Release from 21.02.2024
The 51st round of the win2day ICE Hockey League brought the final decisions in the battle for the Top-6 and thus the early Playoff qualification. The HCB Südtirol Alperia won 7:0 at Moser Medical Graz99ers to secure the necessary victory, while the Steinbach Black Wings Linz turned a 0:1 deficit after two periods into a 4:1 win at Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey to secure a place in the quarter-finals, as did the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV, who narrowly defeated the HC TIWAG Innsbruck 1:0. The "Eagles" have a three-point lead over the "Sharks" with one game to go in the Regular Season, but since Villach won the direct duel, Innsbruck can no longer overtake the Carinthians. In the battle for the second Champions Hockey League ticket, Hydro Fehérvár AV19 is still two points ahead of the EC Red Bull Salzburg.
Bolzano makes the Playoffs
The HCB Südtirol Alperia celebrated a clear 7:0 away win in Graz, putting the Foxes into the quarter-finals of the win2day ICE Hockey League for the eleventh time. Daniel Frank was the only player to score twice. The visitors were already 3:0 ahead after the first period, and the fourth-placed team, which is still one point ahead of Linz and has two more points than Villach, scored twice in each of the remaining periods.
Linz turns the game around in Asiago and fixes the Top-6
The Steinbach Black Wings Linz had much more trouble in Asiago, but in the end got the necessary away win thanks to a strong final period. The home side took a 1:0 lead just before the end of the first period. The twelfth-placed team from Veneto held on to their narrow lead until the 49th minute, before Shawn St-Amant scored the important equalizer for the Black Wings. Just under two minutes later, Stefan Gaffal put the visitors ahead. St-Amant completed his brace just three minutes later. The final goal was scored by Graham Knott.
VSV wins direct duel for the Top-6
The EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV also booked their place in the quarter-finals on Wednesday. The "Eagles" narrowly won a dramatic game against Innsbruck 1:0, giving them a three-point lead over the Tyroleans and they also won the direct duel. Pustertal conceded a 3:4 defeat at the Pioneers, meaning the South Tyroleans can no longer overtake the VSV. In an evenly-matched game, it was Dylan MacPherson who made the difference. The Canadian scored the only goal of the game in the 28th minute. VSV goalkeeper J.P. Lamoureux was saved all 33 shots on his goal and thus celebrate his first shutout of the season. Innsbruck are seventh in the table, two points ahead of eighth-placed Pustertal.
The "Wolves" lost 3:4 at the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg and were leading 1:0 in the meantime. After the home side, who are in tenth place in the table and in the Pre-Playoffs for the first time, pulled away to 3:1, HCP fought back and equalized to 3:3 with 15 minutes to go. League top goal scorer Steven Owre, who already scored the 3:1, put the Pioneers back in front just 30 seconds later. After that, Pustertal, who will start the Pre-Playoffs with a home game on Sunday, had no answer. Clayton Kirichenko scored the Pioneers' first two goals in the power play.
Fehérvár is still ahead in the race for the second CHL ticket
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 and the EC Red Bull Salzburg have already qualified for the Playoffs a while ago. Both teams are currently in a long-distance duel for the second Champions Hockey League ticket. Fehérvár won 6:3 at HK SZ Olimpija and are still two points ahead of Salzburg, who celebrated a clear 6:1 win at home against the spusu Vienna Capitals. While the Red Bulls, who beat the Capitals for the first time this season, had no problems right from the beginning, Fehérvár were already trailing 1:3 after the first period. In the following they played stable in defense, didn't concede any more goals and turned the game completely around in the second period. On the final matchday, Fehérvár plays in Graz, Salzburg has to travel to Pustertal.
WIN2DAY ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE | 21.02.2024 | ROUND 51:
MOSER MEDICAL GRAZ99ERS - HCB SÜDTIROL ALPERIA 0:7 (0:3, 0:2, 0:2)
REFEREES: HRONSKY, SEEWALD E., DURMIS, KONC. | SPECTATORS: 1.234
Goals HCB: 0:1 Gazley D. (10.), 0:2 Miceli A. (13.), 0:3 Mantenuto D. (20.), 0:4 Frank D. (21.), 0:5 Parlett B. (38./PP1), 0:6 Frank D. (41.), 0:7 Mantenuto D. (60.)
EC RED BULL SALZBURG - SPUSU VIENNA CAPITALS 6:1 (2:0, 2:0, 2:1)
REFEREES: FICHTNER, SIEGEL, BEDYNEK, NOTHEGGER. | SPECTATORS: 2.931
Goals RBS: 1:0 Raffl T. (4.), 2:0 Auer L. (16.), 3:0 Meyer N. (28.), 4:0 Baltram F. (33.), 5:1 Murphy R. (49.), 6:1 Nissner B. (53.)
Goal VIC: 4:1 Franklin Z. (48.)
EC IDM WÄRMEPUMPEN VSV - HC TIWAG INNSBRUCK 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0)
REFEREES: SMETANA, ZRNIC, GATOL-SCHAFRANEK, RIECKEN. | SPECTATORS: 3.399
Goals VSV: 1:0 MacPherson D. (28.)
BEMER PIONEERS VORARLBERG - HC PUSTERTAL 4:3 (1:1, 2:0, 1:2)
REFEREES: HUBER, NIKOLIC M., FLEISCHMANN, MARTIN. | SPECTATORS: 1.510
Goals PIV: 1:1 Kirichenko C. (16./PP1), 2:1 Kirichenko C. (37./PP1), 3:1 Owre S. (38.), 4:3 Owre S. (46.)
Goals PUS: 0:1 Frycklund M. (14.), 3:2 Mantinger M. (42.), 3:3 Atwal A. (45.)
MIGROSS SUPERMERCATI ASIAGO HOCKEY - STEINBACH BLACK WINGS LINZ 1:4 (1:0, 0:0, 0:4)
REFEREES: GROZNIK, PIRAGIC, MANTOVANI, ZGONC. | SPECTATORS: 2.021
Goals ASH: 1:0 Beaulieu P. (19.)
Goals BWL: 1:1 St-Amant S. (49./PP1), 1:2 Gaffal S. (51.), 1:3 St-Amant S. (54.), 1:4 Knott G. (60./EN)
HK SZ OLIMPIJA - HYDRO FEHÉRVÁR AV19 3:6 (3:1, 0:3, 0:2)
REFEREES: OFNER, STERNAT, BÄRNTHALER, SNOJ. | SPECTATORS: 1.756
Goals HKO: 1:0 Cosic J. (7.), 2:0 Gooch T. (13.), 3:1 Predan A. (18.)
Goals AVS: 2:1 Bartalis I. (17.), 3:2 Leavens D. (23.), 3:3 Laberge P. (39.), 3:4 Robertson C. (40.), 3:5 Leavens D. (47./PP1), 3:6 Atkinson J. (52.)
Copyright: Werner Krainbucher