Eisbären need shootout to defeat Ice Tigers
The Eisbären Berlin the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers 3-2 in the shootout. “It is a good feeling to win at least 2 points out off 3”, game winning shootout scorer Matt Foy commented. “I am happy to be back in the lineup. We worked hard the whole game. The upcoming three road games are a good test for the playoffs and a good bound for the team”.
The home team needed quite a while to find some twine. After a scoreless first period Antti Miettinen opened the scoring four minutes into the second. Florian Busch started a counter-attack in the home´s defensive zone and carried it over the blue line. Miettinen received his set up just after entering the zone. His high snapper beat Nuremberg´s netminder Andreas Jenike on his glove side (04:00). The guest´s tried to react immediately but couldn´t find any crucial answers.
Berlin´s goaltender Petri Vehanen got lucky midway through the third when Patick Reimer´s slap shot hit the left post at 08:30. The home team augmented the lead instead. With Ice Tiger Marius Möchel serving a minor penalty for tripping T. J. Mulock made it a two goal game. Goalie Jenike didn´t block Frank Hördler´s slap shot properly. The puck slipped him through the pads lying free in the goal crease behind him. Mulock reacted quickly and tipped it in (10:50). But the game wasn´t over yet. The guest´s find some crucial answers scoring twice in a span of 57 seconds. The referees´ called a tripping penalty on Jimmy Sharrow at 15:12. Standing at the point Patrick Reimer had some time to aim his shooting. Vehanen did not have any chances to interfere with his well aimed hammer right under the crossbar (16:24). The ice Tigers had the momentum and used it tremendously. Only 57 seconds later the scoring was equalized at 2. Yasin Ehliz made a big forechecking play intercepting a build-up pass at the back boards. Steven Reinprecht tied it at 2 by beating Vehanen with a one-timer into the right angle with 02:39 remaining in regulation. At the end Matt Foy was the hero. He converted his shootout impressively and won the extra point for his team.
Ken Frege