Erlangen draw with Minden

After winning a point in Lemgo, HC Erlangen captured another vital one in their home game against TSV GWD Minden. The team of Head Coach Adalsteinn Eyjolfsson drew 26:26 with the visitors from Eastern Westphalia and showed a strong improvement in its play, especially in offense.

Going into the encounter, Adalsteinn Eyolfsson had said that he hoped his team would carry over the momentum of the last 20 minutes in Lemgo’s Lipperlandhalle arena. HC Erlangen began unchanged and got off to a decent start. The offensive ranks dictated the encounter in the opening 20 minutes and the lead changed hands by the minute. Christoph Steinert, who has been in outstanding form for weeks, gave his team a 2-goal lead for the first time with well-considered long-distance shots and penalties from the seven-meter spot. Nico Büdel, who took over in the playmaker position after 20 minutes, put HC Erlangen into a good position for the second half at the break.

When the teams came back on court, the home side was able to step up a gear. Fired on by its fans, the first-division club from Franconia always kept the visitors from Minden at arm’s length and, building on a steady defense, stretched its lead to four goals. However, Minden then got into the game much better, turned the game around within a short space of time and, with five minutes remaining, looked like it would run out winners. Like in Lemgo a week ago, HC Erlangen again fought fiercely to avert the impending defeat, forgot the setback and struck back again to capture another draw. Shortly before the end, the home side even had the chance to keep both points in Nuremberg.