With Lucas Di Berardo, a familiar face returns to the Crocodiles Hamburg. The Mannheim-born goaltender already suited up for the Crocodiles during the 2017/18 season and now returns to Hamburg with extensive experience gained over many years in German ice hockey.

Di Berardo began his development in the youth system of Mannheimer ERC before moving to the Young Lions Frankfurt. At just 16 years of age, the goaltender was already part of Frankfurt’s Oberliga roster. In 2013, he continued his development with Krefelder EV, playing in Germany’s top junior league, the DNL. His performances there earned him further opportunities, and he was eventually signed by the Krefeld Pinguine, joining the DEL club’s roster.

After gaining his first senior-level experience with EV Duisburg, Di Berardo joined the Crocodiles Hamburg for the first time in 2017, competing in the Oberliga Nord. Following his season in Hamburg, he moved south to join the EV Lindau Islanders, where he established himself as one of the league’s strongest goaltenders over the following years.

Di Berardo enjoyed one of his best seasons with Lindau in 2020/21. In 26 regular-season games, he recorded a .904 save percentage and a 2.91 goals-against average. His performances were recognized at the end of the season when he was named Oberliga Süd Goaltender of the Year.

Following his successful spell at Lake Constance, Di Berardo joined the Rostock Piranhas, returning to the Oberliga Nord. During the following years, he also gained experience with the Kassel Huskies in the DEL2 before most recently playing for ERSC Amberg in the Bayernliga, where he made 56 appearances.

Di Berardo is a goaltender known for his experience, composure and consistency between the pipes. With numerous seasons at Oberliga level, the Mannheim native has faced a wide variety of situations throughout his career and has repeatedly shown that he can provide his team with a reliable presence in net.

Now, his journey brings him back to Hamburg and to a club he already knows well. With his experience from the Oberliga and DEL2, as well as his proven quality between the pipes, Di Berardo is expected to add further stability and experience to the Crocodiles’ goaltending tandem.