Elbflorenz step up a gear before half-time: a convincing home win against spirited Ludwighafen

The key lay in efficiency. The home side converted 69 per cent of their shots, whilst the visitors managed just 57 per cent. Added to this was the goalkeepers’ performance: Mallwitz made 13 saves and, with a save percentage of just under 42 per cent, saved significantly more shots than the two Eulen goalkeepers combined. Mallwitz himself described just how closely defence and goalkeeping worked together: “When you’re faced with predictable shots rather than ones that come out of nowhere, so that you as a goalkeeper can position yourself well, then you can really capitalise on that.”

Added to this was the depth of the Dresden squad: twelve different scorers shared the 38 goals, led by Dominik Skopár with six goals from the right wing and Julius Dierberg, who also scored six times and confidently converted all three of his seven-metre throws. For the visitors, Kian Schwarzer was the standout performer: seven goals, including four from the seven-metre line. Bruno Eickhoff made an immediate impact on his competitive debut after a long injury lay-off, scoring four goals.

Both teams got off to a nervous start; Ludwigshafen adopted a very physical approach in defence and took the lead through Alexander Falk. Until the midway point of the first half, it remained a closely contested match, with the visitors taking the lead on several occasions and Dresden responding each time. This phase was overshadowed by an injury to Friedrich Schmitt, who twisted his ankle unluckily following a routine challenge and was unable to return to the pitch.

After the score reached 13:13 in the 26th minute, the phase that defined the match began. Elbflorenz scored five times in a row, capitalising on turnovers to create quick-fire finishes, and went into the break leading 18:13. After the break, both goalkeepers put in strong performances initially, but the hosts remained more patient in attack and pulled away to 23:14 by the 36th minute. Michael Haas responded with time-outs and tactical changes, trying a seven-against-six formation and later a 5:1 defence, but the deficit remained.

Bruno Eickhoff identified the problems after the match: “We played well for the first 25 minutes and showed what we’re capable of. Then we lost our way a bit, made overly simple technical errors and gave Dresden the chance to do what they do best: play at a fast pace.” Seven more turnovers than their opponents ultimately proved decisive.

In the closing stages, when Dresden were well ahead at 35:20 and were rotating their squad heavily, the visitors still managed to score a few goals and kept the final minutes evenly balanced. Despite the clear victory, Mallwitz saw room for improvement: “First of all, I’m glad we’ve got two points. And I’m pleased that we won by a relatively clear margin, although as a team we have to be honest: in terms of the goal difference, we could have done a bit better.”

Elbflorenz’s next match is on Friday, 23 October, away at TuS Ferndorf – a fixture Mallwitz approached with respect: “Playing away at Ferndorf is always special. There’s always a very special atmosphere in the hall, which can affect you, even if you don’t want it to.” Ludwigshafen continue their run of away fixtures on Saturday 24 October at VfL Lübeck-Schwartau.

HC Elbflorenz 2006 - Eulen Ludwigshafen 38:28 (18:13)

HC Elbflorenz 2006: Mallwitz (13 Saves), Cantegrel (1 Saves); Dierberg 6/3, Skopár 6, Löser 5, Norberg 4, Stavast 3, Gress 3, Preußner 3, Meyer-Siebert 2, Seidler 2, Thümmler 2, Bláha 1, Fuhrmann 1, Bensch, Aktas

Eulen Ludwigshafen: Boieck (5 Saves), Wenning (4 Saves); Schwarzer 7/4, Falk 4, Eickhoff 4, Leun 3, Menges 2, Straub 2, Bösing 2, Bülow 1, Kleinsteuber 1, Ilic 1, Schmitt 1, Eisel, Waldvogel, Daniel

Top Player: Marino Mallwitz (HPI 89) / Kian Schwarzer (HPI 90)
Attendance: 1804 (BallsportArena Dresden)
Suspensions: 1 / 0

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