The polar bears in Cologne finally had a reason to celebrate again Photo: picture alliance / firo Sportpho
From BZ/dpa
The Eisbären Berlin have managed to break free in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL)!
After recent mixed performances, the German champions won 7:3 (3:1,2:0,2:2) at the Kölner Haien on Sunday afternoon. Julian Melchiori, Matt White, Giovanni Fiore and twice Marcel Noebels and Alexandre Grenier were successful for Berlin.
The polar bears started the game under a lot of pressure in the Lanxess Arena. In the seventh minute, Melchiori scored the lead with a majority, and just under two minutes later Grenier increased it to 2-0.
It’s in there: the puck wriggles in the net after Julian Melchiori’s shot for Berlin’s lead Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Revierfoto
But the home side also showed a committed performance and scored in the power play with a goal from Maximilian Kammerer in the 17th minute. The polar bears reacted promptly, in the 19th minute Noebels – again outnumbered – pushed in to make it 3-1.
In the minutes that followed, the special teams were still in high demand, and the pace remained high. Although Cologne fired numerous shots, the goals were made by the more efficient polar bears. Noebels scored again in the 31st minute before White extended the lead to 5:1 in the 39th minute.
Berlin’s Kevin Clark and Cologne’s Maximilian Kammerer in a duel Photo: City Press
In the last third, Nicholas Bailen struck twice for the hosts before Grenier and Fiore scored twice into the empty goal in the final stages of Berlin’s victory.