Release from 04.02.2017

Four teams take revenge in Saturday’s games

On Saturday four teams took revenge in the return games with Dornbirner Eishockey Club and HC Orli Znojmo celebrating in Qualification Round this time.

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While UPC Vienna Capitals regained the top of the league, EHC Liwest Black Wings got a home win in Pick Round, too. EC-KAC was the only side who earned the second win against Bozen within three days.

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Znojmo grinds out a win in an intensive game against Fehervar
After a shaky start, the game kicked off thanks to the opening goal scored by Tomas Plihal, back in the lineup after several weeks of injury. Plihal skated down the right wing and beat Hetenyi with a wristshot towards the far post. There was plenty of chances in the remainder of the period: Yellow Horn, Bartos and also Erdely missed good opportunities. Eventually, fairly surprising shot lead to a 2-0 score when Jakub Stehlik netted a lucky wristshot from the left wing. The visitors opened the second period on top, putting Znojmo under pressure in search for their opening goal. Maylan and Sarauer had good chances but it was Libor Sulak at the other end who scored a goal when a rebound of his own shot found a way through traffic and into the net. Just 80 seconds later, Istvan Sofron took advantage of a misplaced shot and finished his solo breakaway with a shot that beat Schwarz on his glove side to make it 3-1. The importance of the game was evident in the third period. Both teams pushed hard with maximum effort. Especially the visitors had to look for a way to get back into the game. Erdely was clean through on goal after 44 minutes but his slap shot missed the target. Stehlik had a good chance on the other side, missing a close range rebound. As the game drew to a close, Fehervar pulled the goalie for a sixth skater, but apart from one missed rebound courtesy of Owens, there wasn´t more to offer and points stay in Znojmo.
 
Dornbirn stays alive thanks to shutout win at Tivoli
Just two days after their first home loss Dornbirn bulldogs returned the visit to Olimpija in their final qualification game before the break. Enes Gorse made his EBEL debut joining Olimpija from local rival HK Slavija. Looking for revenge bulldogs got blazing right off the bat. Still their efforts couldn't get the better of Jeff Frazee even on the power play. Half way into the period Miha Zajc and Niki Petrik went at it. As the smoke cleared and game resumed Dornbirn quickly went ahead thanks to Brock McBride. Visitors took two penalties of their own giving the dragons a 56 5 on 3 power play but killed it easily. After returning back to full strength Martin Gabher Meier doubled Dornbirner lead. Like many times before Olimpija got into the 2nd period stronger before a penalty killed their momentum. After surviving it the dragons took two more. Just as the hosts Dornbirn couldn't score on a two men power play. Still they got a special goal in the end. James Livingston managed to convert before Ales Music had a chance to complete his expulsion. In the final three minutes the dragons had another 5 on 3. This time even 1:48 wasn't enough to get them on the score board. With the important three points on the line and a hefty deficit in goals Olimpija tried to get into the final period stronger. With a smart play the bulldogs quickly cooled them down and kept it under complete control. Even when Brian Connelly took a slashing penalty Florian Hardy wouldn't let anything pass him. Half way into the third Chris D'Alvise put the game out of Olimpija's reach with Dornbirner's forth. Still the tensions remained high. Before the game was over Zan Luka Srpcic and Corin Konradsheim also went at it. Until the final buzzer Florian Harty managed to keep his sheet clean helping his team to a so important win in a battle for a final qualification spot.
 
Caps retake top of the table against Red Bulls
It was the expected top game right from the first minute with both team fighting hard for every puck. Salzburg's Peter Hochkofler had the first good chance but failed because of Caps netminder JP Lamoureux. The guest had the better of the play in the first whilst Vienna tried to hit their opponents on the break. Nevertheless both goalies kept a clean sheet in the first 20 minutes. After the restart Riley Holzapfel made the breakthrough, beating Bernhard Starkbaum from the slot. It was all the way a fast-paced game with Bill Thomas coming close to tie it but it took until the 37th minute for a 1:1 score: Thomas Raffl deflected a Duncan shot on power play. The Caps got off a perfect start in the third when Macgregor Sharp restored the lead with a man advantage after only 85 seconds. The visitors answered ten minutes later with Hochkofler's equalizer.Soon later Julian Großlercher decided the game to Vienna's favour - 3:2. The Red Bulls tried everything pulling their goalie but Tessier made the game safe to regain the top of the table.
 
