“Very positive development”: Berlin’s para ice hockey team loses – and is still satisfied

On Sunday morning, shortly after ten o’clock, the loudspeakers of the P09 ice rink on Glockenturmstraße rang out: “The game is over, Berlin narrowly loses 6-1 to Freiburg.” And the words of the stadium announcer were not a little serious, although according to the time of day, his moderation was more like that of a radio comedy morning show. The players from Para-Eishockey-Club Berlin were still able to claim this result as a success, as they had lost 2:10 against EHC Freiburg in the last main round game a month ago.

Player Willi Struwe had already given a similar result as a goal for the game for fifth place before the final weekend of the German Para-Ice Hockey League (DPEL). “If we don’t lose in double digits and score a goal ourselves, then we’ll be happy.” His captain Marco Stolp summed up the game afterwards in this spirit, but would have liked to have achieved an even better result. “The first and the last period were equal, in the middle period we lost the game,” said Stolp. The 31-year-old scored the consolation goal with his goal in the 40th minute: “I saw that the goalkeeper went down, but the disc was clear behind him and then just poked. It wasn’t a pretty goal, more of a fighting goal. A gate of will.”

Final in Berlin

He had previously shot twice over the Freiburg box, and the keeper made a save once. Willi Struwe also missed a huge chance and was so annoyed afterwards that he threw away his bat and gloves. When he got off the ice, though, he was grinning broadly again. He too was satisfied with the game and, like the captain, agreed with the first season as an independent club. “We still have to get used to each other a little more, but otherwise I see our development very, very positively,” said Stolp and added a small appeal. “It would be nice if we could win two or three more players.”

In the final of the German championship in para ice hockey, the Ice Lions Hannover defeated the Dresden Ice Lions 10:7 after the Berlin game. In this gripping match, the lead changed hands several times. In the end, national player Felix Schrader decided the game almost single-handedly with his eight goals.

The new season starts in October. The season finale of the DPEL 2023/24 is to take place in Berlin again. Then the boards and penalty boxes that were converted for the para ice hockey players could finally be used in a championship. The ice rink in Charlottenburg was equipped and converted for this a few years ago for the World Cup.