Date: September 8, 2024. Authors: Petra Philippsen
Image: Imago | Axel Kaste
The Bremen team is playing in the Bundesliga for the third time and this time they want to stay in the league. Things got off to a good start with a 6:4 win against Munich.
Before heading out onto the artificial turf pitch of the Bremen Hockey Club (BHC) on Sunday afternoon, Lena Frerichs had to think back briefly to the last game against Munich SC. That was in May 2023, and in that game the now 20-year-old tore her cruciate ligament. The rise of Bremen’s greatest hockey talent, which had been so rapid up to that point, was suddenly brought to a halt.
And what’s more, the shocked BHC team lost to Munich and was then relegated from the Bundesliga without Frerichs. But she fought back and the Bremer HC is also back in the Bundesliga. The fact that the opening home game was against these opponents somehow fit in with Bremen’s new start.
Revenge against Munich succeeds
“I briefly thought about my injury before the game,” said Frerichs, “but actually I was thinking more about wanting revenge.” And the revenge worked, with coach Florian Keller’s team winning 6:4 after the penalty shootout to take the first important victory of the new season.
“It feels great, I’m very happy with the outcome,” said Frerichs after the game. Her older sister Marie scored the decisive penalty goal for Bremen with a cheeky lob into the middle of the goal. “Of course three points would have been better than two, but we definitely deserved to win with the penalty shootout.”
After 2:0 and 3:2 still 3:3
The Bremen team even took a 2-0 lead in regular time thanks to Maya Maitin (8th minute) and Maria Paz Lunghi (19th minute). But after the half-time break, “we had a brief period of weakness, which was our own fault,” said Frerichs. Munich managed to score a goal and equalize in the 35th and 42nd minutes, and the game seemed open again.
But just a minute later, the BHC rewarded themselves with a 3-2 lead from new signing Karolina Diurczak at the first corner of the game after strong preparatory work by Lena Frerichs. But the Munich team equalized again, Philin Bolle scored to make it 3-3 with a seven-meter penalty, which upset the BHC.
BHC goalkeeper Blietz makes outstanding saves
Both teams had another chance to score in the final phase, but the score remained 3:3 after 60 minutes. This meant that both teams got one point, and then a penalty shootout had to decide who would get a second point.
And in the 1:1 duel between player and goalkeeper, one player in particular shone: BHC goalkeeper Angelina Blietz. And not just because of her hair, which has recently been dyed rainbow colors. The new hair color definitely brought luck, Blietz saved three penalty shots. She only conceded the only goal when she obstructed an opponent and the latter was awarded a seven-meter penalty shot.
Strong penalty performance
“That was great,” said coach Keller, particularly praising the penalty performance, “we scored three goals ourselves, which gives us confidence for the future, knowing that we have to be beaten in the penalty shootout first.” The BHC’s return to the Bundesliga was a success.
“We’re taking the win, with one point less than a normal win, but we’re taking it,” said Keller, “we’ve waited a year and a half to play in the Bundesliga again. We’re happy that we started with a win. Anything could have happened today, except that we lose the game and then go into these four away games.”
“We can annoy any opponent”
The Bremer HC now faces difficult tasks, which makes the home win all the more important. The six new players from abroad in particular have significantly improved the Bremen team’s game. “I am very satisfied, that was a very good start for the new players. We can expect a lot more from them,” praised Keller.
Keller also found the brief slump his team had at the beginning of the second half to be positive from a learning perspective. “Because the season is so long and we have so much to learn. If we learned today that being too passive for five or six minutes is punished in the Bundesliga, then it was worth it.” This time, Bremer HC definitely wants to avoid being relegated again straight after being promoted. They have the confidence to do so: “We can upset any opponent, even in the next four weeks,” Keller emphasized.
After four away games, the BHC will play against Harvestehuder THC in front of a home crowd on September 29th at 12 noon. It will then be a little clearer what is possible for the Bremen team in their next Bundesliga adventure.
More about hockey:
Those: outside and inside.
This topic in the program:
Bremen Eins, Sport kompakt, September 8, 2024, 3:27 p.m.
