Bison stage an exhilarating climax for the finale
In a tense encounter at the home venue of the Pforzheim Bisons, both teams fought hard for the crucial points that could determine their fate in the upcoming Regionalliga season. The Bisons, champions of the 2017/18 Landesliga, and runners-up EHC Freiburg 1b, were locked in a battle that would define their positions in the next tier of the German ice hockey league system.
The game commenced with Vladimir Viller scoring the opening goal for the Bisons within the first 38 seconds, setting the tone for an electrifying match. The Bisons maintained their lead until the end of the first period, with the score standing at 1:0 in their favour.
However, the Freiburgers equalized just one minute later through Dan-Julian Zehner, taking control of the middle period. The Bisons were penalized three times in quick succession during this period, but managed to hold their ground. Despite Timo Linsenmaier missing the best chance for Freiburg to take the lead, hitting the post, and Marco Schultis having a good chance to give Freiburg the lead, but being saved by the Bisons' goalkeeper, the score remained 1:1 at the end of the second period.
The third period saw both teams pushing for the winning goal, with Steffen Bischoff having a chance to score a second goal for the Bisons, but Constantin Haas preventing it. Three minutes before the break, a Freiburg player was sent to the penalty box for four minutes, providing the Bisons with an opportunity to regain the lead. Six seconds before the break, Sergej Wittmann equalized for the Bisons, securing a 2:1 lead.
The game went into a thrilling shootout, with Andreas Hellweger standing between the pipes for the Bisons. In the end, it was Timo Linsenmaier who secured the first lead for EHC Freiburg 1b, taking the extra point and ensuring their promotion to the Regionalliga.
The outcome of the match was indeed relevant for promotion, as both teams were competing for a spot in the Regionalliga. With these two points, EHC Freiburg 1b is now level on points with the Ice Bears, who are the current leaders of the Regionalliga.
The Pforzheim Bisons, despite their loss, can take solace in their successful season, having celebrated with their fans, especially the fan club "Puck Pirates", and are now on summer break, with planning for the upcoming season to start. The new season is expected to start in October.
Interestingly, the sale of the ice rink to Brauhaus Pforzheim GmbH guarantees ice sports for at least ten years, ensuring that both teams will continue to have a home ground for their future matches. The game was played on Sunday in front of 400 spectators.
In the end, it was EHC Freiburg 1b who emerged victorious, winning the championship and promoting to the Regionalliga, having narrowly won the direct comparison against the Balingers. The Regionalliga promises to be an exciting new chapter for both teams, as they compete against some of the best ice hockey clubs in Germany.
The thrilling encounter between Pforzheim Bisons and EHC Freiburg 1b was a crucial NHL-style battle, as both teams fought hard for points that could determine their promotion to the Regionalliga. Despite Vladimir Viller's early goal, the Bisons lost the match in a shootout, with Timo Linsenmaier securing the victory for EHC Freiburg 1b, ensuring their promotion to the higher tier of German ice hockey leagues, also known as hockey sports.
