Bolzano is the new league leader | Asiago surprises Salzburg

HCB Südtirol Alperia won a heated top-of-the-table game against the Moser Medical Graz99ers by the narrow margin of 3:2. With 21 points, the South Tyroleans catapulted themselves to the top of the table, followed by the 99ers, who remain on 19 points. However, everything initially went according to plan for the home side in front of almost 3,000 spectators at the Merkur Eisstadion. Lukas Haudum put the 99ers ahead in the second minute on the powerplay. However, the visitors were able to turn the game around in the first period with goals from Anthony Salinitri (9.) and Cristiano Digiacinto (13.). The score remained 2:1 for Bolzano until the 28th minute, when Tim Harnisch equalized. After that, there were numerous penalties on both sides, with a total of 22 penalties being called in the entire game, but no further goals were scored at first. It was not until just under ten minutes before the end of the game that one team was able to celebrate again, namely the visitors from Bolzano, who took the lead once more through Peter Spornberger. It was the defender's first goal in a Bolzano shirt. The home side were unable to reply and conceded their second defeat in a row, while Bolzano celebrated their third win in a row.

Asiago surprises Salzburg
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey celebrated a surprisingly clear 5:1 home win against defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg. On their home debut this season, the Italians celebrated only their second ever league win against Salzburg. For the Red Bulls, on the other hand, it was only their second defeat of the season in regulation. Carter Turnbull opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Two more goals followed in the middle period. Matteo Gennaro made the final decision in the 43rd minute on the powerplay. Luke Moncada made it 5:0 with five minutes to go and Evan Cowley in Asiago's goal was only 160 seconds away from his first shutout. A goal from Lucas Thaler ultimately prevented this. Thanks to the clear home win, Asiago now have seven points, but remain twelfth in the table.

Shootout win for Villach
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV celebrated a 4:3/SO away win at the spusu Vienna Capitals. In the first duel of the season, Vienna prevailed 3:2 in Villach. The visitors from Villach took the lead as early as the fifth minute with a volley goal from Chase Pearson. John Hughes increased the lead to 2:0 in the 22nd minute, before Mathias Böhm scored for the eighth-placed team in the 26th minute to make it 1:2. After 40 minutes, the score was finally 3:2 for the visitors. In the final period, the visitors held on to their narrow lead for a long time, but Niki Hartl scored the equalizer five and a half minutes before the end of regulation. The game finally went to a shootout, in which Guus van Nees scored the decisive penalty.

Innsbruck wins West derby
In the western derby between the Pioneers Vorarlberg and HC TIWAG Innsbruck, the visitors from Tyrol were narrowly victorious by 2:1. The “Sharks” thus retained the upper hand in the second derby of the season and moved up to ninth place in the table. The Pioneers, on the other hand, are still bottom of the table. Innsbruck led 2:0 until three and a half minutes before the end of the game, but Joseph Nardi's first goal of the season made the game exciting once again. However, HCI goalkeeper Evan Buitenhuis could not be beaten a second time and ended up saving 28 of the 29 shots on his goal. Mark Rassell (14.) and Patrick Grasso (22./PP1) got on the scoresheet for the Tyroleans.

Clear home victories for Linz and Fehérvár
Steinbach Black Wings Linz beat in-form Olimpija Ljubljana 4:2 at home to celebrate their tenth league win in a row against the Slovenians. Ljubljana's last win against Linz dates back to October 29, 2021. After a goalless first period, it was Niklas Würschl who made it 2:0 for the home side with a brace at the start of the second period. These were the 25-year-old defender's first goals of the season. The visitors were able to reduce the deficit to 1:2 through Robert Sabolic at the end of the middle period (37.), but Luka Maver restored the two-goal lead just a short time later (38.). Nico Feldner finally made the difference at the start of the final period. Robert Sabolic's second goal just under two minutes before the end of the game only served to cosmeticize the result. It was the fourth win in a row for the Black Wings, who climbed to seventh in the table, while Olimpija remain third despite their third defeat of the season.

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 celebrated an even clearer home win against HC Pustertal. The 6:1 victory was the Hungarians' second win of the season against the South Tyroleans. Player of the match was Istvan Terbocs, who scored twice. Balint Magosi scored the game-winning goal to make it 2:1 in a shorthanded situation (17.). It was Fehérvár's fifth win in their eighth game of the season. They are fifth in the table, while Pustertal are tenth. The “Wolves” are back in action tomorrow, Saturday, when they play at the spusu Vienna Capitals in the STEFFL Arena.

win2day ICE Hockey League:
Friday, 18.10.2024:
spusu Vienna Capitals – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 3:4/SO (0:1, 2:2, 1:0)
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Bedynek, Gatol-Schafranek. | Spectators: 4.160
Goals VIC: 1:2 Böhm M. (26.), 2:3 Franklin Z. (40./PP1), 3:3 Hartl N. (55.)
Goals VSV: 0:1 Pearson C. (5.), 0:2 Hughes J. (22.), 1:3 Rauchenwald A. (30.), 3:4 van Nes G. (65./PS)

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC Pustertal 6:1 (3:1, 1:0, 2:0)
Referees: HRONSKY, NAGY, Muzsik, Vaczi. | Spectators: 3.113
Goals AVS: 1:0 Erdely C. (8.), 2:1 Magosi B. (17./SH1), 3:1 Terbocs I. (20.), 4:1 Berger C. (29.), 5:1 Brown C. (49.), 6:1 Terbocs I. (52.)
Goal HCP: Akeson J. (14./PP1)

Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Olimpija Ljubljana 4:2 (0:0, 3:1, 1:1)
Referees: FICHTNER, SIEGEL, Durmis, Konc. | Spectators: 3.420
Goals BWL: Würschl N. (22.), 2:0 Würschl N. (24.), 3:1 Maver L. (38.), 4:1 Feldner N. (44.)
Goals OLL: 2:1 Sabolic R. (37.), 4:2 Sabolic R. (59.)

Moser Medical Graz99ers – HCB Südtirol Alperia 2:3 (1:2, 1:0, 0:1)
Referees: SEEWALD E., ZRNIC, Weiss, Wimmler. | Spectators: 3.024
Goals G99: 1:0 Haudum L. (2./PP1), 2:2 Harnisch T. (28.)
Goals HCB: 1:1 Salinitri A. (9.), 1:2 Digiacinto C. (13.), 2:3 Spornberger P. (50.), 2:3 Spornberger P. (50.)

Pioneers Vorarlberg – HC TIWAG Innsbruck 1:2 (0:1, 0:1, 1:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC K., PIRAGIC, Martin, Sparer. | Spectators: 2.207
Goal PIV: 1:2 Nardi J. (57.)
Goals HCI: 0:1 Rassell M. (14.), 0:2 Grasso P. (22./PP1)

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – EC Red Bull Salzburg 5:1 (1:0, 2:0, 2:1)
Referees: REZEK, SCHAUER, Hribar, Zgonc. | Spectators: 1.671
Goals ASH: 1:0 Turnbull C. (5.), 2:0 Fram J. (22.), 3:0 Saracino N. (34.), 4:0 Gennaro M. (43./PP1), 5:0 Moncada L. (56./PP1)
Goal RBS: Thaler L. (58.)