Release from 16.05.2025

Austria stays in the Top Division

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The Austrian national team stays in the Top Division of the Ice Hockey World Championship. The ÖEHV team celebrated a 5:2 victory against France on Friday. Marco Kasper (2), Vinzenz Rohrer, Pioneers Vorarlberg defender Ramón Schnetzer and league top scorer Peter Schneider from EC Red Bull Salzburg scored the goals. As Slovenia lost 4-0 to hosts Sweden in the evening game, Austria have already secured their place in the Top Division. Slovenia remains at the bottom of the table with no points. Hungary, the third ICE nation in the competition, was also in action on Friday. In the game against Denmark, the team squandered an early two-goal lead. The Danes, for whom KAC defenseman Jesper Jensen Aabo scored the game-winner, ultimately won by a clear 8:2.

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Austria got off to a dream start in their fifth World Cup match, Marco Kasper scoring after 39 seconds to take the lead. France then took command, but Vinzenz Rohrer made it 2:0 in the eighth minute with his second shot on goal. Team Austria were lucky with a shot off a bar in the first substitution, and shortly afterwards Ramón Schnetzer scored the third goal. It was the first goal of his career for the Pioneers Vorarlberg defender. In the middle period, the ÖEHV team dominated for long stretches and did not let anything happen even in three short-handed situations. The three-goal lead remained intact after 40 minutes. In the third period, France initially reduced the deficit to 1:3, but Kasper restored the gap with an empty netter. 94 seconds before the end, the French came back to within two goals, and with another goal into the empty net, league top scorer Peter Schneider from EC Red Bull Salzburg secured the 5:2 final score.

It was Austria's first World Championship win against France since 2004 and puts the team led by captain Thomas Raffl in sixth place in the table with five points. In their next game on Sunday (16:20), the ÖEHV team will face bottom-placed Slovenia, who lost 4-0 to hosts Sweden on Friday and are still looking for their first point. Slovenia are currently one point behind seventh-placed France in the fight to stay in the Top Division, who the ICE nation will face on Monday in the last match of the World Championship.

Hungary with a clear defeat despite a lightning start
Hungary also got off to a lightning start in their duel against Denmark. Peter Vincze scored after just 33 seconds in the power play, Andras Mihalik made it 2:0 in the seventh minute - the Danish KAC goalie Sebastian Dahm then left his goal. The Danes reduced the deficit in the course of the first period in overtime and turned the game in their favor in the middle period. KAC defenseman Jesper Jensen Aabo scored in the 35th minute to make it 3:2 and record the game-winner. The Danes continued to dominate and ultimately left the ice with an 8:2 victory.