After the two narrow opening defeats against Sweden (0:1) and Finland (3:4), the German national ice hockey team lost at the World Cup: 2:3 (0:0, 2:1, 0:2) it was said in the end after a dramatic game with a multitude of huge chances against the USA.
“The frustration was yesterday, today the mindset is already different, today we are looking ahead again”, Coach Harold Kreis had said before the first face-off. And the DEB team started promisingly, had the first good finish in the 5th minute through Leon Gawanke, but just missed. Shortly thereafter, goalie Matthias Niederberger had to unpack the first top save when Mikey Eyssimont appeared free in front of him.
Post USA, Latte Germany
In the 13th minute there was also a bit of luck when Alex Tuch deflected a cracker and crashed into the left post of the German goal. Three minutes later, the district selection also hit the linkage: Manuel Wiederer hammered the puck on the bottom edge of the bar, US keeper Casey DeSmith would have had no chance.
In the second third, the Americans acted with more pressure and were rewarded in the 26th minute. When a penalty was announced against the DEB team and the USA attacked six, Niederberger was beaten: Ronnie Attard had fired a rather harmless shot, but Kai Wissmann deflected the puck so unluckily that the German goalie had to reach behind him.
Soramies and Schütz turn the gap
But the Germans showed top morale. When Maximilian Kastner had just conceded a two-minute penalty, Moritz Seider sent Moritz Müller steeply, forcing DeSmith to rebound. Samuel Soramies reacted faster than the US defense and chased the rebound under the bar: 1:1 (31st). And it kept going back and forth.
Soramies failed to hit DeSmith in the 37th minute, then the Americans had a great chance through Rocco Grimaldi – but the Germans scored the goal in return: Shortly before the final siren of the second period, Schütz grabbed the target in the neutral zone, rounded two defenders and pushed in through the keeper’s savers to make it 2-1.
usury of chances with the Germans
The Americans were visibly impressed and allowed themselves to be pushed far back at the beginning of the final section. But converting chances became a serious problem: Marcel Noebels failed twice from the best position, Frederik Tiffels and Dominik Kahun also had the 3:1 on the bat. The USA were more effective: After a one-minute period of pressure from which the Germans could not break free, Sean Farrell scored in the 46th minute to make it 2-2.
And it got even worse. While the Germans then missed one top-class goal after the other through Marcel Noebels, Maximilian Kastner and Frederik Tiffels, the USA struck again in the 55th minute through Matt Coronato: 3:2 from a tight angle. After that, Kreis risked everything, taking Niederberger out of the gate early on. But despite further huge chances, it wasn’t enough – Seider and Noebels couldn’t get the puck past DeSmith.
“We were the better team”
“The frustration is there, of course. We lost to three top nations by just one goal and were sometimes the better team, like today.”Kastner then said on “Sport1”: “We lacked the callousness, but we can go into the next games with confidence.”