Release from 25.02.2024

Pioneers and Pustertal take the lead in the pre-playoffs

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The BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg celebrated a 6:3 road win in Innsbruck to kick off the pre-playoffs in the win2day ICE Hockey League on Sunday. HC Pustertal won 3:0 against HK SZ Olimpija, with goalie Jake Smith recording his second shutout of the season. The best-of-three series will continue on Tuesday.

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HC TIWAG Innsbruck and the BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg opened the pre-palyoffs with an open exchange of blows. The visitors took the lead in the fifth minute through Guus van Nes after a perfect assist by top scorer Steven Owre. However, the Sharks responded immediately, with Zach Magwood sinking a rebound. However, the team from Feldkirch was 2:1 ahead after the first period, as Julian Metzler scored from an acute angle. The best powerplay in the league struck at the start of the middle period. The Pioneers were outnumbered for the second time that evening and Joonas Oden made it 3:1 with a rebound. And it got even worse for the hosts: Luca Erne made it 4:1 out of nowhere just under two minutes later. But the Sharks responded and Anders Krogsgaard brought the Tyroleans back to 2:4. The hosts now pressed for another goal, but remained too inefficient. After missing two great chances, Kevin Maciercynski made it 5:2 for the Pioneers on the counter-attack. The Tyroleans stayed in the game because Gordie Green made it 3:5 in the power play in the middle period. However, the Vorarlberg team defended skilfully in the final period, with Owre scoring an empty-net goal in the last minute to secure the final score. The Pioneers thus won in Innsbruck for the first time in their league history and can advance to the quarter-finals in front of a home crowd on Tuesday.

Pustertal celebrates shutout win against Ljubljana
After a one-year break, both HC Pustertal and HK SZ Olimpija are back in the postseason. The home side got off to the better start in the first encounter for a place in the quarter-finals. Daniel Catenacci (7') opened the scoring in the first power play of the game and they went into the first break with a narrow 1:0 lead. The Slovenians were more active in the middle period, but were unable to capitalise on their chances and even missed three power play opportunities. In the 34th minute, Ryan Stanton even scored the hosts' second goal while short-handed, only the second goal of the season for the former NHL player. The special teams again made the difference in the third period, with Catenacci scoring on the power play to make it 3:0. Goalie Jake Smith recorded his second shutout of the season with 37 saves. The series continues on Tuesday at the Tivoli in Ljubljana.

win2day ICE Hockey League | Pre-Playoff | Game 1:
Sun, 25.02.2024: HC TIWAG Innsbruck - BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 3:6 (1:2, 2:3, 0:1)
Referees: OFNER, STERNAT, Nothegger, Riecken.
Goals Innsbruck: Magwood (6.), Krogsgaard (29.), Green (38./PP1)
Goals Pioneers: van Nes (5.), Metzler (8.), Oden (24./PP1), Erne (26.), Maciercynski (36.), Owre (60./EN);
"best-of-3" series HCI-PIV 0:1

Sun, 25.02.2024: HC Pustertal - HK SZ Olimpija 3:0 (1:0, 1:0, 1:0)
Referees: HRONSKY, SMETANA, Durmis, Konc.
Goals Pustertal: Catenacci (7./PP, 45./PP), Stanton (34./SH)
"best-of-3" series PUS-HKO 1:0