Fehérvár breaks spell against Salzburg | KAC extends lead in table

Fehérvár ended a 14-game losing streak against Salzburg on Friday. The 4-2 win was also the Hungarians' first victory of the new year, having lost five in a row recently. Anze Kuralt put the home side ahead in the third minute and Josh Atkinson (25th/PP) added a second in the middle period, at which point David Kiss' team dominated proceedings. However, the reigning champions became stronger in the third period and the Red Bulls were able to reduce the deficit to 1:2 and later to 2:3. In the final phase, Salzburg pushed for an equaliser with a sixth skater, but Akos Mihaly scored an empty netter for the decision. The third-placed Hungarians drew level on points with the Red Bulls (second) in the table.

The EC-KAC, on the other hand, extended their lead in the table. In a real offensive spectacle, the "Red Jackets" prevailed against the Pioneers Vorarlberg with 8:5, it was the sixth victory in a row for the Carinthians. More than 4,000 fans in the Heidi Horten Arena saw two goals in the very first minute: Thomas Hundertpfund opened the scoring after 24 seconds and Guus van Nes equalised after 58 seconds. A further five goals were scored by the 23rd minute, with the KAC leading 4:3 at this point - Lukas Haudum and Luka Maver both scored a brace. The home side extended their lead to 6:4 by the second period break. Shortly after the restart, Nick Petersen made the difference with his second goal of the game. The win also means that Klagenfurt are currently the best home team in the win2day ICE Hockey League.

Four away wins
Steinbach Black Wings Linz suffered their third defeat in a row. The Upper Austrians were beaten in overtime by Asiago, but remain in fourth place in the table. The hosts took a 2-0 lead in the 27th minute after a Romig goal, but the Italians got on the scoreboard through Emil Oksanen - the new signing scored his first goal in his seventh game. In the final period, the visitors turned the game in their favour within three minutes, but Linz managed to equalise through Logan Roe to make it 3:3. In overtime, Will Rapuzzi scored in the power play to secure victory for Asiago, who recorded another win after three defeats.

HC TIWAG Innsbruck improved to fifth place in the table with their fifth away win in a row. The Tyroleans took the lead in the seventh minute through Kele Steffler at bottom-placed Graz, and Senna Peeters made it 2:0 in the first period. The visitors added a brace within three minutes in the middle third for the preliminary decision. Graz only scored a consolation goal through Jakob Engelhart, the 19-year-old scoring for the second time in a row. With the 4:1 win, the "Sharks" also decided the third duel of the season in their favour.

VSV returned to the top 6 with a comeback win in Ljubljana. After a goalless first period, the home side took the lead in the middle period through Maris Bicevskis, and Trevor Gooch even made it 2:0 after a major mistake in the visitors' defence. But the Carinthians struck back in the third period. First Benjamin Lanzinger reduced the deficit, then Dylan MacPherson scored the equaliser. Five-and-a-half minutes before the end, VSV top scorer John Hughes converted a puck that bounced back off the bar to make it 2:3. The Carinthians managed to hold on to their narrow lead, meaning that the away team retained the upper hand in the third duel of the season between the two teams. The Slovenians, who remain in ninth place, are thus also the second-weakest home team in the league.

HC Pustertal's run of success with coach Kasper Vuorinen continued on Friday, with the South Tyroleans winning after shootout in Vienna and celebrating their fourth victory in a row. Christian Kasastul scored the only goal in the first period. Just 39 seconds after Armin Preiser equalised, the team from Bruneck took the lead again. However, the Caps once again showed their fighting spirit and equalised in the final period with a powerplay goal from Trevor Cheek. However, Pustertal scored twice in the shootout to win their third game of the season against Vienna and pick up two important points in the race for the playoffs.

win2day ICE Hockey League, 12.01.2024:
Moser Medical Graz99ers - HC TIWAG Innsbruck 1:4 (0:2, 0:2, 1:0)
Referees: GROZNIK, STERNAT, Bärnthaler, Nothegger
Goal Graz: Engelhart (47.)
Goals Innsbruck: Steffler (7.), Peeters (14.), Mader (26.), Green (29./PP)

spusu Vienna Capitals - HC Pustertal 2:3 SO (0:1, 1:1, 1:0)
Referees: OFNER, ZRNIC, Durmis, Vaczi
Goals Vienna: Preiser (39./PP), Cheek (57.)
Goals Pustertal: Kasastul (12.), Hannoun (40.), Frycklund (65./dec. penalty)

EC-KAC - BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 8:5 (3:2, 3:2, 2:1)
Referees: PIRAGIC, SMETANA, Bedynek, Zgonc
Goals Klagenfurt: Hundertpfund (1.), Haudum (8., 22.), Bischofberger (20./PP), Fraser (29.), Petersen (35., 41.), van Ee (43.)
Goals Pioneers: van Nes (1.), Maver (11./PP, 23.), Kirichenko (35.), Oden (50./PP)

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 - EC Red Bull Salzburg 4:2 (1:0, 1:0, 2:2)
Referees: REZEK, SIEGEL, Hribar, Muzsik
Goals Fehervar: Kuralt (3., 49./PP), Atkinson (25./PP), Mihaly (60./EN)
Goals Salzburg: Raffl (43./PP2), Thaler (53.)

Steinbach Black Wings Linz - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 3:4 OT (1:0, 1:1, 1:2)
Referees: BERNEKER, HUBER, Jedlicka, Konc
Goals Linz: St-Amant (6./PP), Romig (27.), Roe (59.)
Goals Asiago: Oksanen (34.), Ierullo (55./PP), McShane (58.), Rapuzzi (62.)

HK SZ Olimpija - EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 2:3 (0:0, 2:0, 0:3)
Referees: HRONSKY, RENCZ, Miklic, Snoj
Goals Ljubljana: Bicevskis (30.), Gooch (38.)
Goals Villach: B. Lanzinger (42.), MacPherson (51.), Hughes (55.)

Photo (c) Attila Soos