Panthers win point, lose dramatically in shootout against Tigers!

Panthers win point, lose dramatically in shootout against Tigers!

It was an exciting evening in the PENNY DEL when the Augsburger Panthers played against the Straubing Tigers on December 21, 2025. Despite a courageous performance, the Panthers ultimately had to admit defeat 2:3 after a penalty shootout. However, the players and supporters of the home team had reason to celebrate in this encounter: the Panthers showed fighting spirit and came back into the game after an early deficit.

Like the Panthers' official website reported, Straubing got off to a furious start and took the lead in the second minute thanks to Nicolas Beaudin, who hit the crossbar with a precise wrist shot. Shortly afterwards, just 28 seconds later, Stefan Loibl increased the score to 2-0. An early shock for Augsburg, who had to take a timeout after just 89 seconds to reorient themselves. Tyler Madden had a chance to turn things around in the third minute when he hit the post.

Resurgence and exciting twists

The Panthers had a few chances in the first third, including a solo effort from Joe Cramarossa (15th minute), but they simply couldn't score another goal. The second third finally brought impetus for Augsburg: Alexander Blank shortened the gap after a pass from D.J. Busdeker made it 1:2 in the 21st minute and gave the Panther fans new life. Despite several opportunities later on, Augsburg failed to equalize. In goal, Garteig, the Panthers' goalkeeper, showed a remarkable performance and prevented Straubing from scoring another goal with a spectacular balancing act (25th minute).

The race to catch up continued in the final third. Alexandre Grenier equalized to make it 2-2 (48th minute). The Panthers seemed to be on the fast track, had several opportunities to take the lead, but were unable to score another goal. Straubing remained dangerous and pushed for victory in the final phase, but couldn't get through either. The game was sent into overtime, in which Augsburg again had to play outnumbered.

The decisive penalty shootout

In the exciting penalty shootout, only Tyler Madden scored for the Tigers, which secured the additional point. Even though Augsburg couldn't reward themselves with victory, the team showed heart and strong morale - qualities that will be crucial in the coming games.

In summary, Augsburg's performance against Straubing gives hope for more despite the defeat. At least they were able to convince once again and will try to score the necessary points in the next match. A positive result against the Tigers would also boost self-confidence, as Augsburg remains a serious opponent in the league despite the bitter setbacks.