Banners On The Road – FASS Berlin vs ESC Dresden 02/03/24
Posted: 05/03/2024 Filed under: Banners On The Road, Germany | Tags: Banners On The Road, ESC Dresden, FASS Berlin, Germany Leave a commentRegionalliga Ost Playoff Quarter Finals, Game 1
FASS Berlin 11-3 ESC Dresden “Eislöwen Juniors”
Berlin: Babinsky, Freunschlag x2, Volynec x3, Merk x2, Butasch x2 (1sh), Fiedler
Dresden: Götze, Vachon, Bertholdt pp
The result is academic: The Erika-Hess-Eisstadion pictured above, juts into the fading Berlin evening light. The rink was built in the 1960s and it looks every bit of it outside and in. I paid my 9 Euro (up from 7, it was a playoff game after all) and was greeted by red piping and a lot of concrete to the point it felt like I was in a bunker.
The rink has a pad slightly bigger than that of Slough or Dumfries, with folding plastic seats down the long sides that screams “communal German facility” down the side and terracing behind each goal.
The Freier Akademischer Sportverein Sigmundshof was founded in 1962 by students from the Berlin Technical University. That university sense of humour maintains in the name as the acronym is FASS and fass is the German word for a cask or a barrel. The hockey section was founded in 1974 though the club has expanded well past being just a university thing and members of the junior section are mascots for the evening with others dotted around the stands.
Freshly made waffle in hand, I took a moment to concentrate on the warm up. FASS had lost 4 games all season on their way to pipping Schönheide to the Regionalliga Ost regular season title were taking on 8th placed ESC Dresden who had won a sum total of 5 of the 26 league games. FASS were resting some of their top end talent, including former DEL defenceman, Henry Hasse against a Dresden side who wore jerseys with names on the back and no adverts. I had a feeling I could guess how this game was going to go.
Wearing #69 is a brave choice for a netminder but Vincent Stula in net for Dresden was going to need to be brave given he was immediately under fire, turning away 4 or 5 shots before his colleagues even managed one. However he was beaten early. A delayed penalty saw the hosts send out the extra attacker and the passing around began. Eventually Gregor Kubail teed up defenceman Markus Babinsky who stepped into the shot and blew the puck by Stula.
It was 2-0 shortly afterwards as Stefan Freunschlag was the beneficiary. The Austrian was on the end of a fine passing move that left the visitors only able to watch as Freunschlag took the feed and ripped it blocker side and then it was 3-0 as a repeat of the above antics set up Daniel Volynec to fire past Stula.
Dresden were not going away quietly and actually were playing some solid hockey. Their issue was that they were being outclassed. The benefit of that was that FASS started getting a bit sloppy and complacent. A late powerplay saw FASS goalie Sören Thiem called into actually making some saves. As the period rolled to its conclusion, he though he had another as he snapped his arm around a well taken shot from Dresden’s Tim Götze. Sadly for Thiem, the momentum of the puck carried it all the way under his arm and despite a despairing dive backwards, the puck made it over the line. The first period ended 3-1 which arguably flattered the visitors but it nice that they’d gotten something for their efforts.
The second started much like the first, until it didn’t. That complacency that had crept into the hosts hadn’t fully gone away and they were caught puck watching. Maxim Rezibov found Dresden’s lone Canadian, Guillaume Vachon who swept the puck through the 5 hole of Thiem. At 3-2, were FASS about to come unstuck?
The answer was an emphatic no. All Dresden had done was wake up “die Akademiker”. The slick passing went into overdrive and Volynec had his second of the night and moments later it was 5-2 as Babinsky added his second where his team mates just repeated the exact same move that had gotten them the first.
This actually took the pace right out of the game for a time. It seemed like both sides had decided that the game was over and they’d play out the nearly half an hour that was left. Both sides were playing their game and this ultimately meant that FASS would score because they were just better. Freunschlag would drive the net and slide it past Sulda for the 6th before Dennis Merk smacked in a 7th and the 8th went in just 7 seconds later as Volynec completed his hattrick with a carbon copy of Merk’s goal. When Dimitry Butasch made it 9 just over 30 seconds after that, Sulda lobbed his stick across the ice in disgust having conceded 3 goals in 56 seconds with no sign of his backup coming anywhere near the ice to relive him.
