Red Bull Munich is only one win away from their fourth championship title.
In the fourth play-off final of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL), the winner of the main round defeated the Bavarian rival ERC Ingolstadt 3-0 (0-0, 0-0, 3-0) and went in the best-of-seven – Series with a 3:1 lead. On Sunday (2 p.m.) in their own hall, Don Jackson’s team has the first of three match balls.
“That is our absolute focus and our goal,” said Munich’s national keeper Mathias Niederberger, who had won the championship with the Eisbären Berlin last year, at MagentaSport.
Two goals with an empty goal
For the guests, who had won the silver cup three times in a row from 2016 to 2018, Ben Smith (48th) scored the opening goal in front of 4815 spectators. Ryan McKiernan and Maximilian Kastner made everything clear in the final minute when the hosts’ goal was empty.
The Ingolstadt team, who sensationally won the title in ninth place in the main round in 2014, repeatedly failed due to national goalkeeper Mathias Niederberger. Munich had won the first two games 2-1 and 7-1, on Tuesday Ingolstadt responded with a 4-3.
“It is important that we give the right answer on Sunday,” said Ingolstadt’s defender Fabio Wagner. “We have to shut everything out and just focus on our game.”