Release from 13.03.2026

Lady Hawks stun defending champions in quarterfinal opener | Sabres’ scoring burst, wins for Highlanders and PSR

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While the Sabres St. Pölten – thanks to a brilliant scoring burst – and HK PSRZ Bratislava lived up to their roles as favorites, the KSV Highlanders and especially the Villach Lady Hawks delivered surprises on opening night of the quarterfinals. The EWHL newcomers from Carinthia defeated defending champion Aisulu Almaty in their first-ever quarterfinal appearance. The semifinal berths will be decided in the return games on Sunday.

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The Villach Lady Hawks delivered the biggest upset of the quarterfinal opening round. The European Women’s Hockey League newcomers defeated reigning champions Aisulu Almaty 5–4 in their first quarterfinal matchup. The Lady Hawks came out hungry from the opening faceoff. Goals by Klaudie Pietraszova and Liga Miljone stunned Almaty within the first nine minutes of the game. In the middle frame, Villach even extended the lead to 3–0 before Aisulu began its comeback attempt: by the end of the second period, the Kazakh side had cut the deficit to 2–3, and early in the third period they managed to tie the game. However, the Lady Hawks had the perfect response. On a two-player advantage, Tanja Kolonen restored Villach’s lead. The Carinthian side later extended the advantage to 5–3 before Aisulu pulled one back late to reduce the deficit for the return leg. Villach ultimately secured a 5–4 victory and will take a one-goal lead into Sunday’s return game against the defending champions.

The Sabres St. Pölten lived up to expectations and defeated the Salzburg Eagles 3–0 in their quarterfinal opener. The EWHL runners-up controlled the game from the start, and Kinga Jokai-Szilagyi ignited a spectacular 21-second scoring sequence with the opening goal in the 14th minute. Just ten seconds later, Antonia Matzka doubled the lead, before Madison Laberge struck only eleven seconds afterward to make it 3–0. While the Salzburg Eagles were unable to claw their way back into the game, the Sabres also could not further improve their position over the final two periods heading into the return leg.

In the matchup between the KSV Highlanders and the EVB Eagles South Tyrol, the lower-seeded side also prevailed in the opening game. The team from South Tyrol jumped out to a 2–0 lead within the first ten minutes, but the Highlanders responded before the end of the opening period. Lena Dauböck first cut the deficit to 1–2, before Sara Confidenti scored twice in the middle frame to turn the game around. The Highlanders ultimately claimed a 3–2 victory and will travel to Sunday’s decisive return game with a narrow lead.

HK PSRZ Bratislava celebrated a solid 2–0 road win over MAC Budapest in the first quarterfinal matchup. After a scoreless opening period, Natalia Gero gave her team the lead in the middle frame. In the third period, Lenka Karkoskova sealed the result at 2–0, providing Bratislava with a strong position heading into the return game.

European Women’s Hockey League, Quarterfinals - Game 1:
Freitag, 13.03.2026:
MAC Budapest - HK PSRZ Bratislava 0:2
DEC Salzburg Eagles - Sabres St. Pölten 0:3
KSV Highlanders - EVB Eagles South Tyrol 3:2
VSV Lady Hawks - Aisulu Almaty 5:4