After twelve victories against Mannheim in a row, the Eisbären Berlin have lost again against one of their arch -rivals. Not only did a little in the 1: 7 clap. The Berliners also ensured the negative highlight of the game.
On the third matchday in the German Ice Hockey League (DEL), the Eisbären Berlin at the Adler Mannheim lost in front of 12,055 spectators with 1: 7. It was the first victory of the eagles against the polar bears after twelve defeats in a row. The game was overshadowed by an overrunting of polar bear professional Yannick Veilleux against Adler player Luke Esposito, who then had to be brought off the ice with the carrier.
Heated start
The duel of the first in the Eternal DEL table DEL (Adler Mannheim) against the record champions (polar bears) is traditionally high. But on this third matchday of the young season, both teams seemed to be extra motivated again. It took less than three seconds before the first gloves flew and Both Luke Esposito (Mannheim) beat Lean Bergmann (Berlin) and Dan Renouf (Mannheim) with Yannick Veilleux (Berlin). The advantages were slightly on the side of the hosts and it was also the eagle that determined the events.
14: 4 shots of goal were available for Mannheim after the first 20 minutes. And a 1-0 by Zach Solow, who in the eighth minute just really stood in the turmoil in front of polar bear goalkeeper Jonas Stettmer to direct a long-range shot on the net. With which part of the body or racket, it will probably remain an eternal puzzle for him. In the 13th minute, the polar bears were allowed to thank Stettmer, who brilliantly parried the only chance of 16-year-old Max Penkin. The polar bears also came to opportunities, especially by Tobias Eder (3rd) and Eric Mik (19th). Overall, however, the Berliners made too many bad passes to ensure even more danger.
Working about Esposito, Penkin historically
If you had hoped for an early improvement from a Berlin perspective, you should see much deceived in the second third, which already began with the bad news that top scorer Ty Ronning had to stay in the cabin due to injury. And it went on. A change error by the polar bears led to a Powerplay of the Mannheimer. Kristian Reichel used the majority after a nice attack to 2-0 in the 23rd minute. Then Berlin’s Veilleux override it at a body check against Mannheim’s Esposito. The 31-year-old American remained motionless and had to be taken from the field and then taken to the hospital with a stretcher. How hard it was to get into Veilleux is clear that the game had to be interrupted afterwards so that an ice cream maker could remove traces of blood from the playing area.
In the subsequent power play, Mannheim then increased by Marc Michaelis to 3: 0 (29th). History was written six minutes later when Max Penkin became the youngest DEL goal shooter of all time after a nice single-handedly to 4: 0 and at the age of 16, three months and eight days. Afterwards, the hosts even scored a goal in the outnumber (Reichel, 37.) and a new goal in overpaid (Solow, 39.). Berlin’s Jonas Müller was served in the subsequent third break and at the Magenta Sport microphone, but also combative: “stupid punishments. And then you know that they are good in the power play. I think the game is not over yet. We have enough quality.”
Eisbären Berlin win spectacularly in Cologne
The defending champion from the capital sets an exclamation mark against the runner-up on the second matchday of the new DEL season: after a three-goal deficit, the Berliners ultimately win clearly.more
Only Stettmer protrudes out
The game was actually not over. But the catch -up was missing, instead the game continued in one direction. Consequently, the 7-0 by Maximilian Heim in the 42nd Mintue was not long in coming. The eagles also did not decrease defensively and permanently put the guests under pressure until the end. After all, the polar bear goalkeeper Stettmer continued to show up at his first season. The 23-year-old parried several times in the 53rd and 56th minute. Before the Berliners actually scored the honor. After a nice preparatory work by Frederik Tiffels, it was Markus Vikingstad who converted sovereign (58th).
However, this gate could not really brighten the mood of polar bear coach Serge Aubin, who said after the game to Magenta TV: “We were not good. They checked it from start to finish.” The chance to do better than this 1: 7 offers the polar bears on Sunday, September 21st. Then in the away game at the Fischtown Pinguins (2 p.m.).
Broadcast: RBB24, September 19, 2025, 10 p.m.