With the score at 9-2, the game was over as a contest at the 40-minute mark as I drained my beer and put the cup in the bin and wondered what madness would come in the third. An early Dresden powerplay gave me an answer as Butasch added his second of the night, sprinting away to fire past Sulda, alarmingly still in net, to give the hosts double figures. Dresden did actually convert on the powerplay moments later, Franz Bertholdt’s shot from the hashmarks beating Thiem.
From there, FASS decided to just hold their opponents at arms length and force more saves from Sulda and trying not to get injured ahead of the remainder of the 3 game series.
The final word went to the hosts. FASS captain Tom Fiedler took a feed at the top of the crease and poked and poked till the puck crossed the line. The visitors didn’t like it and argued the case but the referees were unmoved and it was 11-3.
The game limped towards the end, the result an absolute certainty. A late delayed penalty saw Sulda race to the bench for the extra attacker only for the clock to expire moments later and his teammates turn towards the net to hug a goalie that wasn’t there, stood on the bench looking exhausted and exasperated. With the man of the match not a thing in the game at this level of the German game, the players skated off and I headed back towards the U-Bahn and my flight home in just over 9 hours.
So, what did I watch? To anchor the game in language my British readers will understand it, the game was South 1 standard in terms of skill and ability but arguably less physical. FASS vs Streatham or Chelmsford would be an interesting game to watch because the German side would be more skilled but the physicality of the Redhawks or Chieftains would cause them issues whereas FASS vs Slough would see the Germans the bigger side but arguably not as skilled. Dresden are what they are, the Elbflorenz’s version of a development team with a few older bodies thrown in. They’d be an interesting match up against Romford, Oxford, MK Thunder or potentially even Widnes from what I’ve seen of the Wild from game tape.
The game was as one sided as the scoreline suggests. Dresden clearly had an idea, to make the game a little messy, not allow FASS the space to pass the puck and counter. They struggled with this for the simple fact that they didn’t have the quality to execute in the way that they wanted to. They weren’t physical enough to win the battles in the corners, they couldn’t clog the neutral zone effectively against a team with more speed and they spent so much time puck watching in the zone that they it was easy for the hosts to just pass around them.
It’s easy to see from this game why FASS won the regular season. These three-game series feel almost perfunctory against a team that won less than a quarter of the games they did but any test is a good test. Dresden weren’t of the right level to really give them a workout but for about 25-30 minutes they certainly were made to think. They had moments where they seemed to think they didn’t need to pay attention and all the effortless breakouts and quick passing through the neutral zone became bogged down in guys just not paying attention. They weren’t punished, or certainly not punished enough, for that but there were moments where it seemed the game could get to cricket score levels which arguably helps nobody in game one of a lengthy postseason.
There are bigger challenges in the pipeline for the Berlin side. With a semifinal looming against Lauterbach, who beat out the Eisbären Juniors Berlin in their 4th vs 5th series, FASS know that they will need to be sharper even though they beat die Luchse in all their regular season meetings.
Games like this are where my hockey journey started. In fact, this is the level of hockey that the first game I ever saw live was at so there was a fun nostalgia to it. With Berlin as a city, it has its multi time German champion side playing in a massive multipurpose arena and you know what? That’s a great. I love going to Eisbären games, it’s unmatched for atmosphere. If BOTW has been about anything this season, it’s been that hockey big or small is entertaining and of value. I will die on that hill. There’s so much to see if you go looking and yeah, I had to go looking for this game. It didn’t have hundreds of people singing, it wasn’t in a giant arena but it’s the sport we love and all that comes along with it. I got to tramp around one of Europe’s great cities, got 14 goals for 9€, got a waffle freshly made for me at an ice rink and just sat back with a beer and enjoyed myself. I can’t ask for anything more.
Lowlight of the night: Would have been nicer if the game was a bit closer.
Highlight of the night: Some of the FASS goals were very pretty and I got playoff hockey for less than a tenner.
