Duisburg. The 2023 season in the Skaterhockey Bundesliga begins for the Ducks on Saturday. The opponent is a big caliber. Start in the European Cup.
The ice hockey season has hardly reached its peak when the skater hockey Bundesliga starts the 2023 season. “I hope the South Hall will be really full at the start,” says Christian Perlitz, looking forward to the Duisburg Ducks getting started again . And the start has it all. It’s not just a neighborhood duel when Crefelder SC will be a guest on Saturday (6.30 p.m.). The people of Seidenstadt are again one of the favorites of the season. what is better A slightly less strong opponent to get the season off to a better start, or a strong opponent who isn’t as well-rehearsed as they will be later on? Perlitz: “We take it as it comes. And we want to keep the three points in Duisburg.”
As is well known, Pascal Rüwald has left the ducks, but will also be there on Saturday – since the CSC is his new club. As reported, Nick Kardas and Janis Lachmann have joined the Ducks as newcomers. Kardas comes from the Ducks offspring, but also played for Kaarst in the youth division. He was trained in ice hockey at the Düsseldorfer EG and played for the Oberliga side EG Diez-Limburg in the current season. Lachmann also plays in the Oberliga for Krefelder EV, but has his inline home with the Rhein-Main Patriots.
Kevin Wilson is back
Kevin Wilson’s return to the Ducks is now official. The defender, who spent the first half of the ice season with EVD in the Oberliga and then joined the regional league team from Ratingen, played for the Ducks until 2014 before playing for the Miners Oberhausen shirt for three years. “Of course, Kevin’s physical presence is immediately noticeable,” says Perlitz. “He also has an incredible shot. It’s a weapon, especially in the power play. He’s very dangerous.”
When the ice hockey season is over, Pascal Behlau (EVD) will join the Ducks again. “Every single newcomer really helps us,” emphasizes Perlitz. Other players may also be added.
It should be sixth place
The goal is a play-off spot. But because that can go through as a minimum goal with ten teams and eight starters in the quarter-finals, Perlitz says: “I want to finish sixth so that we can avoid the two top teams in the league.” In addition to the German champions from Kaarst, it’s the teams again from Krefeld and Cologne – for the latter, ex-national ice hockey player Marcel Müller will probably pick up the racquet.
There was also a little movement in the squads of the competition: Essen’s top scorer Dominic Doden moved to Düsseldorf – but the Rams will be missing their own top scorer for a long time: Christian Schmidt is out with a cruciate ligament tear. It will be exciting to see how the newly promoted IHC Atting (near Straubing) will present itself in the 1st league.
Start in the European Cup
With third place in the cup competition, the Ducks have qualified for the “Challenge Cup“ Qualified, the dated 16th to 18th June in Avenches (Switzerland) will be held.
Opponents are the London Knightz, Havering Hawks (both Great Britain), Fight Pigs Gersau, SHC Buix, SHC Rossemaison, SHC Rolling Aventicum (all Switzerland), ATSE Graz Dukes (Austria) as well as the Moskitos Essen and Ahauser Maidy Dogs as other German participants.
