Release from 30.12.2023
© (c) Soós Attila (Hydro Fehérvár AV19)
On the last gameday of the win2day ICE Hockey League in 2023, the EC-KAC celebrated its second shutout in a row, as the "Rotjacken" won 2-0 at league leaders Hydro Fehérvár AV19 and reduced the gap to the Hungarians to four points.
Third place is claimed by EC Red Bull Salzburg, which put an end to HCB Südtirol Alperia's five-game winning streak thanks to a hat-trick from Thomas Raffl. Meanwhile, EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV celebrated its first road win in almost two months, beating HC Pustertal Wölfe 6-3 after trailing 0-3 and scoring five goals in ten minutes.
The Moser Medical Graz99ers provided the surprise at the end of the year, winning 4-1 in a sold-out Linz AG Eisarena for the first time since the quarter-finals. HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie scored for the fourth time in a row, while HK SZ Olimpija won after trailing twice.
The EC-KAC also won the third season duel with Hydro Fehérvár AV19, as the second-placed "Rotjacken" won 2-0 against the leaders of the win2day ICE Hockey League. Goalie Sebastian Dahm kept a clean sheet for the second time in a row and for the second time this season with 28 saves. The high-class duel, which took place in front of a sold-out crowd, was decided by a goal from Klagenfurt's fourth line: Finn van Ee gave the perfect cross-ice pass to Marcel Witting (24.). The EC-KAC scored for the tenth time in a row and broke Fehérvár's home winning streak. The Hungarians had not been beaten on home ice since November 17th (1-7 against Klagenfurt) and seven wins in a row, and are now only four points ahead of the Austrian record champions in the table.
Salzburg remains close to the top duo with Raffl scoring a hat trick
EC Red Bull Salzburg defended its third place in the table and inflicted the first defeat on HCB Südtirol Alperia with 5-2 after five wins in a row. Salzburg's captain Thomas Raffl scored a hat-trick, both Bolzano goals were scored on powerplay. The game was interrupted for around 20 minutes shortly after the start of the final period due to problems with the ice surface.
Villach earns huge comeback win
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV pulled off a crazy comeback at HC Pustertal Wölfe, as the "Adler" were already trailing 0-3 after the first period, only to turn things around impressively in the middle frame with five goals in less than ten minutes. Two goals from Alexander Rauchenwald (29. and 39.) and one each from Kevin Hancock (34.), Maximilian Rebernig (37.) and John Hughes (38.) turned the game around for Villach, which won 6-3 in the end and defended their sixth place. The sixth goal was also scored by Rauchenwald, who scored a hat-trick. After almost two months and seven away defeats in a row, Villach thus managed to win away from home again. The "Wolves" were beaten for the third time in a row and lost their seventh place to HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie.
The Tyroleans won the West Derby against the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg by the narrow margin of 4-2, but after taking a 3-0 lead after 45 minutes, they had to shake again in the final period but Evan Buitenhuis (29 saves) and an empty-netter from Jan Lattner ultimately secured their third win from the last four games. Head referee Manuel Nikolic celebrated an anniversary in this game, officiating his 500th game.
Ljubljana doubles up
HK SZ Olimpija doubled their advantage over eleventh-placed Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey to six points with a 4-2 home win. Despite trailing twice, the Slovenians also won their third game of the season against the northern Italians, who suffered their fourth defeat. With three goals in the middle frame, the "Dragons" made the preliminary decision. Trevor Gooch scored for the third time in a row.
Bottom of the table Moser Medical Graz99ers moved to within one point of Asiago with a clear 4-1 away win at Steinbach Black Wings Linz. The Styrians inflicted a third consecutive defeat on the Upper Austrians, whose arena was sold out for the first time since the 2020 quarter-finals. Taylor Matson (23./PP1) and Renars Krastenbergs (31.) decided the game in the middle period.
win2day ICE Hockey League | 30.12.2023 | Results:
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – EC-KAC 0:2 (0:0, 0:1, 0:1)
Referees: HRONSKY, PIRAGIC, Jedlicka, Zgonc. | Spectators: 2.979
Goals KAC: Witting (24.), Bischofberger (60./EN)
HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie – BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 4:2 (0:0, 2:0, 2:2)
Referees: NIKOLIC K., NIKOLIC M., Nothegger, Seewald. | Spectators: 2.200
Goals HCI: Albano (31.), Roy (40.), Lattner (45., 60./EN)
Goal PIV: van Nes (51./PP1), Macierzynski (54.)
Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Moser Medical Graz99ers 1:4 (1:1, 0:2, 0:1)
Referees: HUBER, SIEGEL, Bärnthaler, Wimmler. | Spectators: 4.863
Goal BWL: Mackenzie (11.)
Goals G99: Bauer (8.), Matson (23./PP1), Krastenbergs (31., 57./EN)
HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 4:2 (1:1, 3:1, 0:0)
Referees: KAINBERGER, TRILAR, Beynek, Miklic. | Spectators: 2.345
Goals HKO: Mahkovec (12.), Predan (29.), Mehle (34.), Gooch (36.)
Goals ASH: Gazzola (2.), McShane (26.)
EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 5:2 (2:0, 1:2, 2:0)
Referees: BERNEKER, GROZNIK, Hribar, Snoj. | Spectators: 3.089
Goals RBS: Bourke (11.), Raffl (13., 28., 43.), Hochkofler (54.)
Goals HCB: Alberga (27./PP1), Teves (29./PP1)
HC Pustertal Wölfe – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 3:6 (3:0, 0:5, 0:1)
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Mantovani, Pardatscher. | Spectators: 2.989
Goals PIV: Petan (4.), Mantinger (15.), Hannoun (22.)
Goals VSV: Rauchenwald (29., 39., 60.EN), Hancock (34.), Rebernig (38.), Hughes (38.)
Fotocredit: Soos Attila (AVS)