Banners On The Road – Eisbären Berlin vs Adler Mannheim 10/1/14
Posted: 20/01/2014 Filed under: Banners On The Road, Germany Leave a commentDeutsche Eishockey Liga
Eisbären Berlin 3-2 Adler Mannheim
Weiß Hecht
Christensen El-Sayed
Hördler
Eisbären Berlin take on Adler Mannheim at the O2 World in Berlin
(c) Banners On The Wall
The game: The O2 World in Berlin seems to rise into the skyline as if out of nowhere. The car we’re in suddenly turns a corner and there it is; this giant blue and white rounded building lit up with people already walking towards it. After paying 7€ for a parking space and having a quick beer in the car park (it’s Germany after all, people can and will drink anywhere) we headed inside.
The arena itself is impressive; the fan shop had an array of stuff for both Alba Berlin, the city’s top flight basketball team as well as the Eisbären. The night I was there all the merchandise from the recent Red Bulls Salute (the final of the European Trophy) was half price so that was my jersey sorted but there was an insane amount of stuff on sale from books to scarves to an Eisbären Berlin branded fridge, yours for just 700€.
There’s a crazy amount of food and drinks dispensers around the place for beer and burgers and pretzels and all else in between. All the drinks come in “deposit cups”. The idea being that you pay an extra Euro for your drink; you take the cup back and you get your Euro back and if you want to keep the cup then you keep the cup.
Our seats were in Block 203, a block reserved for tickets got through an offer with German bank DKB for the pricey sum of 15€. That’s right, ￡12 about the price of an EPL ticket and we got a great view of the action from the lower tier of the arena.
Walking out into the arena itself the sheer scale of the place is instantly apparent. The block we are sitting in is opposite the famous Fan Kurve; the all standing section where the members of the numerous officially recognised fan clubs stand. They cheer and shout and wave flags and banners throughout the entirety of the night’s entertainment. As you can imagine from the name, it feels very similar on the inside to the O2 in London but the near constant singing and chanting give it that old European sports atmosphere.
After the entrance of the hosts that featured one large and one small dancing polar bear, fireworks and the players entering through the mouth of a giant polar bear we were greeted with the evening’s hockey action. Berlin were still without starting netminder Rob Zepp due to a broken rib, captain Andre Rankel and a host of regular players. The hosts started regular backup netminder Sebastian Elwing. The visitors from Mannheim started German international Denis Endras and were at close to full strength.
The home side’s recent form going into this game had not been brilliant, a 3-0 loss in Hamburg the previous Tuesday the latest result but they came out of the gate flying, instantly putting the guests on the back foot. An early penalty to Ronny Arendt sent the Eisbären to the powerplay but despite some decent movement there was no way past Endras.
Die Adler adapted by letting Berlin come at them and to try and attempt to hit on the counter attack whilst keeping their hosts’ attacks largely fruitless. Berlin were attacking with energy but it seemed little purpose, they were having the balance of play but with minimal end product.
Berlin had another penalty chance when Michael Vernace was called for tripping but their ultra attacking style was quickly undone just after the penalty expired. With the entire Eisbären line playing high, a misplaced pass sent Jochen Hecht away alone on Elwing and the former Buffalo Sabres forward moved the puck to his backhand and slotted it into the net for the 1-0 at 12:47.
The period continued on that point much along the same theme; Berlin attacking with energy but little direction and Mannheim trying to hit on the counter up to the point where the first period ended. The feeling was that the game would go one of two ways; either Berlin equalise and the game became tight and scrappy or Mannheim score again and the game became a rout.
The second period continued the theme of the first. The hosts, unperturbed by being a goal down and an early hooking penalty to Frank Hördler, stuck to their game plan and kept going at Mannheim. It was very similar to watching the Bison or (insert your team name here, they all do it) at their most frustrating; chance after chance but just never seeming to find a way to get the puck over the line.
Eventually and to the relief of most of the people in the building, the dam finally broke. Another Berlin attack saw a mass scramble in front of Endras’ net. Matt Foy shovelled the puck goalwards where eventually it was stuffed over the line by Daniel Weiß at 28:56 to tie the score at 1-1.
