Hvis der var én kamp, Herlev Eagles havde brug for at vinde, var det fredagens lokalopgør mod Rødovre Mighty Bulls. Eagles kom ind i kampen efter en stribe nederlag, men med historikken på deres side: De havde vundet de seneste 14 opgør mod Rødovre.
1.740 tilskuere fyldte tribunerne i Martinsen Arena, og bilerne holdt parkeret hele vejen rundt om blokken. De fik, hvad de kom for. Herlev vandt 4-1.
Eagles manglede fortsat backen Marius Kring Andersen, der har misset fire kampe med en overkropsskade, siden han blev skadet i hjemmekampen mod Odense den 20. september. Han er ude fra uge til uge, oplyser sportschef Guillaume Doucet. Den unge back Oliver Kristensen var på bænken, men kom ikke i spil. “Det er sjældent, at man får brug for otte backer i en kamp,” siger Doucet.
Herlev mistede også Gustav Green tidligt i første periode efter et hårdt sammenstød. Han blev hjulpet af isen og vendte ikke tilbage. “Det kan se voldsomt ud, når det sker. Han kan vågne i morgen og have det fint, så det er svært at sige,” siger Doucet. Green skal testes søndag.
“Vi ville kæmpe for ham,” siger angriberen David Karlström. Rødovre kom foran sent i første periode, da Matthew Kopperud scorede efter 19:07. Tidligt i anden periode troede Herlev, at de havde udlignet, da Isac Jonsson ramte overliggeren, men efter gennemsyn blev det vurderet, at pucken ikke var over stregen, og målet blev annulleret. Endnu en af aftenens mange nærved-situationer.
Udligningen kom efter 29:59. Karlström fik pucken bag målet og spillede væggen med Victor Cubars. “En rigtig god aflevering fra ham, og så skulle jeg bare sætte den ind,” siger han. Mens Herlevs overtal gik 0 ud af 4, var boxplayet fejlfrit. Eagles dræbte begge Rødovres overtal og holdt pucken i den anden ende, og når Rødovre kom igennem, stod Alexander Hellnemo klar. Han reddede 16 af 17 skud.
I tredje periode kom gennembruddet. Cubars bragte Eagles foran 2-1 efter 45:31 på oplæg fra Charlie Curti, og Oliver True øgede til 3-1 efter 50:19.“Vi havde mange chancer og mange skud på mål, men også et stort cadeau til deres målmand. Han stod virkelig godt,” siger True. "Det var rart endelig at få hul på bylden og få lukket kampen."
For Cubars, der var holdets topscorer og pointkonge sidste sæson, var sejrsmålet en kærkommen tilbagevenden på måltavlen. “Det har været lidt sværere her i starten, fordi vi ikke lige har haft det kørende for holdet. Det er dejligt at kunne få nogle point på tavlen,” siger han.
Backen Karl Falk efterlod blod på isen efter et sammenstød med holdkammeraten Oskar Just og Rødovres Frederick Amondsen. Han var tilbage inden periodens udløb og fik en assist, da Isac Göransson satte 4-1 i et tomt mål efter 57:03.
Forskellen lå ifølge spillerne i nærkampene. “Det er ikke fordi, vi har spillet dårligt i de andre kampe. Vi har bare ikke haft de sidste procenter og har tabt for mange nærkampe,” siger Cubars. “I dag vandt vi flere, end vi tabte, og vi spillede mere simpelt.” True er enig. “Vi var tættere som hold. Vi var ikke så spændt ud på banen. Vi vandt mange af nærkampene og de løse pucke.”
Assistenttræner Kim Staal er mere afdæmpet, når det gælder de 60 minutter. “Der er ikke noget hold, man kan dominere i 60 minutter,” siger han. “Men der var bare de der fem procent mere saft og kraft. Alle drengene skal være stolte af deres indsats.”
True havde også en hilsen til de fans, der fyldte arenaen. “Tusind tak for opbakningen. Det er fantastisk at se så mange fremmødte, også selv om vi har haft en lidt svær start på sæsonen. Det giver lige et ekstra gear.”
Hvis fredagens sejr viste tre ting, var det holdets vedholdenhed, stædighed og evne til at slide modstanderen ned. Kampen startede med et slag mod opstillingen, og flere kæder trådte i karakter og viste, hvorfor de hører til, hvor de er.
