Bolzano secures early playoff qualification

In front of more than 3,500 spectators HCB Südtirol Alperia celebrated a deserved 3:1 victory over Fehérvár. The only goal in the first period was scored by Mitch Hults after an ideal Thomas assist. In the middle period the home side made it 3:0 with goals from Angelo Miceli and Dustin Gazley. Bolzano dominated the action, showed fast combinations and could even have led much higher. In the last period, the Bolzano side had the game under control, the eighth-placed Hungarians only managed the consolation goal by Natan Vertes.



First chaser is EC Red Bull Salzburg, who won the away game at HC Pustertal with 2:1. The reigning champions dominated the first 40 minutes, but only Benjamin Nissner (25th) got on the scoreboard. In the final period, the home side became dangerous and equalized in the 43rd minute through Raphael Andergassen. The Red Bulls regained the lead shortly after, Lucas Thaler scored on power play. Thus, the Red Bulls won also the third duel of the season with the South Tyroleans.

HC TIWAG Innsbruck slipped to third place with a 2:3 home defeat against KAC. The Tyroleans dominated the action in the first period and took a deserved lead through Nico Feldner. In the middle period, the character of the game changed and Klagenfurt now became stronger. First Rihards Bukarts equalized, then captain Paul Postma had the answer to the renewed Innsbruck lead - 2:2 after 40 minutes. Finally, Bukarts ensured the decision with his second goal of the game. While the KAC thus prevented a "season sweep", the Sharks conceded their third defeat in a row.

Villach and Linz gain some breathing room
In the race for the top-6, EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV recorded an important but hard-fought home win over Ljubljana. Although the Slovenians erased both a 0:1 and a 1:3 deficit, they could not prevent their fifth defeat in a row. After 54 minutes Chris Collins scored the game winner. Shortly before the end, Nicolas Mattinen made his hat trick for the 5:3 final score.

The Steinbach Black Wings Linz came back from an early 2:0 deficit to beat the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 4:3. Five of the seven goals were scored on the power play, the last by Pioneers forward Jack Jacome in the 49th minute to make it 3:3. With both teams palying at full strength, Shawn St-Amant provided the deciding goal in the final minutes, it was the second goal of the game for the Canadian. While the Upper Austrians earned important points in the race for the top-6, the league newcomers remain at the bottom of the table.

Asiago surprises in Vienna
The highest-scoring match of the day took place at the STEFFL Arena. The spusu Vienna Capitals and Asiago Hockey played an open battle, with Alex Wall putting the home side in the lead after only 101 seconds. But the Italians turned the game around in the first period and didn't let themselves be rattled by the two-time equalizer of the Viennese. After 38 minutes the visitors already led 5:3 - former Caps player Luke Moncada scored two goals. The hosts managed a comeback in the third period, shortly before the end Wall scored again to tie it at five. In overtime, Giordano Finoro provided the away win with a solo effort.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 22.01.2023:
HCB Südtirol Alperia – Hydro Fehérvár AV19 3:1 (1:0, 2:0, 0:1)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., REZEK, Pardatscher, Sparer
Goals Bolzano: M. Hults (9.), Miceli (22.), Gazley (36.)
Goal Fehervar: Vertes (57.)

BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 3:4 (2:0, 0:3, 1:1)
Referees: PIRAGIC, VIRTA, Snoj, Wimmler
Goals Pioneers: Jarusek (6.), Maver (9./PP), Jacome (49./PP)
Goals Linz: Roe (25./PP2), Brucker (26./PP), St-Amant (34./PP, 57.)

spusu Vienna Capitals – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 5:6 OT (1:2, 2:3, 2:0)
Referees: GROZNIK, HUBER, Konc, Zgonc
Goals Vienna: Wall (2., 59.), Gregoire (25.), Zimmer (35.), Kainz (54.)
Goals Asiago: Moncada (6., 36.), McShane (13.), Simpson (26.), Gazzola (38.), Finoro (64.)

ED iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – HK SZ Olimpija 5:3 (1:1, 2:1, 2:1)
Referees: HRONSKY, RENCZ, Durmis, Vaczi
Goals Villach: Lanzinger (3.), Mattinen (25./PP, 32./PP, 59/EN), Collins (54.)
Goals Ljubljana: Kapel (11.), Vallerand (36.), Crnovic (42.)

HC TIWAG Innsbruck – EC-KAC 2:3 (1:0, 1:2, 0:1)
Referees: BERNEKER, SMETANA, Martin, Riecken
Goals Innsbruck: Feldner (3.), Krogsgaard (28.)
Goals Klagenfurt: Bukarts (21./PP, 46.), Postma (33.)

HC Pustertal – EC Red Bull Salzburg 1:2 (0:0, 0:1, 1:1)
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Eisl, Seewald
Goal Pustertal: Andergassen (43.)
Goals Salzburg: Nissner (25.), Thaler (47.)

Photo: HCB/Vanna Antonello