Die Eisbären could smell blood and continued to press on with attacking and started to look a little more potent when going forward but Mannheim were remaining composed. They’d managed to strike and break Berlin once and seemed confident of doing it again but the rest of the second period passed off without much in the way of incident. There were a few tight chances but it was pretty run of the mill hockey and 1-1 was a totally fair scoreline after two periods.
The third period started with a bit of a bang compared to the rest of the game. The Berlin top line combined as the puck went from Foy to Laurin Braun and finally to Danish forward Mads Christensen who shot past Endras at 42:15 to give the hosts something of a deserved lead. Sadly the Eisbären defence immediately switched off and a turnover in their own zone meant the lead lasted 24 seconds as Marc El-Sayed was on hand to lash the puck past Elwing to tie the score at 2-2.
The response from die Adler seemed to spur the hosts on but Mannheim too seemed to sense that this game might be theirs for the taking. The period was a much more even affair and at the time it felt like that the scorer of the next goal would win it.
The crucial moment came just after the half way mark of the final period; with Berlin on the attack, the line of Mark Bell, Jonas Schlenker and TJ Mulock were set up in the zone. Mulock found Schlenker who fed the puck into the slot to find Frank Hördler in stride who blasted a shot past Endras at 51:03 to give the hosts the lead back.
This spurred Mannheim to life; they needed to find a way to score of risk leaving the Hauptstadt empty handed but Elwing was equal to the task. Endras was pulled for the extra attacker with just over a minute to go but there was nothing that could be done. Resolute Eisbären defence saw the hosts reach the final buzzer in front and the 12,800 fans inside the O2 World celebrated the 3-2 win in style.
The hosts celebrate their important league win with netminder Sebastian Elwing
(c) Banners On The World
Die Eisbären: With so many key elements of the roster missing, this was a real team effort that got Berlin over the line. It was a triumph of hard work over planning; at times, particularly in the first and second periods, Berlin appeared to be over thinking things. They would hit the blueline on the attack then get into the zone and seem utterly clueless as to what to do with the puck. When die Eisbären went back to basics, they were much more threatening. It was solid if unspectacular play that won Berlin the game as their superior work rate won then the day.
With Rob Zepp still injured and a playoff spot still very much in the balance, the performance of Sebastian Elwing had to please coach Jeff Tomlinson and the faithful fans. Elwing will probably have wanted both goals back but was solid at the death with Mannheim throwing the kitchen sink at them and as it’s unknown how long Zepp will be injured, solid performances from the Berlin born backup are a necessity.
It’s hard to pick any one player outskater wise who stood out but the team performance is what will please Jeff Tomlinson from this one. With the champions looking on the rocks at times this season, wins against quality opposition can only help boost morale and the belief that Berlin can regain the title as well as the wins column.
Die Adler: It wasn’t a great game from a Mannheim perspective; heavily outshot, on the back foot for most of proceedings but when they stepped up their game they could score yet didn’t find a way to do that consistently for 60 minutes.
Keepers of Denis Endras’ quality will keep any sides in games. He made a variety of top quality saves from the offensive dominance that they faced from Berlin. If Mannheim get themselves into a run of form in time for the post season then Endras will be a big reason that Mannheim will go a long way. He has the ability to win games on his own.
Jochen Hecht took his goal very well, almost effortlessly coasting up ice and befuddling Elwing to pot the puck into the net but otherwise huffed and puffed with minimal success.
The Mannheim 4th line of Ronny Arendt, Mirko Höfflin and goal scorer Marc El-Sayed were industrious and hard working, rightly rewarded in some ways with El-Sayed’s goal for their efforts.
Overall this is a game that new Adler coach Hans Zach and the team will have put to one side and moved onto the next time. Sometimes they happen but they can’t dwell on the missed chances that they had in this game.
Overall: The game itself was not really the best spectacle. I’ve arguably watched better games of hockey, more exciting games, certainly games with more on the line but boy, what a spectacle the whole thing was.
