After two victories against the Swedish and French champions, EVZ is now in fifth place in the regular season table with five points. Now head coach Michael Liniger’s team is looking to score more points in front of their home crowd at the OYM hall in Zug.
After two victories in Luleå and Grenoble, EVZ is looking to impress at home as well.
CHL REGULAR SEASON TABLE
EVZ VS ERC INGOLSTADT
On Friday, September 5, ERC Ingolstadt from Bavaria will be visiting Zug. Founded in 1964, the club is only three years older than EVZ. The “Panthers” celebrated their only championship title to date in 2014, their 50th anniversary year – after finishing 9th in the qualifiers, the underdogs knocked out the traditional organizations Eisbären Berlin and Hamburg Freezers on their way to the title.
In the CHL, Ingolstadt has lost its previous games against the Finnish teams KalPa Kuopio and Ilves Tampere (with Carl Klingberg) 1-4 and 1-3 respectively, and is now desperate to pick up its first points on its Swiss trip to Zug and Lausanne. We can look forward to an intense game at the OYM hall.
«ERC Ingolstadt has had an impressive season, finishing first in the regular season before being eliminated in the semifinals. Their playing style is heavily influenced by North American ice hockey, with key players from that system. We expect a physically tough game – a real challenge for our team.»
Michael Liniger, Head Coach EVZ
Bei Ingolstadt kommt es zu einem Wiedersehen mit einem ehemaligen EVZ Spieler: Riley Sheen, der die Zuger anfangs 2024 aufgrund diverser verletzungsbedingter Ausfälle verstärkte, spielt seither bei den Deutschen. In der vergangenen Saison sammelte Sheen in 60 Partien 49 Punkte für Ingolstadt.
EVZ VS BELFAST GIANTS
The two CHL weekends will conclude on Sunday, September 7, at 2 p.m. in the OYM hall in Zug with a match between EVZ and the Belfast Giants. Two years ago, under the new CHL format, the Northern Irish team narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs, finishing just one point behind 16th place. At that time, the Giants not only beat Red Bull Salzburg in overtime, but also earned three points against HC Bolzano and Dynamo Pardubice.
The Giants have performed slightly better than Ingolstadt in this year’s campaign: The Northern Irish team managed to secure a point against Kuopio in overtime, but suffered a clear 4-7 defeat against Ilves, despite Adam Keefe’s team leading 4-3 until the 46th minute.
«Zug is one of the most consistent teams in Europe – with outstanding skill, great depth of play, and a winning mentality. They know what it takes to get results.»
Adam Keefe, Head Coach Belfast Giants
Adam Keefe has been leading the team for eight years and is constantly developing it further. As with Ingolstadt, Belfast’s playing style is strongly influenced by North American players. They have caused quite a few surprises in the CHL in the past – thanks in part to their passionate fans, who are likely to travel to Zug in large numbers.
TICKETS FOR HOME GAMES
In October, EVZ will face Lukko Rauma away at the end of the regular season and host Czech champions Kometa Brno. More information about these games will follow after the first four game days.
