KAC maintains league leader | Daniel Frank scores hat-trick in away win of Bolzano

In the EC-KAC's narrow 3:2 away win at the HC TIWAG Innsbruck, it was a shorthanded goal by Johannes Bischofberger that gave the league leader the victory. After 40 minutes, the home side from Innsbruck was still in the lead and in the end had to concede a defeat for the first time after five wins in a row. For the KAC, on the other hand, it was their fifth win in a row. Klagenfurt is still one point ahead of Salzburg in the table. Innsbruck remain sixth due to the defeat of Villach.



Salzburg turn the game around in the final minutes
The defending champion from Salzburg had a tough time against Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey, but won 3:1 thanks to late goals. The visitors from Italy led until five minutes before the end of the game before Chay Genoway equalized. Just 30 seconds later, the Red Bulls were able to turn the game around completely through Troy Bourke. Mario Huber, who played his 501st game in the win2day ICE Hockey League, scored the final score with an empty net goal. While Salzburg picked up their fifth win from the last six games, twelfth-placed Asiago suffered their third defeat in a row. They are already thirteen points behind the tenth place.

Hat-trick from Daniel Frank
HCB Südtirol Alperia captain Daniel Frank was the player of the match in the Foxes' 5:3 away win at Hydro Fehérvár AV19. The 29-year-old scored three times in an extremely evenly game. The forward made it 4:3 just 128 seconds before the end of the game, after Frank had already scored to make it 0:1 and 3:3. After 40 minutes, Fehérvár, who already suffered their fifth defeat in a row, were still leading 3:2. The Hungarians remain in third place in the table. Bolzano moved up to fifth place and are therefore currently back in the Playoffs. It was the first win for the South Tyroleans after four consecutive defeats.

Leon Widhalm scores first goal in important win for the Capitals
The spusu Vienna Capitals celebrated an important away win. The team in eleventh place in the table won 4:3 against the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV and thus reduced the gap to tenth-placed Vorarlberg to nine points. VSV, on the other hand, slipped out of the top six and would now have to go to the Pre-Playoffs. The Capitals led 3:0 after just 10 minutes, with the first goal of the evening scored by 20-year-old Leon Widhalm, who scored for the first time in his 31st ICE game. VSV then got back into the game. John Hughes scored twice to make it 2:3 and 3:3 with six-and-a-half minutes remaining. The game remained tied until 93 seconds before the end of the third period, when Evan Weinger scored the game-winner with his tenth goal of the season.



Third win in a row for Pustertal | Graz wins in Vorarlberg
The HC Pustertal continues its upward trend, beating the HK SZ Olimpija 6:3 celebrating its third win in a row. In eighth place in the table, the South Tyroleans are only two points behind sixth-placed Innsbruck and already eight points ahead of ninth-placed Olimpija. However, the visitors from Slovenia were still 2:1 ahead after thirteen minutes of play, after which Pustertal pulled away to 5:3 by the 33rd minute. Ziga Mehle (HKO) was the only player to score twice.

The Moser Medical Graz99ers also celebrated a 3:1 away win at tenth-placed BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg. The team at the bottom of the table picked up its second win of the season against the Pioneers, but is still 16 points behind the Vorarlbergers, who occupy the final Pre-Playoff spot in tenth place. Their lead over eleventh-placed Vienna is nine points.

WIN2DAY ICE HOCKEY LEAGUE | 09.01.2024 | 38. RUNDE:
EC RED BULL SALZBURG – MIGROSS SUPERMERCATI ASIAGO HOCKEY 3:1 (0:0, 0:1, 3:0)
REFEREES: HRONSKY, SIEGEL, DURMIS, JEDLICKA. | SPECTATORS: 2452
Goals RBS: 1:1 Genoway C. (56.), 2:1 Bourke T. (56.), 3:1 Huber M. (59./EN).
Goals ASH: 0:1 Rapuzzi W. (25./PP1)

EC IDM WÄRMEPUMPEN VSV – SPUSU VIENNA CAPITALS 3:4 (1:3, 0:0, 2:1)
REFEREES: STERNAT, TRILAR, HRIBAR, MANTOVANI. | SPECTATORS: 3019
Goals VSV: 1:3 Desjardins A. (17./PP1), 2:3 Hughes J. (47.), 3:3 Hughes J. (54.)
Goals VIC: 0:1 Widhalm L. (6.), 0:2 Ticar R. (7.), 0:3 Hartl N. (10.), 3:4 Weinger E. (59.)

HYDRO FEHÉRVÁR AV19 – HCB SÜDTIROL ALPERIA 3:5 (2:1, 1:1, 0:3)
REFEREES: FICHTNER, NAGY, GATOL-SCHAFRANEK, ZGONC. | SPECTATORS: 1887
Goals AVS: 1:1 Phillips M. (6.), 2:1 Bartalis I. (10.), 3:2 Bartalis I. (39./SH1)
Goals HCB: 0:1 Frank D. (5.), 2:2 Mantenuto D. (33.), 3:3 Frank D. (46.), 3:4 Frank D. (58.), 3:5 Frigo L. (60./EN)

HC TIWAG INNSBRUCK - DIE HAIE – EC-KAC 2:3 (0:0, 2:1, 0:2)
REFEREES: BERNEKER, SEEWALD E., MARTIN, WIMMLER. | SPECTATORS: 2800
Goals HCI: 1:1 Peeters S. (37.), 2:1 Halbert N. (40.)
Goals KAC: 0:1 Herburger R. (22.), 2:2 Jensen Aabo J. (45./PP1), 3:2 Bischofberger J. (47./SH1)

BEMER PIONEERS VORARLBERG – MOSER MEDICAL GRAZ99ERS 1:3 (0:2, 1:1, 0:0)
REFEREES: HUBER A., NIKOLIC K., FLEISCHMANN, PARDATSCHER. | SPECTATORS: 1411
Goals PIV: 1:3 Pastujov M. (39.)
Goals G99: 0:1 Engelhart J. (11.), 0:2 Wemmenborn A. (18.), 0:3 Bouramman G. (32.)

HC PUSTERTAL WÖLFE – HK SZ OLIMPIJA 6:3 (1:2, 4:1, 1:0)
REFEREES: PIRAVIC, ZRNIC, RIGONI, SPARER. | SPECTATORS: 2037
Goals PUS: 1:0 Frycklund M. (3.), 2:2 Kasastul C. (26.), 3:2 Hannoun D. (29.), 4:2 Ege W. (31.), 5:2 Sill Z. (33.), 6:3 Akeson J. (59./EN)
Goals HKO: 1:1 Leskinen V. (8./PP1), 1:2 Mehle Z. (14.), 5:3 Mehle Z. (35.)