Now I realise that this might sound like me over-egging the pudding a bit here; I’m a well known fan of all things Germany and here I am in arguably the premier venues for ice hockey in the country. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s amazing and you need to add this place to your hockey bucket list.
Aside from the atmosphere this is quality hockey at an affordable price in one of the great cities of the world. The DEL is something that is, thanks to the internet is available to most of you who are reading it so definitely check it out as and when you can.
The right team won the game because the team that worked hardest won at the end of the day but in some ways the result was almost secondary for the 6 of us that went to this game; this was about getting to experience what going to an Eisbären game was all about. My German friends who grew up in the former East Germany and had been to the old Wellblechpalast got to see the DEL club that many East German hockey fans consider “their team” (certainly my Rostock ice hockey friends are always keeping tabs on Berlin over Hamburg which is at least an hour nearer). For me, it was just about enjoying a new experience as a hockey fan, one that I really recommend that you try.
“If we stay really still then maybe they won’t notice us…”
A nice addition to the collection. Well, when in Rome
Banners On The Road – Rostock Piranhas vs Black Dragons Erfurt 7/1/14
Posted: 16/01/2014 Filed under: Banners On The Road, Germany Leave a commentNord/Ost Pokal group stage
Rostock Piranhas 7-6 Erfurt Black Dragons (OT)
Rabbani Sergerie x 3
Sulcik x 2 (1ps) Klein x2
Sponholz Sykora
Schmidt
Marsall
Vycichlo
The game: Considering how long the day had been, I was pumped for this game. We’d left the house at 7:30am that morning, gotten a coach to Heathrow Terminal 5, flown to Hamburg and then been driven from Hamburg back to Rostock arriving in the former largest port of the German Democratic Republic about 3 hours before faceoff.
After a quick lift up the road, it was time for the traditional routine of standing around outside for the usual chatting and drinking of beers before Torsten Asmuß appears. Torsten has been promoted from press spokesman to vice president since I’ve last been in Rostock and greets me with usual cheer and a hearty handshake. My wife and I are ushered towards the door, given a stamp and we’re inside. It appears we’re in for free (free-ish, Torsten was sorted out with some tickets to the new ice sculpture show at my friend’s work).
The rink hasn’t changed much but the Piranhas have; beset by injury problems and poor form, Rostock entered this game in the midst of a 3 game loosing skid. Denis Rauscher was the only netminder with Tobias John injured and Rostock icing 13 skaters including 2 additions from the “Freibeuter”, the Rostock second team in Peter Sponholz and Phil Bergemann. With only 3 fit defenceman, free scoring forward Karol Bartanus found himself playing on the blueline to make up two pairings and Erik Haiduk was captain in place of the injured Jens Stramkowski. Erfurt entered the game with multiple scratches and only the one netminder in the form of junior system product Martin Otte.
The game started badly for the hosts; immediately on the back foot and looking short of ideas and confidence with only one shot from Kevin Gall even remotely troubling Otte.
The Black Dragons took every opportunity that came their way. A drive towards the net saw a scramble and Canadian forward Adam Sergerie stuffed the puck past Rauscher at 03:55 for 1-0. Before the Rostock fans could adequately shout their annoyance at the lack lustre play, Sergerie made it 2-0 after being given too much time and space in the slot and fired a wrist shot over Rauscher’s glove at 04:52. When Paul Klein raced past Jan Schmidt and blasted a shot into the net for 3-0 to Erfurt at 05:57, Piranhas trainer Wolfgang Wünsche was forced into a timeout where he visibly berated the outskaters for giving Rauscher no help.
The timeout appeared to wake the hosts up somewhat and something of a game plan appeared to take shape which was expose the fact that Erfurt were playing high and hit them on the counter with speed. This seemed to work as Petr Sulcik started to find his range a bit, troubling Otte but not scoring.
The Piranhas had to face off a powerplay after being given a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct but somehow managed to keep the score at 3-0, at times almost despite their best efforts, the first period being summed up when Petr Sulcik and Anton Marsall managed to skate into each other in open ice. The Piranhas managed to draw a penalty from Erfurt’s Florian Brink for holding to give the home side a powerplay into the second period but everybody, players and fans alike, was delighted at the sound of the horn ending the first period.
