Release from 31.03.2017

Capitals win finals opener

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UPC Vienna Capitals set the pace in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga finals opener for two periods and took the series lead with a 4:1 home win against EC-KAC. League MVP Riley Holzapfel scored the deciding goal late in the first.

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The hosts had the better of the play early in the game with Jerry Pollastrone generating the first chance after only 30 seconds. It took seven minutes until the hosts could beat KAC netminder David Madlener for the first time: Andreas Nödl found Taylor Vause on a quick break and the Canadian made the breakthrough. Thomas Hundertpfund came close to tie the game but he only hit the post. 38 seconds before the first intermission Riley Holzapfel deflected a Brocklehurst shot for a 2:0 lead. The hosts were the dominating team after the restart, too. However, the Caps could not add a third and Klagenfurt reduced the deficit halfway through the game when Stefan Geier fired home a one timer on power play. The guests were not able to increase and Aaron Brocklehurst restored the two-goal lead with a man advantage. In the third period KAC was the stronger team but JP Lamoureux stood tall for the Caps. With four minutes to go Pollastrone made the game safe with a backhand beauty.

Erste Bank Eishockey Liga 1st final game (best of seven):
Fr,i 31.03.2017: UPC Vienna Capitals – EC KAC 4:1 (2:0, 1:1, 1:0)
Referees: LEMELIN, STOLC; Zuseher: 7.022
Goals VIC: Vause (7.), Holzapfel (20.), Brocklehurst (37./pp), Pollastrone (56.)
Goal KAC: S. Geier (31./pp)
Score in the "best of 7" series: 1:0