Second game, second clear defeat: The new national ice hockey coach Harold Kreis is still waiting for his first sense of achievement in his dream job.
In the second duel with the twelve-time world champion Czech Republic, the selection of the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) lost 1:5 (0:1, 0:1, 1:3). Two days after the 2: 6 in Kassel at the start of the World Cup preparations, the district team in Frankfurt again showed themselves to be vulnerable on the defensive and not consistent enough in the end.
Jakub Flek (2nd), David Tomasek (36th), Filip Chlapik (47th), Radan Lenc (49th) and Ondrej Beranek (59th) scored the goals for the World Cup third in front of 5108 spectators. For the DEB selection, in which the players from the DEL semi-finalists and possible reinforcements from the NHL were still missing, only Dominik Bokk from Frankfurt scored (55th).
In the German goal, Berlin’s Tobias Ancicka got a chance. The 22-year-old experienced an unfortunate start on his debut in the A-Team: he deflected the first shot on goal right in front of Flek’s feet, who hit the post – the puck from Ancicka’s skid slipped over the line.
Also thanks to the goalie, the DEB selection came out of the first third without further damage, although they were clearly overwhelmed by the playing class and the pace of the Czechs. The Straubinger Parker Tuomie only had the first real chance to score 25 seconds before the end of the third.
Germany more aggressive in the second round
In the second round, the German team went to work much more aggressively and fought their way into the game. But there was nothing countable, also because Tuomie failed to go it alone when outnumbered (36th). Seconds later, Tomasek poked the disc over the line on the other side.
The preparations continue with two games against Austria next Thursday (7.30 p.m.) in Deggendorf and on Saturday (5 p.m./both MagentaSport) in Landshut. Then the losers of the DEL semi-finals should also join. After two games in Slovakia, the team should be as complete as possible for the World Cup dress rehearsal on May 9 in Munich against the USA – with the national players from the finalists Red Bull Munich and ERC Ingolstadt as well as North American professionals.
Kreis, who played eight World Cup tournaments and two Olympic Games as a player, will start his first world championship as national coach on May 12 in Tampere against Sweden. The other preliminary round opponents are Finland, the USA, Denmark, Austria, Hungary and France.