The team talk and powerplay to start the middle frame seemed to give the Piranhas a bit of a boost but Erfurt did seem to be taking their foot off of the gas somewhat. Feeling that they had the game sown up, they seemed to just be toying with Rostock.
The Piranhas however were rewarded for their better play when their counterattacking tactics worked; Jan Schmidt fired a pass to Josh Rabbani who was alone behind the defence. The former RPI Engineer, deked and managed to get his backhand shot past Otte at 22:51 for a 1-3 scoreline.
The goal sparked Rostock into life but Erfurt were happy to play a calm game and let Rostock come at them, Paul Stratmann having the best chance to convert but missing past the netminder’s left post. Erfurt were confident to just take their chances, capitalising on some poor Rostock defending which gave chances to Ryan Olidis and Oliver Otte.
Suddenly, Petr Sulcik was sprung behind the Black Dragons defence and was away. Despite being tugged and whacked at, Rostock’s Czech forward managed to force a save from Otte but was awarded a penalty shot all the same. Sulcik made the most of the opportunity, sniping the puck under the netminder’s arm at 33:32 to bring the hosts within a goal.
Sulcik’s reward for his goal was a near immediate trip to the penalty box on a hooking call that was too soft for the home fans but the penalty was killed off. The rest of the period played out with minimal incident as Erfurt managed to keep Rostock at bay, frustrating the hosts’ more attacking game plan and the visitors still held the lead at 3-2 when the second stanza finished.
The final frame of the game was nothing short of insane; just when the Piranhas’ fans were hopeful at the start of the third period, Erfurt struck again. A sustained wave of pressure forced Rauscher to collapse into the butterfly position and a neatly played pass found Adam Sergerie all alone to complete his hattrick at 43:02 and restore a 2 goal lead for the visitors.
Rather than let their heads drop, this seemed to spur Rostock on further and their way back into the game came from the unlikeliest of sources. A makeshift third line of Jan Schmidt alongside the two Freibeuter players had not really troubled Erfurt all night; playing something of a more traditional EIHL/EPL third line role of “don’t get scored on”. Philip Labuhn’s speculative shot rebounded off of Otte in the Erfurt goal on to backhand side of the stick of Peter Sponholz who batted the puck into the net at 45:59 to make it 4-3 to Erfurt.
Before the home fans could properly celebrate the goal, it was 5-3 as Enrico Manske fed Paul Klein for his second of the night at 46:22 but Rostock kept coming and soon had Erfurt firmly on the back foot. David Vycichlo’s point shot was redirected past Otte at 47:41 for 5-4 and when Petr Sikora was called for hooking, the Rostock powerplay went to work. Kevin Gall blasted a shot from the blueline on net and the rebound fell to the waiting Jan Schmidt who had all the time in the world to settle the puck and place it into the bottom of the net at 49:24 to tie the score at 5-5 with half of the last period to play.
Having led 3-0, 4-2 and 5-3 Erfurt realised they needed to respond but were met with an onslaught from the Piranhas offence who could smell a winning goal in the offing. Even the extra space of 4 on 4 hockey provided by matching roughing minors for Klein and Bergemann couldn’t change anything but the deadlock would soon be broken.
Rostock launched another attack; with the top line baring down on Otte’s goal the pucked squirted free to Anton Marsall who managed to stuff the puck under Otte’s left pad at 55:16 and the home side had come all the way back. The joy however quickly turned to frustration when Erfurt’s top line of Sergerie, Sikora and Ryan Olidis combined; the Piranhas failed to clear the zone, Erfurt made some slick passes and Sikora was on the doorstep for the goal at 56:32.
Roared on by the home fans and a late penalty on Olidis for tripping, the Piranhas searched for a way to end the game in regulation and came close but couldn’t deny the visitors at least a point.
