Pustertal at the top of the table for the first time

HC Pustertal is on top of the win2day ICE Hockey League for the first time. The South Tyroleans also won their fifth game of the season, defeating KAC 5:3. In a brilliant first period with a total of five goals, the hosts took the lead through Joel Messner in the tenth minute. After the 2:0 by Akeson, Klagenfurt managed to equalize in the meantime through a brace (Mursak and Haudum), but Petan put the wolves ahead again. After a goalless middle period, Morley beat KAC goalie Vorauer in the 47th minute for the second time this evening on the power play. In the end, the South Tyroleans celebrated a 5:3 victory and a historic league position.

The previous league leader EC Red Bull Salzburg had to admit defeat in Innsbruck for the first time this season. League MVP Brady Shaw gave the home side the lead in the first period. After that, the Red Bulls had more of the game overall, but took too many penalties. Chay Genoway equalized in the 60th minute after a thrilling and heated final period, before the Innsbruckers secured the extra point through Mackin in overtime.

Capitals and Olimpija win away
Marc Habscheid's return to Feldkirch did not go to the Caps coach's liking at first. Daniel Woger gave the Pioneers the lead after 70 seconds, in the middle period the home side went up 2:0, but former Vorarlberg player Eriksson pulled one back in a shorthanded period. By the 45th minute, the guests had even turned the game around. The home side erased a two-goal deficit, but Vienna had the longer breath and walked off the ice with a 6:4 win. The Caps thus also won their fifth league meeting.

HK SZ Olimpija also celebrated an away win. A Simsic goal was enough for the Slovenians to win in Bolzano. Ljubljana goalie Lukas Horak recorded 40 saves, as HCB got 20 shots goalwards in the final period alone.

Home wins for Fehervar and Villach
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV had to fight hard for a 2:1 shootout win over Asiago. The Carinthians almost looked like the sure winner after John Hughes' late goal (48th). But in the 59th minute Ierullo scored the equalizer while being shorthanded and gave the Italians their first point of the season. In the penalty shootout, however, Luciani secured the victory for the hosts.

The Moser Medical Graz99ers - head coach Johan Pennerborn had to do without Gustav Bouramman (injured) and Chris Dodero (not yet eligible to play), among others - quickly fell behind at Fehervar. But Salinitri scored the equalizer before the end of the first period. After the home side went ahead again in the middle period, it became a clear affair in the third period. Leavens made it 3:1 on the power play, Leclerc (46.) and Mihaly (47.) made the preliminary decision. There was hardly any resistance from the 99ers, the Hungarians had an easy game and celebrated a 6:1 victory.

win2day ICE Hockey League:
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 2:1 SO (0:0, 0:0, 1:1)
Referees: NAGY, RENCZ, Muzsik, Vaczi 
Goals Villach: Hughes (48.), Luciani (65./entsch. Penalty)
Goal Asiago: Ierullo (59./SH)

Hydro Fehervar AV 19 - Moser Medical Graz99ers 6:1 (1:1, 1:0, 4:0)
Referees: SIEGEL, SMETANA, Gatol-Schafranek, Konc
Goals Fehervar: Kuralt (2./PP), Phillips (25.), 3:1 Leavens (43./PP), Leclerc (46.), Mihaly (47.), Terbocs (58.)
Goal Graz: Salinitri (8.)

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie - EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:1 OT (1:0, 0:0, 0:1)
Referees: MOSCHEN, K. NIKOLIC, Pardatscher, Sparer
Goals Innsbruck: Shaw (12./PP), Mackin (65.)
Goal Salzburg: Genoway (60.)

BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg - spusu Vienna Capitals 4:6 (1:0, 1:2, 2:4)
Referees: BERNEKER, M. NIKOLIC, Fleischmann, Martin
Goals Pioneers: Woger (2.), Kirichenko (31./PP), Owre (51., 54.)
Goals Capitals: Eriksson (35./SH), Ticar (39./PP), Brunner (45.), Kainz (48.), Drugge (55.), Weinger (60./EN)

HCB Südtirol Alperia - HK SZ Olimpija 0:1 (0:1, 0:0, 0:0)
Referees: HUBER, TRILAR, Miklic, Zgonc
Goal Ljubljana: Simsic (14.)

HC Pustertal Wölfe - EC-KAC 5:3 (3:2, 0:0, 2:1)
Referees: PIRAGIC, SCHAUER, Seewald, Snoj
Goals Pustertal: Messner (10.), Akeson (15./PP), Petan (20.), Morley (47./PP), Catenacci (60./PP)
Goals Klagenfurt: Mursak (16.), Haudum (18./PP), Ganahl (50.)

Photo: Foppa Iwan - HC Pustertal