Seven in one go: The Rhein-Neckar Löwen also won the seventh game of the season in the LIQUI MOLY HBL on Thursday evening. After 60 minutes, a sovereign 37:25 (22:14) home win is on the scoreboard against the badly battered and bravely selling tail light GWD Minden. As a reward, there is an exuberant party atmosphere in the Löwen-Höhle SAP Arena and the joint celebration of a perfect start to the season.
The lions are without Lukas Nilsson, David Späth and the short-term absentees Mikael Appelgren (shoulder), Philipp Ahouansou (finger) and Jannik Kohlbacher (ill). There is no sign of this on the field. Hardly six minutes are played when the yellow lead 5-0 against the guests dressed in white. Two time penalties, hitting the post and crossbar, plus two balls thrown completely past the goal: The game could hardly have started worse for GWD Minden. They manage to make it 5:3 within two minutes (9th), but then concede five Löwen goals in a row and are already 10:3 with seven goals in the chalk (13th).
After the first GWD time-out, Frank Carstens’ team managed to reduce the lead to 10:6 (16th). The lions react callously. Breakthrough Halil Jaganjac: 11:6 (17th). Parade Joel Birlehm. Extended counterattack by Olle Forsell Schefvert: 12:6. parade Birlehm. Dream combination Löwen via Juri Knorr and Albin Lagergren to Patrick Groetzki: 13:6 (19th). Nothing fazes this team that easily. Especially since the change is sitting. Ymir Örn Gislason relieves Kristjan Horžen and scores twice. Niclas Kirkeløkke comes on for Lagergren and makes four stalls in just under seven minutes. At the end of an all-round successful first half, it is 22:14 for the RNL.
To the chanting of the euphoric Löwen fans, Forsell Schefvert flies to the first Löwen goal of the second half (23:15, 32nd). Horžen takes a penalty and a time penalty, Uwe Gensheimer comes off the bench to make it 25:16 (35th). Minden keeps his heads up. Niclas Pieczkowski from the back and Mats Korte from the outside send signs of life. The East Westphalians have problems mainly in defence, where they can’t find a remedy against the extremely variable Lions, neither in the speed nor in the tied game. After all: At 26:19, the Minden team are on seven goals instead of falling behind by two figures (41st).
One factor at GWD is Malte Semisch. In the 42nd minute he bought a seven-metre throw from Gensheimer, made 11 saves and had a rate of almost 30 percent. After the 11th Birlehm parade and the seventh Gensheimer goal, it’s in double digits for the first time (29:19, 45th). Knorr gets through to his seventh goal: 30:19 (47th). For a long time now it has only been about the amount of the lion’s home win or damage limitation on the part of GWD. The ex-Mindener Birlehm has something against more Minden hits. After his 13th save, the Löwen can pull away to ten again (32:23), but Gensheimer makes a technical mistake and Timo Stoyke shortens the lead (32:24, 53rd).
In the final minutes, Löwen coach Hinze made a number of changes, including two boys from the Löwen youth team, Robert Timmermeister and Niklas Michalski. The rest is show running in front of an enthusiastic crowd of fans towards the seventh win of the season in the seventh game.
The statistics
Rhein-Neckar Löwen: Birlehm (14 Parade), Grupe (ab 57.) – Gensheimer (7/2), Kirkeløkke (5), Timmermeister (1), Knorr (9/1), Helander (1), Lagergren (1), Groetzki ( 3), Forsell Schefvert (2), Michalski (1), Horžen (2), Gislason (3), Jaganjac (2)
GWD Minden: Semisch (13 saves), Grabitz, Shamir – Janke (1), Jungmann, Fenske, Korte (3), Pieczkowski (5), Staar (3), Teuteberg, Sebetic (2), Mattausch, Urban (2), Darmoul (7), Stoyke (2)
Trainer: Sebastian Hinze – Frank Carstens
referee: Lucas Hellbusch & Darnel Jansen
Viewers: 3703
penalty minutes: Gensheimer (2), Helander (2) – Darmoul (2), Stoyke (4), Urban (2), Sebetic (2), Staar (2)
seven meters: 3/4
Source: Rhein-Neckar Löwen / Photo: Binder
