On a delightful Friday evening, the dedicated supporters of the polar bears and the bears themselves indulged in a nostalgic evening. The event was a special one, marking the 30th anniversary of the noteworthy German Ice Hockey League (DEL). The celebration was participated by the Berliners as well as the guests from Augsburg. Both groups being among the five founding members of the DEL, they decided to add a touch of nostalgia by dressing up on the so-called retro game day in jerseys that were designed to closely resemble the model from the 1994 /1995 season.
The head coach, Serge Aubin, along with his coaching colleagues decided to break their usual elegant game day outfits and instead sported college jackets. The players, on the other hand, did not do their usual skate through an inflatable polar bear head onto the ice. Instead, they opted for a simple 2D model. Adding a twist to the event, instead of the classic polar bear, the main sponsor’s yellow Gasag bear slid across the ice.
From a sporting perspective, all the supporters of the polar bears were probably delighted to be present in the here and now. The Berliners marked the end of the premiere season at the 17th place. After defeating the Panthers with a score of 6:3 (2:1, 3:1, 1:1) in another packed arena accommodating 14,200 spectators, they managed to continue leading the table, leaving Bremerhaven behind.
Thomas Schemitsch, a defender who made his debut for the Eisbären immediately after his signing, gave a convincing performance, despite playing his first league game in the season. When his defense partner Julian Melchiori (8th) scored to make it 2-0, following Leo Pföderl’s opening goal (2nd), the Canadian was able to enter the scorer’s list as a preparer. By the first break, the score was 2-1 due to Thomas Trevelyan’s goal just 27 seconds later.
Three goals scored within a minute
The previous year had both teams engaged in a fierce exchange in the fight to stay in the league. The current season displays a stark difference. While the Eisbären are playing towards the end of the main round of the league, the Swabians, as the bottom of the table, are once again in a sporting battle for survival. The mood among the traveling supporters was understandably ecstatic when Moritz Elias managed to equalize after half an hour.
The polar bears’ response was swift and decisive. Only 32 seconds passed before Jonas Müller regained the lead for the hosts. Just another 27 seconds later, Melchiori, who had not scored a single goal this season before this game, made his mark. An early decision was made by Leo Pföderl, who also scored for the second time in the 5:2 (17th minute) and thereby contributing to four of Berlin’s six goals.
Chris Collins scored Augsburg’s third goal of the evening (45th). However, the Berliners held their ground and refused to let anything go wrong, even though Frederik Tiffels and Yannick Veilleux had to bear witness after they exchanged intense disagreements with opponents in the 3-0 defeat in Schwenningen on Tuesday. Lean Bergmann set the final score to 6:3 four minutes before the final siren.
In spite of a minor disturbance when Patrice Cormier received a game-time disciplinary penalty for being hit with a stick, the overall atmosphere remained harmonious. The audience on Remembrance Day thoroughly enjoyed the here and now to the fullest.
