Release from 03.03.2024

Pioneers upset Regular Season Champion Klagenfurt

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The BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg kicked off the playoffs in the win2day ICE Hockey League with a 2-0 road win over Regular Season Champion EC-KAC to post the first surprise in the young postseason. Past season’s finalists EC Red Bull Salzburg and HCB Südtirol Alperia started their "best-of-7" quarter-final series with commanding victories.

Regular Season’s second-ranked Hydro Fehérvár AV19 had to work hard for their opening win, snatching up a 3-2 home victory after overtime against HC Pustertal Wölfe. The series continues Monday night with game two, starting 7.15 on live.ice.hockey (PPV).

win2day ICE Hockey League | 03.03.2024 | QF1 | Results:
EC-KAC – BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 0:2 (0:1, 0:1, 0:0)
„best-of-7“ series: 0:1

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC Pustertal 3:2 OT (1:0, 1:2, 1:0, 1:0)
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0

EC Red Bull Salzburg – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 4:0 (0:0, 2:0, 2:0)
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0

HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 5:2 (2:0, 2:0, 1:2)
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0

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The BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg have won their first quarter-final game in the win2day ICE Hockey League, as Dylan Stanley's cheered a 2-0 road win at the sold-out Heidi Horten-Arena against EC-KAC, Regular Season Champions. After just 17 seconds, Nick Pastujov (1.) gave the tenth-placed team an early lead. League’s MVP Steven Owre then added a shorthanded goal in the 27th minute and goalie David Madlener kept a clean sheet with 28 saves. Klagenfurt barely found their rhythm and looked too harmless over 60 minutes.

Champion and Vize champion open playoffs with clear wins
Defending champions EC Red Bull Salzburg and their runners-up from the previous season HCB Südtirol Alperia have started the 2024 playoffs with clear victories: The Salzburg team prevailed 4-0 at home against Steinbach Black Wings Linz. The "Red Bulls" were unable to take advantage of a five-minute powerplay sequence - as a result of a game misconduct penalty against Shawn St-Amant three minutes before the end of the first period. Then, however, they started to pick it up: Peter Schneider (25./SH1) opened the scoring in his comeback game after a 43-day injury layoff while shorthanded, Thomas Raffl (35.) doubled the lead with a one-timer before Drake Rymsha (48. and 49.) scored two goals on PP within 56 seconds to secure a deserved opening success. Goalie Atte Tolvanen only had to save 15 shots on his way to the shutout, ten of them in the first period.

The South Tyroleans put in a strong performance right from the start against EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV: Daniel Mantenuto (15.) took the lead, Daniel Frank (20.) made it 2-0 eight seconds before the break. In the middle frame, the "Foxes" again through Frank and Enrico Miglioranzi (31.) added to their tally and ensured the preliminary decision. Villach's comeback in the final period was not enough to turn the game around.

Kuralt hits OT game winner
Anze Kuralt gave Hydro Fehérvár AV19 the opening win in the quarter-finals: In front of almost 3,000 frenzied fans, the Slovenian scored the decisive goal after 166 seconds of overtime to secure a 3-2 win over HC Pustertal Wölfe. The South Tyroleans proved to be an unpleasant opponent, turning a deficit into a 2-1 thanks to two powerplay goals. Tim Campbell then scored the equalizer with just under five minutes remaining.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 03.03.2024 | QF1 | Results:
EC-KAC – BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 0:2 (0:1, 0:1, 0:0)
Referees: HUBER, NIKOLIC M., Bärnthaler, Mantovani. | Spectators: 4.395
„best-of-7“ series: 0:1
Goals PIV: Pastujov N. (1.), Owre (27./SH1)

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC Pustertal 3:2 OT (1:0, 1:2, 1:0, 1:0)
Referees: SMETANA, STERNAT, Gatol-Schafranek, Riecken. | Spectators: 2.889
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0
Goals AVS: Phillips (2.), Campbell (55.), Kuralt (63.)
Goals PUS: Sill (28./PP1), Ege (32./PP1)

EC Red Bull Salzburg – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 4:0 (0:0, 2:0, 2:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, GROZNIK, Bedynek, Snoj. | Spectators: 3.087
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0
Goals RBS: Schneider (25.), Raffl (35.), Rymsha (48./PP1, 49./PP1)

HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV 5:2 (2:0, 2:0, 1:2)
Referees: HRONSKY, OFNER, Durmis, Konc. | Spectators: 3.820
„best-of-7“ series: 1:0
Goals HCB: Mantenuto (15.), Frank (20., 29.), Miglioranzi (31.), McClure (60./EN)
Goals VSV: Desjardins (45./PP1), MacPerson (57.)