GARMISCH-PARTENKIRSCHEN, Germany -- On Feb. 12-14, the Bayern Rangers hockey team returned to the Olympic Stadium, here, to defend their reigning title as champions at the 23rd Annual Military Ice Hockey Championships.
The title slipped away from the Rangers this year as they nabbed second place in the tournament, while the Kaiserslautern Military Community Eagles took home the trophy in an undefeated run.
The Rangers brought their A and B teams to the tournament, playing a total of 11 hockey games in a field of 14 teams representing military communities in Germany, Italy and England. In the competitive division, the defending champion Bayern Rangers placed 2nd, and in the recreational division the Bayern Rangers B-team made it to the semi-finals placing 3rd.
On the first day of the championship, both Bayern Rangers squads got off to a great start. The B-team goalie, Kris Seibt, posted two shutouts against Stuttgart 2 in a 6-0 win and Wiesbaden 2 in a 2-0 win. The A-team goalie, Bill Coolbaugh, also posted a shutout in an 8-0 win against Spangdahlem.
To close out the opening day's games, Bayern 1 defeated Stuttgart 7-2 in a chippy, spirited tilt. By remaining undefeated, the Bayern B-team won their pool and earned a bye in the first round of the tournament's elimination bracket.
The next day, Bayern 1 matched up against KMC Eagles 1 in perhaps the most anticipated game of the tournament. In the final 90 seconds of the game, the Rangers trailing 3-4, pulled their goalie and put immense pressure on the KMC defenders.
Despite the big offensive push, the Eagles managed to hold on and win by one goal.
Later that afternoon, the Bayern Rangers B-team, in a win or go home situation, soundly beat the Wiesbaden 3 team 9-1. This put both teams into the mix for Saturday's quarter and semi-final games.
On the final day of play, the Bayern Rangers A and B teams both started with impressive wins. Posting a convincing win over Stuttgart 2, the Rangers earned a spot in the B division semi-finals and a rematch with Wiesbaden 2.
Bayern B finished up a great tourney with a hard fought loss to Wiesbaden 2 in their semi-final match. The Rangers finished with an impressive 4-1-1 record. In the recreational division finals, the United Kingdom Warbirds defeated Wiesbaden 2 for the win.
In the competitive division, the Rangers A-team matched up well against Wiesbaden's top team in the win-or-go-home semi-finals. In a dramatic come-from-behind-win, the Bayern Rangers won 4-3, earning a re-match with the KMC Eagles in the championship game. The Eagles, who defeated the Baden Bruins to earn a trip to the championships, kept their momentum going and upset the defending champions to win this year's Armed Forces Military Classic.
After receiving their trophies, the Bayern Rangers held their annual team dinner at the Werdenfelser Hof to celebrate their success. Both teams made it to semi-final games and enjoyed a great weekend of military ice hockey.
Social Sharing