The EHC Klostersee ice hockey club is about to celebrate its greatest success in the past seven years. In the last game of the season, Grafinger can manage to return to the third-highest German division, the Oberliga Süd. In 2016, after the club filed for bankruptcy, the first team of the EHC was downgraded from the upper league to the lowest league. Now only one last victory is missing for the big comeback.
In the promotion final of the regional league between the most prominent sports team in the Ebersberg district and TEV Miesbach, the best-of-three series will be decided on Tuesday evening. The Miesbach team won game one in Grafing 3-1. On Sunday evening in Miesbach, the Klosterseer were able to win an away win and equalize the series. In the end it was 6:2 for the EHC.
Coach Dominic Quinlan’s team presented themselves better in Miesbach than they did in game one two days earlier. However, the opponent scored the first goal. One of the few Miesbacher attacks up to that point led to the 0:1 in the eleventh minute. The equalizer came after a long-range shot by Yannick Kischer, which Simon Roeder deflected untenably (19′).
The Grafinger club is currently lacking a lot of money for the actual return to the Oberliga
The start of the second period: Grafinger scored twice within 63 seconds. Lynnden Pastachak, who returned after surviving a gastrointestinal infection, made it 2-1 and prepared the 3-1 through Nicolai Quinlan with a majority. The Miesbachers had their difficulties with the newly formed offensive formation of Pastachak, Florian Engel and Bob Wren, who contributed a total of four goals. Engel scored 4:1 in the 39th and 5:1 in the 54th minute. The 2:5 by Miesbach’s Christoph Fischhaber (56th) was countered by Nicolai Quinlan with the final score of 6:2 two minutes before the end.
The decisive game three will now be played on Tuesday in the Grafinger Eisstadion, starting at 8 p.m. The winner of this game is sportingly eligible for promotion to the Oberliga Süd. However, more would be needed for this.
In order to be included in the third division, you need a budget that is far above that of Grafinger. “You need a huge budget for the Oberliga,” explained EHC board member Sascha Kaefer in a conversation on Monday. The Grafingers currently have a season budget of 200,000 euros, half of which is planned for the first team. For comparison: “Third division team Rosenheim has 2.5 million for their first team, which is a good twenty times ours.” According to reports, considerable financial support is needed, for example through sponsors or other investments.
For the Bavarian League Cup 2022, the Klostersers now have to win this last home win. “It means a lot for the boys,” says Sascha Kaefer, “they’ve been wishing for years that they could hold the trophy in their hands.” He expects “a highly exciting and dramatic game”. The EHC and Miesbach are on an equal footing. “Both teams deserved to take the trophy home,” said Kaefer.
So far this season: 3:2 for Grafing. Second small plus for the EHC: Compared to the first final home game, Grafing can count on winger Lynnden Pastachak again on Tuesday.