The Kölner Haie lost their second home game against ERC Ingolstadt and said a disappointing goodbye to the season with an early exit from the playoffs.
The Kölner Haie were eliminated in the first round of the DEL playoffs after losing 2:4 (0:1, 1:2, 1:1) against ERC Ingolstadt on Thursday (March 14, 2024). The KEC lost the series against last year’s runner-up 1:2. Jan Nijenhus (3rd), Philipp Krauß (32nd), Casey Bailey (36th) and Brandon Kozun (60th) scored for the guests. Brady Austin (30th) and Gregor MacLeoad (42nd) were the KEC goal scorers. For the Cologne team, who wanted to finish in the top four as their goal for the season, the DEL season ends disappointingly.
DEL, Pre-Playoffs arrow right
Ingolstadt with a quick lead
Ingolstadt started the third game – like the second game – with an early goal. After 120 seconds, Nijenhuis deflected a shot from the blue line unstoppable for KEC goalkeeper Tobias Ancicka. The hosts couldn’t use the first surplus, and the guests didn’t use it either.
The Cologne team seemed a bit shocked by the deficit in the first few minutes and hardly had any dangerous scenes. Ingolstadt, on the other hand, repeatedly passed the puck dangerously in front of the goal and tried to use the shots profitably with well-positioned attackers. Shortly before the third break, things became dangerous on both sides: First Cologne’s Tim Wohlgemuth only hit the side netting, while on the other side several of Bayern’s shots failed to find the target.
Sharks unlucky, ERC efficient
In the second half of the game, the picture on the ice changed little. The game was evenly balanced, with both teams primarily trying shots from the blue line. Austin finally caused celebration in the Cologne Arena: The defender converted a good back pass in the left corner to equalize. Hope returned – but only for 80 seconds: Krauß brought the hall, which had just awakened, to silence again.
The Sharks reacted furiously and created several good chances. However, either ERC goalkeeper Michael Garteig prevented the equalizer or the shots were too inaccurate. Instead, Ingolstadt celebrated again: Bailey simply shot from an almost impossible angle and caught Ancicka, who let the disc bounce off the pad into his own goal, cold. The KEC, on the other hand, remained unlucky when Stanislav Dietz and Gregor McLeod failed to take advantage of their best opportunities.
Kozun decides the game
The game was not decided, however, because the KEC came back after just two minutes in the final third: MacLeod brought the Sharks back into the majority. Garteig then prevented the equalizer several times. This didn’t fall – and suddenly Cologne was lucky that they didn’t concede the fourth goal. But the ERC missed the great opportunity.
The hosts increased the pressure and had a lot of possession – but Bayern defended their lead cleverly and countered dangerously. No decision was made. The KEC tried everything in the last few minutes – and failed in the person of Maximilian Kammerer due to Garteig’s outstanding reaction (56th). All the effort and an additional field player didn’t help: Kozun decided the game with a shot into the empty goal 30 seconds before the end.
