Release from 21.02.2025
EC-KAC is the regular-season champion of the 2024/25 win2day ICE Hockey League season, beating HC Pustertal 2:0 on the final matchday. In second place is EC Red Bull Salzburg, who celebrated a 4:3 away win at Hydro Fehérvár. The Red Bulls have thus once again qualified for the Champions Hockey League. The last three early quarter-final tickets were secured by Steinbach Black Wings Linz, Moser Medical Graz99ers and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV. Fehérvár slipped to seventh place and will have to play in the pre-playoffs starting on Sunday.
The EC-KAC secured victory in the regular season - even though Klagenfurt were outside the top six after 30 rounds. The Red Jackets won 2:0 at home against Pustertal on Friday, with captain Thomas Hundertpfund scoring in the twelfth minute and Steven Strong clinching the win in the final period.
EC Red Bull Salzburg secured second place and thus qualification for the 2025/26 Champions Hockey League season. The reigning champions led at Hydro Fehérvár AV19 3:0 after the first period. Andrew Rowe scored the visitors' third goal while short-handed, the finish was particularly worth seeing. After going 0:4 down early in the second, the Hungarians came close again. In the 45th minute it was only 3:4 - but that was as close as they got. As a result, Fehérvár slipped to seventh place.
In addition to the match-free Moser Medical Graz99ers, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz and EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV also qualified directly for the playoffs. Graham Knott and Shawn St-Amant each scored a brace in the Upper Austrians' 4:1 win over the Pioneers Vorarlberg. Linz thus improved to fourth place and has home advantage in the quarter-finals.
Villach made it into the top six at the last moment, winning 8:3 against Asiago on Friday and benefiting from Fehervar's defeat. The eagles were already 6:1 ahead after the first period. It was their seventh win in the last eight games.
In addition to Asiago and Vorarlberg, the season also came to an end for HC TIWAG Innsbruck. Bolzano defeated the team bottom of the table 9:2 at home, with DiGiacinto and Finoro both scoring twice.
Olimpija Ljubljana also celebrated a clear 6:1 victory at the spusu Vienna Capitals. The season continues for both teams on Sunday with their pre playoff opener. The Viennese team will visit Szekesfehérvár, while Ljubljana will host HC Pustertal.
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Friday, 21.02.2025:
spusu Vienna Capitals – Olimpija Ljubljana 1:6 (0:2, 1:1, 0:3)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek.
Goal Vienna: Franklin (21.)
Goals Ljubljana: Bicevskis (2.), Pavlin (8.), Kerbashian (23./PP), Kerbashian (45.), Kapel (52.), Sabolic (57.)
EC-KAC – HC Pustertal 2:0 (1:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: OFNER. ZRNIC, Puff, Zgonc.
Goals KAC: Hundertpfund (12.), Strong (58.)
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 8:3 (6:1, 1:1, 1:1)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., PIRAGIC, Muzsik, Vaczi.
Goals Villach: Hughes (1.), Holway (6.), van Nes (7., 31./SH, 41.), Lanzinger (10.), Pearson (13./PP), Coatta (17./SH)
Goals Asiago: Misley (1.), Rigoni (39.), Gennaro (43./PP)
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – EC Red Bull Salzburg 3:4 (0:3, 2:1, 1:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, HRONSKY, Durmis, Jedlicka.
Goals Fehervar: Cheek (32.), Mihaly (39.), Sebok (45.)
Goals Salzburg: Nissner (4.), Bourke (8., 24.), Rowe (15./SH)
Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Pioneers Vorarlberg 4:1 (1:0, 2:1, 1:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC K., STERNAT, Bedynek, Zacherl
Goals Linz: Knott (20., 35.), St-Amant (35., 45.)
Goal PIV: Pallestrang (25.)
HCB Südtirol Alperia – HC TIWAG Innsbruck 9:2 (3:0, 2:2, 4:0)
Referees: SCHAUER, SEEWALD E., Mantovani, Pardatscher.
Goals Bolzano: DiGiacinto (4., 49.), Finoro (8., 51.), Mantenuto (10.), Gazley (25.), Bradley (39./PP), Marchetti (51.), Saracino (58.)
Goals Innsbruck: Erlacher (27.), Lattner (32./PP)