Ice hockey leader

Five times behind? 99ers as “comeback monster”

There will be cheering in the bunker.(Bild: GEPA)

Successful comeback! The 99ers ice hockey cracks from Graz turned around a 0:2 deficit against Innsbruck and defended their top position in the Ice Hockey League. Harry Lange's squad showed heart, morale and a lot of fighting spirit - not for the first time this season.

"Our bunker, our bunker, hey!" chanted the 99ers fans. They have something to celebrate again in Graz. A team that delivers spectacle.

That looked very different after six minutes of play. The Styrians played strongly right from the start. But Klassek and Mackin put their opponents Innsbruck 2:0 in front with a double strike within 14 seconds. It was the fifth time (in seven games this season) that Graz had fallen behind in a league game. But shock paralysis? Or even a relapse into old patterns? No way!

Because anyone who thought that the team from Murstadt would be shipwrecked afterwards had to reckon without the new 99ers captain Korbinian Holzer: Instead of steering the Graz steamship against the iceberg, the ex-NHL crack peppered the puck into the goal at the start of the middle third to make it 1:2 (22'). Graz goalscorer Rok Ticar (37) and Trevor Gooch (44) then turned the game around in a hot dance in front of 2,396 spectators. 3:2 - this is what makes ice hockey fun!

Of course, not all that glitters is gold. But a lot is already good. We're already a dominant team, the squad has a good character.

99ers-Headcoach Harry Lange

Even though Lange's team fought for a long time, you never really thought that Graz could lose this game. Not even when the 99ers players were repeatedly penalized. This team has too much class and exudes too much confidence. More chances, more playing time. The shooting ratio? 45 to 27. It's becoming increasingly clear that the new motto in Graz is: A real Graz team never goes down. Backlogs or not. Ganahl and Co. celebrated their sixth win in their seventh game.

99ers coach Harry Lange(Bild: GEPA)

"We conceded two stupid goals at the start, but we came back. That speaks for the great morale in this team," applauded captain Holzer. "We now have 19 points - and we're still a long way from where we can and want to be. There's still more to do." An announcement!

"Of course, not all that glitters is gold," says coach Harry Lange, despite leading the table. "But a lot is already good. We're already a dominant team and the squad has good character." The next tough test awaits on Sunday: away in Ljubljana.