The German national ice hockey team started the new season successfully almost six months after winning silver at the World Cup in Finland. In their first appearance in front of a home crowd since the historic success in Tampere, national coach Harold Kreis’s revamped team defeated Denmark 4-1 (0-0, 1-1, 3-0) at the start of the Germany Cup in Landshut.
In the first test on the way to the World Cup in the Czech Republic (May 10th to 26th, 2024), Leo Pföderl (26th) put the German Ice Hockey Federation (DEB) team in the lead at the beginning of the second third. Patrick Russell (40th) scored a well-deserved equalizer in the same section, before Colin Ugbekile (53rd), Landshut native Alexander Ehl (58th) and Maximilian Eisenmenger (60th) ensured the German victory in the final third.
On Saturday (6 p.m./MagentaSport) the DEB team will face the team from Austria, who suffered a 7-1 defeat against Slovakia at the start on Thursday. The Olympic bronze medalist will be the German team’s third and final opponent on Sunday (2:30 p.m.).
In Landshut, where the women’s national team is also celebrating its home tournament premiere this year, Germany will be competing as defending champions – and with a few changes compared to the World Cup. Only the two strikers Ehl (Düsseldorf) and Manuel Wiederer (Berlin) are there as reigning runners-up. Especially with a view to the knockout games between Munich, Mannheim and Ingolstadt in the Champions League in the next two weeks, Kreis did without numerous regular players.
In addition to a few newcomers, the focus was primarily on the prominent returnees. For example, the Olympic silver medalists Yasin Ehliz and Pföderl, who were also missing in Finland, as were the foreign professionals Tobias Rieder (Sweden) and Marc Michaelis (Switzerland), were part of what the circle described as a “promising mix”.
Ehliz, Rieder and Michaelis immediately formed the first line of attack on Thursday. In a fast-paced first third, however, the DEB team failed to score despite numerous chances – Pföderl changed this with the first opportunity of the second period, the Eisbären Berlin professional scored from close range.
The Danes also appeared offensive again and again, and Germany’s goalkeeper Arno Tiefensee was able to distinguish himself several times. Shortly before the end of the second period, the 21-year-old from Adler Mannheim had to reach behind himself for the first time when Russell scored. In a game that was now more evenly balanced, Ugbekile used a majority to take the lead again seven minutes before the end, before Ehl and Eisenmenger made everything clear with a shot into the empty goal.