EHC Königsbrunn lost its home game against “Die Löwen” from EHC Waldkraiburg with 4:5. The Brunnenstadters had enough opportunities to turn the game in their favor against a very strong opponent and ultimately failed due to the lack of effectiveness.
As on Friday, the Brunnenstadt team had to do without a few players; in addition to the two long-term absences Dominic Erdt and Philipp Sander, Leon Steinberger, Peter Brückner Lion Stange and Marco Riedl were also missing. Stefan Vajs was in goal from the start, with Dave Blaschta on the bench as backup.
From the start, the guests showed why they are so successful as newcomers, with a lot of self-confidence they pushed into the opponent’s third and generated some good opportunities. But Königsbrunn also put pressure on the Lions’ third, the game was reminiscent of an open exchange of blows with an open visor. The guests scored the first goal, in the sixth minute Leon Decker beat goalie Stefan Vajs with a hard, hidden shot during a quick counterattack. In the eighth minute of the game, Leon Hartl hit the post, and three minutes later the Königsbrunner fans were able to celebrate for the first time. Max Petzold surprised the opposing goalkeeper with a hidden shot to equalize 1-1, Tim Bullnheimer had blocked goalie Lode’s view. Just 30 seconds later, the joy was over, the Lions took the lead again, and again it was a hidden shot that found its way into the goal to make it 1:2. Another 30 seconds later it was suddenly 2-2, Hayden Trupp served Luca Kinzel with a cross pass during an attack sequence, who then netted the equalizer from an unmarked position. In the 17th minute of the game, Waldkraiburg made it 2:3 with the advantage, and two minutes later even made it 2:4, punishing the Brunnenstadters for a loss of targets during the build-up to the game. However, Königsbrunn was able to shorten the score in the last minute of the game, with Toms Prokopovics in the majority, after a fine pass from Hayden Trupp, putting the puck directly into the Lions’ goal before they went into the locker rooms for the first time.
During the break there was probably a clear announcement from coach Bobby Linke, because Königsbrunn was better defensively after the restart and now acted more concentrated. Up until the 30th minute of the game, the Brunnenstadt team had a preponderance of chances, then found themselves outnumbered for four minutes, but this had no consequences. Even after that, Königsbrunn had the equalizer on their hands, but the middle period remained goalless.
In the final third, the guests got off to a strong start again and looked for a decision, and in the 44th minute of the game Sramek scored a well-deserved goal to make it 3:5. The goal was probably the wake-up signal for Königsbrunn, because 20 seconds later Tim Bullnheimer scored on a quick counterattack to make it 4:5. The Brunnenstadters now had six minutes to equalize. The time was now running down mercilessly and Waldkraiburg defended cleverly. Königsbrunn often got bogged down in the offensive and remained too harmless in the opponent’s zone. In the end, the strong guests win and deservedly get three points from the fountain city.
„You could still see the boys’ uncertainty from the last game; some of them were still off track. “We made too many mistakes, which then led to counterattacks,” summarizes the Königsbrunner coach Bobby Linke. “In the second and third third we played quite well defensively, were more stable, but too harmless up front. We’re playing too complicated a game. Waldkraiburg played a great game today, they were very stable defensively, always dangerous in numbers and very focused. Nobody panicked in the final third either; they hardly gave us any opportunities and made almost no mistakes. Clearly, Waldkraiburg deserved the three points today.”
Goals: 0:1 Decker (Kokes) (6th), 1:1 Petzold (11th), 1:2 F. Lode (Maierhofer, Vogl) (12th), 2:2 Kinzel (Trupp, Prokopovics) (12th .), 2:3 Vogl (Hora, Kokes) (17th), 2:4 Sramek (Vogl, Maierhofer) (19th), 3:4 Prokopovics (Trupp, Sternheimer) (20th), 3:5 Sramek ( Hora) (44th), 4:5 Bullnheimer (Döring, Sternheimer) (44th)
Penalty minutes: EHC Königsbrunn 12 EHC Waldkraiburg 10 Spectators: 442
Bild: Photography Klinger
Welcome to today’s interview! I am pleased to have with us Bobby Linke, head coach of EHC Königsbrunn, and one of his players, Leon Steinberger. Thank you both for taking the time to chat with us about yesterday’s game against EHC Waldkraiburg. Let’s begin the discussion by talking about your team’s performance. Coach Bobby, could you share your perspective on the game’s highlights and areas that needed improvement?
Coach Bobby: Certainly, thank you. I think we saw some positive aspects of our game performance yesterday. We played well defensively in the second and third period, especially after the break. Our players seemed more stable and focused, limiting their opposing team’s opportunities to score. However, we didn’t do enough to create quality chances in the offensive zone. We got bogged down with our plays and were too harmless up front. Additionally, we made too many mistakes in the first period which led to counterattacks and ultimately cost us the game. We need to work on our consistency and learn from these mistakes moving forward.
Leon, as a player, could you add on to your coach’s insights? What would you say were the main challenges your team faced during the game?
Leon: Yeah, I’d say our lack of finishing was a major issue. We had numerous opportunities, but we struggled to capitalize on them. We were also caught off guard by their counterattacks in the first period, and that cost us dearly. As Bobby mentioned, we need to be more consistent with our play throughout the game and find ways to finish our chances better. If we can improve these aspects, I believe we have a good chance of turning things around in our next match.
Moving on to player availability, both from Friday’s game and season-long absences. Marco Riedl and Dominic Erdt were both previously ruled out. How has this affected the team’s chemistry and strategies?
Coach Bobby: Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with several absences this season due to injuries and other reasons. It’s definitely challenging when key players are unavailable, but it gives an opportunity for others to step up and showcase their skills. It forces us to adapt our strategies and adjust our lineups accordingly
