirik had six pairs of defenders and four lines in attack – without licensed players or reinforcements from the U20s. Things looked a little different on Sunday, because four players were out with Roni Rukajärvi, Elias Maier, Michael Franz and Lukas Krämmer, so it didn’t once more was enough for three complete blocks.

Erik Modlmayr, who smashed a disc in the edge of the band while warming up on the ice, caused the first bang.

But that wasn't a wake-up call for either team.

The first third was pretty uneventful, there were hardly any goals worth mentioning on either side.

That should change completely in the second period, because after 29 seconds Markus Vaitl defeated Erding's goalkeeper Thomas Hingel to make it 1-0.

And that was apparently the wake-up call the Gladiators needed.

They took the game into their own hands, set a great pace and promptly created chances, which they took advantage of.

Tomas Plihal was lucky to make it 1-1 in the 26th minute, however, because his shot slipped through the legs of Pirates keeper Johannes Wiedemann and the puck rolled over the line in slow motion.

He had no chance to make it 2-1 for Erding when Paul Wallek took aim and Philipp Michl deflected from an untenable angle (32nd).

A little later Plihal showed his whole class.

First he played a sensational pass down the run of Florian Zimmermann, who made it 3-1 (37th).

And just 36 seconds later the Czech played exemplary for Daniel Krzizok, who increased to 4:1.

The people of Buchloe, who were on cloud nine after the sensational 10:4 win at leader Miesbach on Friday, were visibly dismayed.

The hosts launched furious attacks on the Erdinger Tor in the final third, but keeper Hingel presented himself in brilliant form.

But the Gladiators eventually took the wind out of the Pirates' sails.

After a deflected slap shot by Simon Franz, Krzizok made it 5-1 (46').

As much as the Buchloer tried to improve the result in the final quarter of an hour, the extremely strong Hingel was always the last stop.

statistics

Goals/Assists: 1:0 (21st) Vaitl (Wittmann, Müller/5-4), 1:1 (26th) Plihal (S. Franz, Michl/5-4), 2:1 (32nd) Michl (Wallek, S. Franz), 3: 1 (37th) Zimmermann (Plihal, Wallek), 4: 1 (38th) Krzizok (Plihal, Busch), 5: 1 (46th) Krzizok (S. Franz) – Spectators: 300 - HSR: Alexander Saal, Rupert Stenzel - Penalty minutes: Buchloe 10, Erding 8