EPPELHEIM, 15 November- It was a night of many firsts for the new Vikings White as they took on Schorle Adler 2 at Icehouse Eppelheim. Arne Gälster scored the team’s first goal, Ellis Trimner took the first penalty, and Mark Waldecker’s strong performance in net earned him the first “Viking of the Game” honor.
As the team lined up for the opening puck drop, the energy was palpable. The anticipation was over. Both teams were flying in the first period, but Adler generated the majority of scoring chances. Waldecker stood tall as he turned away shot after shot, giving the new team time to establish their game. However, in the closing minutes of the first, Adler found the back of the net. The first period ended with the Vikings down 1-0.
The second period looked to be a continuation of the first. Adler peppered the Vikings’ goal and scored their second of the night 11 minutes in. But only a few shifts later, good defensive play and a quick transition left only the opposing goaltender between Gälster and the net. Gälster made no mistake as he deked the goalie and backhanded it top shelf making it a one goal game. Frank Thomason and Carsten Hauswirth collected their first assists of the season.
The Vikings buzzed after their opening goal, but in the end couldn’t get another past the Adler netminder. Klaus Lugoja and Lukas Alsbach had multiple high-danger chances turned away. Special teams played a special role in the final two periods. The Vikings killed off every opposing powerplay including a 5-on-3, but surrendered a short-handed goal in the third.
Despite the best efforts of Waldecker and the defenders in front of him, the Vikings fell to Schorle Adler 5-1. After the game, the team was in good spirits. With a lot to work on, but also a lot to be proud of, Vikings White look forward to taking the ice against the Tower Warriors in Mannheim this Sunday, 19 November.
