Release from 26.03.2024

KAC is in the finals | Bolzano ties the series

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The EC-KAC celebrated a sweep against the HC Pustertal in the semifinals of the win2day ICE Hockey League, making them the first finalist. In semifinal four, the Regular Season champion, who never trailed in the entire series, celebrated a 5:3 away win. The HCB Südtirol Alperia and the EC Red Bull Salzburg will play at least a game six. On Tuesday, Bolzano narrowly won 3:2 at home. Game five from the Eisarena Salzburg is available on PULS 24 on Thursday from 19:05.

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The EC-KAC also had game four against HC Pustertal under control for a long time, leading 4:0 after 35 minutes, but in the end it got exciting again, as the "Wolves" came back to 3:4 ten minutes before the end of the game. Clemens Unterweger scored the first goal of the evening in the fourth minute of the game. Niki Kraus increased the lead to 3:0 for the visitors with his first brace in the win2day ICE Hockey League in the 28th and 30th minutes, before Finn van Ee opened up a four-goal advantage in the 35th minute. Jason Akeson reduced the deficit to 1:4 in the second period before Rick Schofield made the game exciting again in the final period with his first two goals in the semifinal series. Two minutes before the end of the game, Nick Petersen finally scored an empty-net goal to decide the game and send the KAC to the final for the first time since 2021, when Klagenfurt also won the title.

Bolzano ties the series
In the second semifinal series, the HCB Südtirol Alperia once again took a 3:0 lead against the EC Red Bull Salzburg, but this time the "Foxes" won the game with 3:2, meaning this series will see at least six games. In front of 5,000 spectators, Connor Ford put the home side ahead in the 18th minute. Dustin Gazley and Luca Frigo increased the lead to 2:0 in the second period, both goals being scored in the power play. In the final period, the visitors were able to reduce the deficit after around six minutes, also in the powerplay through Mario Huber. After that, it was just the Red Bulls playing and when Paul Huber scored in the 53rd minute to make it 2:3 from the RBS´s point of view, the home fans probably got a little nervous, as Bolzano lost in Salzburg on Sunday after already leading 3:0. This time, however, they managed to hold on to their narrow lead, meaning the series is now tied after four games. The fifth game from the Eisarena Salzburg is available on PULS 24 on Thursday from 19:05.

WIN2DAY ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE | 26.03.2024 | HALBFINALE 4:
HC PUSTERTAL – EC-KAC 3:5 (0:1, 1:3, 2:1)
REFEREES: NIKOLIC M., PIRAGIC, BEDYNEK, NOTHEGGER. | SPECTATORS: 3.104
FINAL STANDING IN THE„BEST-OF-7“ SERIES: 0:4
Goals PUS: 1:4 Akeson J. (39.), 2:4 Schofield R. (43.), 3:4 Schofield R. (50./PP1)
Goals KAC: 0:1 Unterweger C. (4.), 0:2 Kraus N. (28./PP1), 0:3 Kraus N. (30.), 0:4 Van Ee F. (35.), 3:5 Petersen N. (59./EN)

HCB SÜDTIROL ALPERIA – EC RED BULL SALZBURG 3:2 (1:0, 2:0, 0:2)
REFEREES: STERNAT, ZRNIC, MANTOVANI, ZGONC. | SPECTATORS: 5.012
STANDING IN THE„BEST-OF-7“ SERIES: 2:2
Goals HCB: 1:0 Ford C. (19.), 2:0 Gazley D. (28./PP1), 3:0 Frigo L. (40./PP1)
Goals RBS: 3:1 Huber M. (46./PP1), 3:2 Huber P. (53.)