KAC gets another win over Bolzano
The game in Klagenfurt was a mere twelve seconds old when Manuel Ganahl opened the scoring - first the puck hit the post but went in from Marcel Melichercik's back. Halfway through the first Marc-Olivier Vallerand tied the game but KAC retook the lead before the first intermission: Ganahl put his side 2:1 uop with a shorthanded marker. The hosts became even more stronger in the middle frame and as a result Manuel Geier extended the lead. The Carinthians had another good chances in the second period but were not able to lit the lamp again. After the restart Johannes Bischofberger found the back of the net on power play - 4:1. Whilst KAC still pressed, Bolzano scored the next goal by Clark Seymour. And the foxes were very efficient when Markus Gander scored their second goal of the period in the third attempt. With two minutes to go Mark Hurtubise restored Klagenfurt's two-goal lead on a solo attempt and Thomas Koch finished off the scoring with an emty net goal.
 
Linz gets revenge in goal fest against Innsbruck
Linz was not able to score on an early power play but the hosts were the better team right from the beginning. After six minutes Ryan Potulny opened the scoring and just 29 seconds later Brian Lebler made it 2:0 Linz. Innsbruck was defensively overchallenged in the first and it became even worse for them as Brett McLean and Kevin Moderer scored for a 4:0 lead. Everything changed in the middle frame with Innsbruck playing better thanks to a hard fore check. Before the midway point of the game Nicholas Ross got his side on the scoreboard and they scored two more in this period: Hunter Bishop and Austin Smith made it a one-goal game again. However, Linz had a perfect start into the third with Lebler getting his second of the night. Now the hosts pressed for a preliminary decision and it paid off with Rob Hisey finding the back of the net - 6:3. With two minutes left Joel Broda rounded off the scoring with a hard wrist shot.
 
Erste Bank Eishockey Liga, 6. Pick Round:
Sat, 04.02.2017: UPC Vienna Capitals – EC Red Bull Salzburg 4:2 (0:0, 1:1, 3:1)
Referees: PIRAGIC, TRILAR; spectators: 5.550
Goals VIC: Holzapfel (24.), Sharp (42./pp), Großlercher (54.), Tessier (60./en)
Goals RBS: Raffl (37./pp), Hochkofler (52.)
 
Sat, 04.02.2017: EC-KAC – HCB Südtirol Alperia 6:3 (2:1, 1:0, 3:2)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, spectators: 3.711
Goals KAC: Ganahl (1., 17.), M. Geier (31.), Bischofberger (42./pp), Hurtubise (58./pp), Koch (60./empty net)
Goals HCB: Vallerand (11.), Seymour (48.), Gander (55.)
 
Sat, 04.02.2017: EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ 7:3 (4:0, 0:3, 3:0)
Referees: GRUBER/K. NIKOLIC, 4.800 spectators
Goals Linz: Potulny (6.), Lebler (7., 41.), McLean (13.), Moderer (15.), Hisey (43.), Broda (58./pp)
Goals Innsbruck: Ross (27.), Bishop (35.), Smith (36.)
 
6.  Qualification Round:
Sat, 04.02.2017: HDD Olimpija Ljubljana – Dornbirner Eishockey Club 0:4 (0:2, 0:1, 0:1)
Referees: BABIC/M. NIKOLIC; 1.032 spectators
Goals DEC: 0:1 McBride (11.), 0:2 Grabher Meier (17.), 0:3 Livingston (31./pp1), 0:4 D`Alivse (50.)
 
Sat, 04.02.2017: Orli Znojmo – Fehérvár AV19 3:1 (2:0, 1:1, 0:0)
Referees: BERNEKER/STOLC; 2.732 spectators
Goals Znojmo: Plihal (8.), Stehlik (16.), Sulak (27.)
Goal Fehervar: Sofron (28.)