99ers and Znojmo complete Play-offs

Znojmo opened the game on front foot, creating pressure early in the game and taking advantage at 5:26 when Colton Yellow Horn was given time and space in the slot and his wristshot found the net. Five minutes later in a very similar place, Patrik Novak fired home for 2-0 and just 11 seconds later, David Bartos netted a rebound at the left post which prompted Ljubljana to change goalies. Spreitzer replaced Frazee, but his clean sheet did not last long. With 13 minutes on the clock a lucky bounce off a skate of Patrik Novak made it 4-0 and secured a comfortable lead for the Eagles. Znojmo´s dominance continued in the second period. Early after the break, a quick combination led to Martin Podesva and he scored an easy goal into the empty net. Jan Seda then added a sixth goal with a rebound and Yellow Horn got his second of the game with a quick wristshot from the right crease. Visitors did not offer much in terms of chances, their best effort being saved by Schwarz when Bussieres tried to score on a rebound all alone in front of the net. With the outcome of the game decided, the tempo dropped a little in the third period. Znojmo created some chances, but Spreitzer in the net was showing a good performance, stopping all shots also on a 5-on-3 powerplay late in the period. With the win, Znojmo holds the last playoff ticket.

 

The Moser Medical Graz99ers had a perfect start into the game: Kyle Beach (2.) surprised goalie Florian Hardy with a shot from the side. The Styrians continued to make pressure. Matt Siddall (9.) extended the lead with a big shot into the upper corner. The guests from Dornbirn then found better and better into the game, but could not beat goalie Sebastian Dahm with some good chances. The goal was scored on the other side: The Mur Citizens took advantage from a Power Play: Zintis Zusevics had no problems to finish a diagonal-pass from Thomas Pöck into the open net (28./pp). The Styrians now concentrated on their defense. The gustes did not give up. Jamie Arniel outplayed the 99ers defense and scored the 1:3 from a short distance (48.). In a Power Play Martin Grabher Meier (50./pp1) made the 2:3. Already five minutes before the end DEC-goalie Hardy left the ice for an extra-skater and James Livingston (56.) quickly made the 3:3. The Bulldogs needed two more goals to reach the Play-offs. But in minute 60 Ken Ograjensek (60./en) fixed the win and the Play-offs for the Styrians with an empty-net-goal. After the game Graz99ers Headcoach Doug Mason extended his contract on the ice until 2018/19-season.

 

EC VSV and Fehervar AV19 played their last game in this Erste Bank Eishockey Liga season. The Eagles had the better start, also because the Hungarians took some early penalties. And this was punished by Villach: In minute 8 Benjamin Petrik scored the 1:0 in a Power Play: After a shot from Kromp he took advantage from the rebound. In minute 14 Petrik extended the lead with another Power Play goal – 2:0. Also after the re-start Villach was the chief on the ice: Verlic, Brunner and Jennes extended the lead to 5:0. In minute 43 the Devils took advantage from a Power Play to score their first goal from Andrew Sarauer. Villach had a quick answer: After a pass from Locke Jan Urbas made another goal for Villach. In minute 49 Sarauer made his second goal after a pass from Bodo. This time it took just 24 seconds, then Florian Mühlstein answered with the 7:2 for EC VSV. In minute 55 Thomas Beauregard made the third and last goal for Fehervar AV19 in this Erste Bank Eishockey League season.

 

HCB Südtirol Alperia started strong at Salzburg, but the Red Bulls scored from their first chance: After a shot from Sondell, Schiechl was successful from the rebound. The Champion failed to extend their lead after a combination over Thomas and Rauchenwald.  This was punished by the Foxes, on the other side Yogan made the 1:1. The Red Bulls then survived a shorthanded situation and just moments later Hughes finished a great combination over Welser and Trattnig. On the other side Egger and Yogan, who just hit the post, failed to get a quick equalizer. Period 2 was dominated by the Red Bulls: Schiechl after a break-away and Trattnig, who took advantage from a mistake in the HCB-defense after a pass from Trattnig made it 4:1. Tom Pokel took a Timeout, but it did not help - Just 29 seconds later Cijan made the 5:1. Then Heinrich - with a shot from the distance - extended the lead to 6:1. Bozen changed the goalie. Bozen then had chances from Yogan and Root, which Starkbaum stopped. In period 3 the Red Bulls train continued to run – Rauchenwald and Trattnig fixed the clear 8:1-win and the qualification for the Champions Hockey League.

