The FASS Berlin team won the championship in the Ice Hockey Regional League East for the first time on Thursday evening in Chemnitz with a 4-1 win. In front of around 1,200 fans, including a group from the capital, coach Christopher Scholz’s team celebrated their biggest triumph since the title in the Regionalliga Nord in 1981.
After the 5-4 win in game one, the Wedding team showed a consistently concentrated performance against the Chemnitz Crashers and consistently extended their lead to 3-0 by the 35th minute with goals from Felix Braun (2) and Markus Babinsky.
“We not only played our best away game of the season in Chemnitz, but our best game in a long time,” said coach Scholz afterwards. In contrast to the two previous games, the North Berliners didn’t get off track even after the hosts’ quick 1:3 lead. Eric Steffen, who has only been back in action since last Sunday, showed a strong performance in goal. “Our team played very good, confident ice hockey,” said Scholz.
Captain Tom Fiedler, who made it 4-1 in the 44th minute, said that “the pure will to win, strong outnumbered play and scoring the goals at the right moments” were the decisive factors for the victory been. “I’m just proud of this team. We have grown together as a unit, as a family,” said the 38-year-old on Friday in a slightly thick voice.
It’s nice to know that you don’t always just come second.
Tom Fiedlercaptain of FASS Berlin.
“It’s nice to know that you don’t always just come second,” said the ex-polar bear, who is not yet thinking about ending his career, given his semi-final elimination last year and runner-up finish two years ago. “The certainty of having won a championship in the third third of your career is something special.”
Head coach Scholz also highlighted the team spirit of FASS Berlin in the 2023/24 season and answered the question about the most important player: “Overall, the MVP is the whole team.”
After their girls’ championship title in the 1st Women’s League North/East, FASS can now celebrate twice at the end of the season.
However, a promotion of the championship men’s team is not an issue for the Wedding team. “FASS Berlin will also play in the Regionalliga East next season. The economic gap to the top league is – at least at the moment – simply too big. The Oberliga is now a fully professional league, while our players play the sport alongside their job, training, university or school,” said club chairman Lucien Aicher. “We continue to see a lot of potential in the Regionalliga East, are proud of our sporting homeland and look forward to further success.”