(esa). While there is still complete chaos in the upper house of German ice hockey, the DEL 2 is heading for the start of the season. There are still three weeks for EC Bad Nauheim until the opening game on November 6th against the Bietigheim Steelers, who were defeated 3-2 in the test last Sunday.
Today, Friday, the EC will travel to the league competitor EHC Freiburg (7.30 p.m.), on Sunday evening the team of coach Hannu Järvenpää will receive the Oberliga cooperation partner Herner EV (6.30 p.m.) in the Colonel Knight Stadium for the first part of the annual preparatory games.
Activate frost protection:Freiburg put an exclamation mark last Sunday and beat the Ravensburg Towerstars 7-1. Järvenpää noticed that too. “Freiburg are very strong opponents. If we don’t move quickly, it can get very cold very quickly,” says the EC trainer. Those in charge of the surprise team last season set the course early and extended it with the top performers during the past season. Of the contingent players, only Luke Pither has not returned to Breisgau for private reasons, the EHC signed defender Andreé Hult for him two weeks ago. The 32-year-old Swede last played in his home country for Leksands IF, in Germany Hult is known from his time with the Schwenninger Wild Wings.
Every year again:The two test matches against the cooperation partner from the league have a long tradition. On Sunday the Red Devils receive the Herner EV in the Kurpark. Just as common as the second leg a week later, it is in these games to give the top rows some time to take a deep breath. At least in the first leg in Bad Nauheim that is not planned. For Järvenpää, the duel with the lower-class HEV is above all a test of character: “The attitude plays a big role. We have to show our opponents the necessary respect and work hard as a team,” says Järvenpää.
The audience question: The situation is tense, the number of infections with SARS-CoV-2 is steadily increasing. By the editorial deadline on Thursday evening, there were no new regulations from the Wetteraukreis, the city of Bad Nauheim and the EC. This means that 1860 fans would be admitted to the Colonel Knight Stadium on Sunday. When purchasing a ticket, however, it is advisable to look at the postcode of your home town. During the week, the management of the EC decided to only allow spectators from postcode areas “35”, “36”, “60”, “61”, “63” and “65” to attend the Herne home game.
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