On September 25, 2026, the Starbulls Rosenheim suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat against the EV Landshut in the DEL2 third matchday at the VR-Bank Landshut Arena. Despite outshooting their hosts 29 to 26, a defensive lapse immediately following the second intermission proved decisive, sealing Rosenheim’s winless start to the new campaign.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Goaltending Stock: EV Landshut netminder Stepan Lukes stopped 28 of 29 shots.
Derby Intensity and Special Teams Battle
The first derby of the DEL2 season lived up to its billing in front of 4,448 passionate spectators at the VR-Bank Landshut Arena. The hosts drew first blood early when David Elsner converted at the 2:45 mark of the opening period, assisted by Julian Mayenschein. Physical play dictated the remainder of the frame, with both penalty boxes frequently occupied due to roughing minors and a bench minor assessed to Rosenheim for too many men on the ice.
Special teams units effectively neutralized one another throughout the 60 minutes. Neither side could capitalize on the man-advantage, with Landshut going 0-for-2 and Rosenheim failing to convert on any of their four powerplay opportunities.
The Critical Turning Point
The tape shows that Rosenheim controlled long stretches of the middle frame, generating sustained offensive zone pressure and outshooting Landshut 16 to 8 in the second period alone. That territorial dominance finally paid off at 34:14 when Florian Dietz found the back of the net, assisted by Stefan Feser and Maximilian Adam, to level the score at 1-1 entering the final intermission.
But the tape tells a different story regarding defensive concentration. Andreas Schwarz picked up the primary assist, breaking the deadlock and forcing the Starbulls to chase the game for the rest of the third period.
Late-Game Push and Goaltending Brilliance
As the clock wound down, Pasanen pulled goaltender Tomas Kolarz in the final minutes for an extra attacker, triggering a frantic six-on-five offensive onslaught. Rosenheim peppered the Landshut zone with point shots from Zack McKiernan, but Stepan Lukes stood tall. The Landshut netminder turned away wave after wave of pressure, frustrating the visiting forwards and earning deafening chants from the home supporters.
| Statistic | EV Landshut | Starbulls Rosenheim |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 2 | 1 |
| Shots on Goal | 26 | 29 |
| Faceoff Win % | 42.6% | 57.4% |
| PowerPlay Conversion | 0% (0/2) | 0% (0/4) |
| Penalty Minutes | 10 | 6 |
Despite securing a dominant 57.4% success rate at the faceoff dot, Rosenheim’s inability to solve Lukes during high-pressure sequences sealed their fate. The final horn sounded on a 2-1 regulation loss, dropping the Oberbayern side into a winless hole after three rounds of play.
Looking Ahead to Sunday
The Starbulls avoid the league’s basement only because the DEL-Absteiger Dresdner Eislöwen fell 4-3 to the Eispiraten Crimmitschau, leaving Dresden anchored at the very bottom of the standings. Rosenheim now returns home to the Mangfall for a crucial Sunday fixture on September 27, 2026, hosting the Bietigheim Steelers starting at 17:00.
The task will not get any easier. Bietigheim arrives in high-scoring form following a resounding 7-3 victory over the Blue Devils Weiden. For Rosenheim, converting territorial possession into clinical execution remains the primary objective if they hope to secure their first points of the young DEL2 campaign.
