In the fifth World Cup preparation game, the German national ice hockey team has improved. A goalkeeper from Bremerhaven convinces in Slovakia.
The German national ice hockey team is slowly gaining momentum in preparation for the World Cup. The team of the new national coach Harold Kreis won 4:3 (1:1, 2:0, 1:2) in Slovakia in Zilina and got their second win in the fifth test match.
Already on Saturday (2.30 p.m.) the DEB selection meets Slovakia again in Trencin. The final test before the World Cup (May 12-28) will take place on May 9 in Munich against the USA.
Without some top performers from champion EHC Red Bull Munich and finalist ERC Ingolstadt as well as some legionnaires from North America, the German team could not convince at first. The hosts took the lead with the first majority situation: a shot by Slovakian Samuel Knazko was deflected by captain Moritz Müller and goalkeeper Maximilian Franzreb made it 0-1 (5th minute). The keeper of the Fischtown Pinguins from Bremerhaven then saved his team from conceding the second goal with numerous saves.
DEB team stronger from the end of the first third
Only shortly before the end of the first round did the district team get stronger. Former NHL pro Dominik Kahun used a mistake made by Slovakian goalkeeper Samuel Hlavaj to equalize 1-1 (18′). The district team went well in the second third: Dominik Bokk from the Löwen Frankfurt turned the game after half an hour with his goal to make it 2-1. Düsseldorf’s Daniel Fischbuch increased the effective DEB selection to 3:1 (33rd).
The hosts were able to reduce the score to 2:3 in the final section through Robert Lantosi with a converted penalty (45th), but Kahun ensured the actually safe 4:2 (55th) after Bokk’s preliminary work. But again Germany had to tremble after the 3: 4 connection by Richard Panik (59th). Slovakia had several chances to equalize but were denied by outstanding keeper Franzreb.
After the final siren, both teams went for a short-term penalty shootout. Here, too, Germany won 1-0 thanks to a successful attempt by Marcel Noebels.