The people of Wetzlar got off to a better start. Lenny Rubin and Adam Nyfjäll open the game with the 2-0 for the home side (3rd). The lions fight back in the person of Juri Knorr. After two strong individual actions by the playmaker, the score is 2:2 (5th). The Mannheimers initially had problems with the opponent’s backcourt. Rubin scores himself to make it 3:2, puts on Emil Mellegard’s 4:3 (7th). After goals from Domen Novak and Rubin, we have a 6:3 for HSG on the scoreboard (10th).
Important that Olle Forsell reduced Schefvert to 6:4 in the next scene (10th). After Hendrik Wagner made it 7:5, the best lion phase begins this Sunday afternoon (12th). For the next 14 minutes they didn’t allow a goal, netted nine times themselves and led 7:14 (26th). Decisive for the run of the lions: Joel Birlehm makes six saves, Juri Knorr and Jannik Kohlbacher tear apart Wetzlar’s center of defense, and in the lion’s defense, Ymir Örn Gislason and Olle Forsell Schefvert in particular make a huge game.
Wetzlar’s new coach Hrvoje Horvat takes two breaks. He switches the defense to 5:1, leaves no stone unturned – and can at least slow down the speed of the descent. The Hessians stabilized until halftime, but still went into the break with a clear 10:16. Why? Because Birlehm has a catch rate of 53 percent with 10 parades. Because Juri Knorr scores eight times and Kohlbacher can free play in the circle at will. Because Patrick Groetzki scores the goal of the month with a shot behind his back – falling and at full speed (7:11, 19th). In short: The lions are once again present in all phases of the game.
Round two begins spectacularly. Jannik Kohlbacher fires the 10:17 into the net from the turn (31st). Patrick Groetzki steals the ball from behind and casually hits it in front at full speed: 12:20 (39th). Horvat is already taking his final break (40′). Knorr doesn’t challenge that, he takes the next seven-meter throw, but fails against Till Klimpke (42′). He hits the goalkeeper on the head, not in the face – and still sees the red card. Niclas Kirkeløkke keeps the lead constant with his fourth and fifth goal (15:22, 44th and 16:23, 46th). It’s great to see that this team doesn’t let such a decision knock them down.
Wetzlar tried it with the seventh field player – and the Löwen countered with a goal from Forsell Schefvert into an empty goal (18:24, 49th). The Swede takes over from the playmaker position, Kohlbacher thinks, but makes a technical mistake. Wagner immediately shortened the lead to 20:25 (51st). Very, very important the save by Mikael Appelgren, who had just come on as a substitute, against Jonas Schelker (52′). Offensively, the lions have just lost the thread – and have to trust the cover all the more. After a miss by Schefvert and Tor Lipovina, the score is 21:25. Time for the second time out for Sebastian Hinze (55th).
Groetzki slips a pass from Albin Lagergren through his fingers. Luckily the lion captain on the other side is alert again, steals the ball and finds Schefvert (21:26, 56th). In the next attack, Groetzki does it himself: 22:27 (57th). After Apple’s second save and Kohli’s fifth goal, the game is over (22:28, 58th). The next two points on the lion’s account. So they close the first half of the season with a class balance of 27:7 points – including coming close to the best places in the LIQUI MOLY HBL.
Statistics
HSG Wetzlar: Klimpke (7 parades), Suljakovic (2 parades) – Nyfjäll (2), Lipovina (4), Nikolic, Becher (1/1), Weissgerber, Schelker (1), Wagner (1), Okpara, Mellegard (1) , Cepic, Rubin (8), Novak (4/2)
Rhein-Neckar Löwen: Appelgren (ab 50., 2 Paraden), Birlehm (10 Paraden), Späth – Zacharias, Kirkeløkke (5), Timmermeister, Knorr (9/5), Helander (2), Lagergren, Groetzki (4), Forsell Schefvert (3 ), Horžen, Gislason, Nilsson (1), Schwarzer, Kohlbacher (5)
Trainer: Hrvoje Horvat – Sebastian Hinze
referee: Adrian Kinzel & Sebastian Grobe
penalty minutes: Lipovina (2), Novak (2) – Gislason (4)
Red card: Knorr after a head hit in the seven-meter (42nd)
seven meters: 3/3 – 5/7
Penalties awarded/saved: Knorr hits the post (9′) and hits Klimpke on the head (42′)
Source: Rhein-Neckar Löwen / Photo: Vogler