With the penalty to Olidis carrying over into the extra frame, the Piranhas set themselves up for the crunch. There was no way past Otte it seemed but just 2 seconds after Olidis left the box it was all over. With the puck having been passed back to Bartanus at the point, his shot bounced off of the netminder right onto the stick of David Vycichlo who bundled the puck over the line and sent the home fans happy at 60:32 and a celebrating Denis Rauscher diving at the plexiglass and pretending to row himself across the ice with his goalie stick.
The calm before the insane, final period of action at the Eishalle Rostock in the Schillingallee
(c) Banners On The Wall
The Piranhas: As a fan this game really put you through the ringer; few players, players out of position, quickly in a hole and somehow still managing to win? This was certainly a game for the neutral.
Denis Rauscher in the Rostock net wasn’t given a great deal of support at times but made some important saves when he had to and looks like a good player to have alongside Tobias John.
Petr Sulcik got man of the match for the Piranhas and it was easy to see why as he is by far and away the best player Rostock has at the moment. Recently rewarded with a 3 year contract, it would have been nicer to see Sulcik in a more run of the mill game when the side isn’t so injury depleted.
It was also interesting to see how Josh Rabbani had slotted into the Piranhas lineup. North Americans generally play a much more physical style than is seen at this tier of German hockey but his game that of a two way centre is very much suited to this league. The Californian took his goal well.
The sight of Karol Bartanus, a Piranhas legend stood on the blueline was equal to that of seeing Nicky Chinn on defence for Basingstoke a couple of years ago; it looks bizarre but you can see why they do it. Bartanus, a 1997 Boston Bruins draft choice has excellent vision, passing and skating which made him an obvious choice to play on defence especially given Rostock’s other attacking options.
It wasn’t the greatest game the Rostocker Eishockey Club have ever played but after 3 disappointing losses on the bounce, this was a character win that was really needed.
The Black Dragons: It’s been a while since I’ve watched Erfurt so the Black Dragons are a very different team than the one I watched I last watched in 2006. They do however possess one of the best logos in hockey; it’s worth checking out their merchandise for that alone.
The obvious place to start is Adam Sergerie; 3 well taken goals in a variety of ways and the 27 year old former Lakehead University Thunderwolves captain is clearly a force to be reckoned with at this level. Combined with the team’s other Canadian import in Ryan Olidis, they have 120 points in 22 games for Erfurt. Combined with 41 year old veteran Petr Sikora, there is obvious attacking punch at the top end for Erfurt.
It’s also worth mentioning Martin Otte in net. The 24 year old having only seen minimal time as part of a netminding trio with Max Gimbel and Stephan Löffelholz gave a performance similar to that of Rauscher for Rostock; solid but at times given minimal help from his defence.
That said coach Tim Donnolly will not be happy with having let this game slip away. Yes the Nord/Ost Pokal is about as important as some EIHL sides seem to take the Challenge Cup these days but three decent leads they let slip against a side short on players and form. It will have been a long bus ride home.
Overall: The game was what it was; chaotic fun. There were goals, a bit of physicality and a bit of drama to go with it. 7 goals in the final period will do that to a game.
The overall game itself wasn’t of the highest quality I’ve ever seen at the Eishalle Schillingallee (Rostock 3-0 Ratingen Ice Aliens in early 2005 wins every time) but having sat at home over the last few weeks and read the results over livetickers and the like, it was good to see the side dig deep, really deep and pull this win out of the bag. The 600 odd in attendance (that’s low but a cup game on a Tuesday night during term time will do that) were treated to a performance that started awfully but meant that much more when the comeback was complete.
Putting the analyst hat firmly to one side, it was nice to be back in block c with the members of Ostseepower and just yelling away again. I had a few beers, I had a bockwurst and just generally enjoyed myself. I will always tell people to visit Rostock because 1. it’s my team and 2. it’s a fun place to watch hockey. Tickets are 10€, food and drink are cheap and any merchandise you want is easily available. Sadly the programmes have been discontinued altogether due to poor sales. RIP Puck Echo.
Rostock’s next game was away in Leipzig whilst the Black Dragons had a date in the capital against Preussen Berlin. We’ll return to Rostock in a little bit. Next time on Banners On The Road; Berlin, hallelujah Berlin.
No…I don’t know either
Banners On The Wall 