 

EC KAC had the better start into the game at Linz. Already in minute 4 Manuel Geier scored the lead for the guests. Late in the first period Klagenfurt took two penalties and so the Upper Austrians found better into the game, but goalie Thomas Duba was not to beat. The same picture in period 2: Already in minute 23 the guests extended their lead: After a covert shot from Matthew Neal, Philipp Kreuzer scored from the rebound. Just 4 minutes later Ziga Pance found the net after a long pass from Christoph Duller – 3:0. The best chance for the Black Wings had Fabio Hofer with a Onetime, but the puck just went into the outside of the net. Early in period three Kevin Kapstad deflected the puck after a shot from Manuel Ganahl for the 4:0. Then David Fischer even made the 5:0. The Black Wings did not give up and were rewarded with their first goal by Brett Palin. In the final minutes Stefan Geier even added the 6:1 for Klagenfurt.

 

UPC Vienna Capitals made pressure from the beginning. After chances from Jerry Pollastrone from the Slot (5.) and Großlercher it was Pollastrone, who made the 1:0 after a break with the backhand. The Caps then were the chief on the ice. In the final minutes Innsbruck started to play stronger and quickly was rewarded with the 1:1: Jason DeSantis scored from the blue line. Also in period 2 the Caps shot from everywhere. Then the game went up and down. The Caps had some good chances for another goal at the end of the period, but the score remained 1:1. Period 3 started perfect for Vienna: Already after 12 seconds Rafael Rotter made the 2:1: The puck came back from the boards and he scored. 5 minutes later Colin Bowman extended the lead with a Onetimer in a Power Play. So the Caps finished the Pick Round  on place 1 and qualified for the Champions Hockey League.

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 10. Pick Round:
Tue, 21.02.2017: UPC Vienna Capitals – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ 3:1 (1:1, 0:0, 2:0)
Referees: PIRAGIC, TRILAR; spectators: 4.350
Goals VIC: Pollastrone (7.), Rotter (41.), Bowman (46./pp)
Goal HCI: DeSantis (19.)
Tue, 21.2.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – EC KAC 1:6 (0:1, 0:2, 1:3)
Referees: GRUBER/K. NIKOLIC; spectators: 4.500
Goal Linz: Palin (50.)
Goals Klagenfurt: Geier M. (4.), Kreuzer (23.), Pance (27.), Kapstad (42.), Fischer (48.), Geier S. (56.)
Tue, 21.02.2017: EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 8:1 (2:1,4:0,2:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC/STOLC, spectators: 3200;
Goals RBS: Schiechl (4., 26.), Hughes (15.), Trattnig (34., 53.), Cijan (34.), Heinrich (37.), Rauchenwald (42.)
Goal HCB: Yogan (12.)

 

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 10. Qualification Round:
Tue, 21.02.2017 EC VSV – Fehervar AV19 7:3 (2:0,5:0,2:3)
Referees: BERNEKER/KINCSES, spectators: 2391
Goals VSV: Petrik (8.PP,14.PP), Verlic (21.), Brunner (29.), Jennes (33.), Urbas (44.), Mühlstein (50.) ;
Goals AVS: Sarauer (43.PP,49.), Beauregard (55.);
Tue, 21.02.2017: Moser Medical Graz99ers – Dornbirner EC 4:3 (2:0, 1:0, 1:3)
Referees: LEMELIN/SIEGEL; spectators: 3.784
Goals G99: 1:0 Beach (2.), 0:2 Siddall (9.), 0:3 Zusevics (28./pp1), 4:3 Ograjensek (60./en)
Goals DEC: 3:1 Arniel (48.), 3:2 Grabher Meier (50./pp1), 3:3 Livingston (56.)
Tue, 21.02.2017: HC Orli Znojmo – HDD Olimpija Ljubljana 7:0 (4:0,3:0,0:0)
Referees: SMETANA/ZRNIC; spectators: 2653
Goals ZNO: Yellow Horn (6., 33./PP), Novak (12., 14.), Bartos (12.), Podesva (22.), Seda (25.)