Graz and Bolzano complete Pick Round

Bolzano secures Pick Round with shutout-win
The HCB Südtirol Alperia has reached the Pick Round in the Erste Bank Eis Hockey Liga in a sovereign manner and thus also managed to qualify early for the Playoffs 2020. The two-time champion outclassed HC Orli Znojmo 5-:0, thus completing the first phase of the regular season in fifth place. After their fourth defeat of the season against Bolzano, the Czechs now have to go into the qualifying round, tackling it with four bonus points. The South Tyroleans, with captain Anton Bernard absent due to injury, scored four goals in the first thirteen minutes to take a decisive advantage: Marco Insam scored after only 17 seconds, Sebastien Sylvestre (4.) doubled a little later, before Anthony Bardaro on powerplay (11.) and Daniel Frank (13.) shorthanded - and after a capital mistake by Teemu Lassila, who had been substituted only moments before - secured the 4:0 lead after the first period. After a physically demanding but scoreless second period, Bardaro finished the game with his second goal (56./PP1). Leland Irving only had to save 15 shots and posted his seventh shutout of the season.



Graz finishes fourth after comeback-win
The Moser Medical Graz99ers have reached the Pick Round of the Erste Bank Eishockey League too and for the second time in a row. The Styrians turned a two-goal deficit against the bottom-placed Dornbirn Bulldogs into a 5:3 home-win and also secured a ticket for the playoffs in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. Despite the comeback of 99ers captain Oliver Setzinger, the Vorarlberg side were ahead 2:0 until the 37th minute, as newcomer Matias Soitu (15.) and Kevin Macierzynski (28) scored. Joakim Hillding pulled one back in the middle section after a rebound - before the 99ers turned the game around in a brilliant final frame: Karl Johansson (41.) equalized only eleven seconds after the restart, Matt Garbowsky (47.) and again Hillding (51.) made up ground and ensured the preliminary decision. Dornbirn thus concludes the first phase of the regular season in eleventh place and enters the Qualification Round without bonus points.



Villach takes eight bonus points for the Qualification Round
The EC Panaceo VSV finished the first phase of the regular season of the Erste Bank Eis Hockey Liga in sixth place, thus securing the maximum number of bonus points (8) for the Qualification Round. The "eagles" achieved their first win of the season over leader EC Red Bull Salzburg, as they won 2:1 after shootout. Due to the simultaneous wins of Graz and Bolzano, Villach had no chance to reach the Pick Round. After Bud Holloway and Dominique Heinrich got penalized for hooking late in the second, the guests capitalized on it right at the beginning of the last, as Jerry Pollastrone (41.) scored 5:3 to give Villach a tight 1:0 lead. Connor Brickley (56.) equalized for Salzburg, which had four young guys making their debuts, later and sent the game into overtime, in which debuting goalie Nico Wieser again showed great saves. Finally, Martin Ulmer hit the decisive penalty for eagle’s win.

Linz after shutout-win with six bonus points
After missing the Pick Round on Friday, the EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz grabbed seventh place after phase one of the regular season with a commanding 3:0 home win-over the EC-KAC, earning them six bonus points for the intermediate round. The defending champion, who gave or spared several players, had already been determined as third in the standings before this game. Matt Finn (8) got the hosts up luckily after a deflection. A double strike in the second half of the middle frame then provided the preliminary decision - also because Linz acted more efficiently in front of the net: first Brian Lebler (35.) scored on powerplay, then Hunter Fejes (37.) completed for the "Black Wings", which cheered their third win of the season over the "Rotjacken". In his fourth game for the Upper Austrians Jeff Glass remained without conceding a goal for the first time, saving 37 shots.



Vienna got sixth consecutive home-win
The spusu Vienna Capitals also won the fourth duel of the season against HC TWK Innsbruck "Die Haie" and celebrated their sixth straight home-win with a commanding 3:1 victory, while the Tyrolese lost for the eleventh time in a row. Due to the simultaneous defeat of Dornbirn, the "sharks" retained in tenth place and secured one bonus point for the Qualification Round. The guests' lead by Tyler Spurgeon (11.) turned the "Caps" through Patrick Kittinger's first goal ever in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (15.) and a goal from Mike Zalewski (18.) in the first section. The final score was then fixed by Rafael Rotter (47.), who scored his first goal of the season on powerplay.

So, 26.01.2020, 5.30 pm: EHC Liwest Black Wings Linz – EC-KAC 3:0 (1:0, 2:0, 0:0)
Referees: OFNER, ZRNIC, Hribar, Nothegger. | Spectators: 4.865
Goals BWL: Finn (8.), Lebler (35./PP1), Fejes (37.)

So, 26.01.2020, 5.30 pm: Moser Medical Graz99ers – Dornbirn Bulldogs 5:3 (0:1, 1:1, 4:1)
Referees: BUOLOVEC, KINCSES, Nemeth, Soos. | Spectators: 3.497
Goals G99: Hillding (37., 51.), Johansson (41.), Garbowsky (47., 58.)
Goals DEC: Sointu (15., 56.), Macierzynski (28.)

So, 26.01.2020, 5.30 pm: HCB Südtirol Alperia – HC Orli Znojmo 5:0 (4:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC K., STOLC, Pardatscher, Schauer. | Spectators: 3.970
Goals HCB: Insam (1.), Sylvestre (4.), Bardaro (11./PP1, 56./PP1), Frank (13./SH1)

So, 26.01.2020, 5.30 pm: spusu Vienna Capitals – HC TWK Innsbruck „Die Haie“ 3:1 (2:1, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: PIRAGIC, STERNAT, Gatol, Nagy. | Spectators: 4.500
Goals VIC: Kittinger (15.), Zalewski (18.), Rotter (47./PP1)
Goal HCI: Spurgeon (11.)

So, 26.01.2020, 5.30 pm: EC Red Bull Salzburg – EC Panaceo VSV 1:2 SO (0:0, 0:0, 1:1, 0:0)
Referees: GRUBER, NIKOLIC M., Bärnthaler, Seewald. | Spectators: 3.400
Goal RBS: Brickley (56.)
Goals VSV: Pollastrone (41.) Ulmer (65./PS)