ERC Ingolstadt is about to reach the round of 16 in the Champions Hockey League.
Coach Mark French’s team came back on the penultimate matchday of the league phase despite rotation and a 0-2 deficit at HC Bozen and won 3-2 (0-2, 2-0, 1-0). After their third win in a row, the Ingolstadt team can hardly be pushed out of the top 16.
Riley Barber (24th), Philipp Preto (29th) and Daniel Schmölz (46th) turned the game around for the main round winners of the previous season of the German Ice Hockey League (DEL). Head coach French did without top performers Daniel Pietta, Morgan Ellis and Alex Breton in South Tyrol due to three away games in six days.
Next Wednesday the ERC will meet the Danes from Odense at the end of the league phase. Of the three German participants, the Panthers go into the final matchday with nine points and thus the best starting position. The Fischtown Pinguins Bremerhaven (7) are also on track, while the Eisbären Berlin (4) are threatened with elimination.