Nu håber Herlev, at sejren kan bære dem videre. “Jeg håber selvfølgelig, at det giver lidt blod på tanden,” siger True. “Det er de her små marginaler, vi håber, vi kan vippe til vores side.”
Eagles møder SønderjyskE mandag i Sydjysk Sparekasse Arena i V ojens. Kampen kan streames på DirekteSport, og kampreferatet bliver lagt op her bagefter. Følg Eagles på Instagram på @herleveagles for interviews før kampene, indhold bag kulisserne og nyheder fra holdet.
English:
Blood on the Ice: Herlev Give Rødovre Everything
Attendance: 1,740
By Malin McKay
If there was a game Herlev Eagles needed to win, it was Friday night against local rivals Rødovre Mighty Bulls. The Eagles came in on a run of losses, but with history on their side: they had won all of their previous 14 meetings with Rødovre.
A crowd of 1,740 packed the stands at Martinsen Arena, with cars parked all the way around the block, and they got what they came for. Herlev won 4-1. It wasn't until the third that the pieces finally connected.
The Eagles were still without defenseman Marius Kring Andersen, who has missed four games with an upper-body injury since he was hurt in the home game against Odense on September 20. He is week to week, according to General Manager Guillaume Doucet. Young defenseman Oliver Kristensen was on the bench but didn't dress. "It is rare that you need eight defensemen in this game," Doucet said.
Herlev also lost Gustav Green early in the first period after a hard collision. He was helped off the ice and didn't return. “The impact can look scary when it happens. He could wake up tomorrow and feel great, so it is tough to know,” Doucet said. Green will be tested on Sunday.
“We wanted to fight for him,” forward David Karlström said. Rødovre took the lead late in the first, when Matthew Kopperud scored at 19:07. Early in the second, Herlev thought they had equalized when Isac Jonsson's shot hit the crossbar, but after review the puck was ruled not to have crossed the line, and the goal was called off. It was another near-miss on a night full of them.
The equalizer came at 29:59. Karlström picked up the puck behind the net and played a give-and-go with Victor Cubars. “Really good pass from him, and I just put it in,” he said.
While Herlev's power play went 0 for 4, the penalty kill was perfect. The Eagles killed off both Rødovre power plays and kept the puck in the other end, and when Rødovre did get through, Alexander Hellnemo was there. He stopped 16 of 17 shots.
In the third, Herlev broke through. Cubars put the Eagles ahead 2-1 at 45:31, assisted by Charlie Curti, and Oliver True made it 3-1 at 50:19. “It was nice to finally break through and close out the game,” True said. “Their goalie stood really well, but we had a lot of chances and a lot of shots on goal.”For Cubars, who led the team in goals and points last season, the winning goal was a welcome return to the scoresheet. “It's been a bit harder at the start, because things haven't quite been working for the team. It's nice to be able to put some points on the board,” he said.
Defenseman Karl Falk left blood on the ice after a collision with teammate Oskar Just and Rødovre's Frederick Amondsen. He was back before the period ended, and he picked up an assist when Isac Göransson made it 4-1 into an empty net at 57:03.
The difference, according to the players, was in the battles. “It's not that we played badly in the other games. We just haven't had those last few percent, and we've lost too many battles,” Cubars said. “Today we won more than we lost, and we played simpler.” True agreed. “We were tighter as a team. We weren't as spread out on the ice. We won a lot of the battles and the loose pucks.”
Assistant coach Kim Staal was more measured about the 60-minute question. “There's no team you can dominate for 60 minutes,” he said. “But there was just that extra five percent of juice and power. All the boys should be proud of their effort.”
True also had a message for the fans who filled the arena. “Thank you so much for the support. It's fantastic to see so many people here, even though we've had a bit of a tough start to the season. It gives us an extra gear.”
If Friday's win showed three things, it was the team's tenacity, its persistence and its ability to wear an opponent down. The game started with a blow to the lineup, and several lines stepped up to show why they belong where they are.
For now, Herlev can hope the win will carry them forward. “Of course I hope it gives us a taste for more,” True said. “These small margins are what we hope we can tip our way.”
The Eagles face SønderjyskE on Monday at Sydjysk Sparekasse Arena in V ojens. The game can be streamed on DirekteSport, and the game summary will be posted here afterwards. For pregame interviews, behind-the-scenes content and team news, follow the Eagles on Instagram at @herleveagles.