Overtime wins for Graz and Salzburg

The third matchup of the season between the Moser Medical Graz99ers and the Steinbach Black Wings Linz was another nail-biter. After Linz won the first meeting 3-2 in overtime, Graz responded with a 3-2 home win—and once again, one goal made all the difference this time. Graz edged out Linz 4-3 in overtime in front of a sold-out crowd. Josh Currie became the hero in the 65th minute, after already scoring in shorthanded play in the 4th minute to give Graz a temporary 1-0 lead. By the 28th minute, the home side held a 3-1 lead, but Travis Barron pulled one back for Linz in power play in the 38th minute. In the final period, the visitors pressed hard, and Henrik Neubauer finally equalized four minutes before the final buzzer. Despite the tie, it marked Linz’s fourth consecutive defeat, though at least they earned a point, bringing the 11th-placed team to within two points of 10th-placed Vienna. Graz remains second in the table, three points behind leaders KAC, who face VSV in Saturday’s derby.

Pioneers take a point from Salzburg
The Pioneers Vorarlberg narrowly lost at home to defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg, 3-4 in overtime. At one point, the 11th-placed Pioneers led 2-0 and seemed on course for a second season win over RBS. However, the Red Bulls claimed their third victory in four meetings, with Lucas Thaler scoring the decisive goal in overtime. Salzburg got on the scoreboard in the 32nd minute through Florian Baltram, shortly followed by Dennis Robertson’s equalizer. Early in the final period, Thaler gave the Red Bulls their first lead of the evening. The Pioneers responded in the 44th minute, with Collin Adams restoring parity. Salzburg pressed for the winner, but Vorarlberg held on to reach overtime. With the point, the Pioneers cut the gap to 10th place to 11 points.

Narrow home win for Fehérvár
In front of over 5,000 fans, Hydro Fehérvár AV19 secured a tight 2-1 home victory against the Vienna Capitals, taking crucial points in the race for the Top 10. The Hungarians, now 7th in the standings, sit five points ahead of 10th-placed Vienna and two more points ahead of 11th-placed Linz. For the Capitals, it was the first defeat after three consecutive wins, while Fehérvár celebrated their second home victory in a row. After a scoreless first period, Donát Horváth gave the hosts the lead just 56 seconds into the second period, with Joel Messner extending it to 2-0 seven minutes later. In the 44th minute, Jeremy Gregoire reduced the deficit to 2-1, but the Capitals could not find an equalizer. Goalkeeper Rasmus Reijola stopped 34 shots, securing Fehérvár’s first win of the season in their third matchup.

Bolzano secures home win against Ljubljana
HCB Südtirol Alperia defeated Olimpija Ljubljana 4-1 and, as fifth in the standings, reduced the gap to the Slovenians, who are in fourth place, to just one point. For Olimpija, it was their third consecutive defeat and the second loss in three season meetings against Bozen. The South Tyroleans also avenged their 2-5 home defeat against Vienna in the last game before Christmas and celebrated their third win in the past five matches. In an intense game, Matt Bradley gave the hosts the lead 46 seconds before the end of the first period. In the 37th minute, Brett Pollock scored in double power play to make it 2-0 after Rok Kapel and Zach Boychuk were sent to the penalty box. In the final minute of the second period, Bozen again had a 5-on-3 power play but could not capitalize. However, in the 49th minute, another power-play goal by Cole Schneider made it 3-0, effectively sealing the win. Six minutes before the end, Marcel Mahkovec gave Olimpija a glimmer of hope by scoring past HCB goalie Sam Harvey to make it 3-1. But the guests could not score again, and Brad McClure added an empty-net goal 64 seconds before the final buzzer, sealing the 4-1 victory.

Pustertal dominates Innsbruck again
Third-placed HC Falkensteiner Pustertal had no trouble in the Tyrolean derby against HC TIWAG Innsbruck, winning 7-1. Austin Rueschhoff was the star with a hat-trick, all scored in the second period. Rok Tičar gave the visitors the early lead after just 81 seconds, followed by Rueschhoff making it 2-0 in the 23rd minute. Five of the seven goals were scored in the second period. Early in the final period, the Wolves extended their lead to 7-0, before Benjamin Corbeil scored a consolation goal for Innsbruck in the 48th minute. It was Innsbruck’s fourth heavy defeat of the season against Pustertal, having previously lost 2-7, 2-6, and 1-8 in earlier encounters.

win2day ICE Hockey League
Fri, 26. 12. 2025:
Moser Medical Graz99ers - Steinbach Black Wings Linz 4:3/OT (2:1, 1:1, 0:1, 1:0)
Referees: HLAVATY, ZRNIC, Bärnthaler, Hribar
Goals G99: 1:0 Currie J. (4./SH1), 2:0 Collins C. (10.), 3:1 Harnisch T. (28.), 4:3/OT Currie J. (65.)
Goals BWL: 2:1 Würschl N. (14./PP1), 3:2 Barron T. (39./PP1), 3:3 Neubauer H. (57.)

Hydro Fehervar AV 19 - Vienna Capitals 2:1 (0:0, 2:0, 0:1)
Referees: K. NIKOLIC, SEEWALD, Muzsik, Vaczi
Goals AVS: Horvath D. (21.), 0:2 Messner J. (28.)
Goal VIC: Gregoire J. (44.)

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie - HC Falkensteiner Pustertal 1:7 (0:1, 0:5, 1:1)
Referees: GROZNIK, REZEK, Pardatscher, Sparer
Goal HCI: 1:7 Corbeil B. (48.)
Goals HCP: Ticar R. (2.), 0:2 Rueschhoff A. (23.), 0:3 Ierullo A. (26.), 0:4 Purdeller T. (33./PP1), 0:5 Rueschhoff A. (39.), 0:6 Rueschhoff A. (40.), 0:7 Di Tomaso G. (41.)

Pioneers Vorarlberg - EC Red Bull Salzburg 3:4/OT (1:0, 1:2, 1:1, 0:1)
Referees: HOLZER, PIRAGIC, Weiss, Wimmler
Goals PIV: 1:0 Macierzynski K. (12.), 2:0 Gallant C. (24./PP2), 3:3 Adams C. (44.)
Goals RBS: 2:1 Baltram F. (32.), 2:2 Robertson D. (35.), 2:3 Thaler L. (41.), 3:4 Thaler L. (62.)

HCB Südtirol Alperia - Olimpija Ljubljana 4:1 (1:0, 1:0, 2:1)
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, SMETANA, Mantovani, Martin
Goals HCB: 1:0 Bradley M. (20.), 2:0 Pollock B. (37./PP2), 3:0 Schneider C. (49.), 4:1 Brad McClure (59./EN)
Goal OLL: 3:1 Mahkovec M. (55.)