Salzburg back at the top of the table | Graz celebrates first win of the season

EC Red Bull Salzburg won the first final rematch of the win2day ICE Hockey League against HCB Südtirol Alperia with 6:3. In a racy game the guests took the lead through Brad McClure, but Peter Schneider equalized 33 seconds before the first period break. The Red Bulls were particularly convincing on the power play, scoring their first four goals with a man advantage. The second Schneider goal to make it 5:2 (54th) was the preliminary decision, the two-time league MVP ensured his hat trick and the final score with an empty netter. Thus, the reigning champion took back the lead in the standings, runner-up Bolzano is still in tenth place.

First win of the season for the 99ers
For the first time, the team at the bottom of the table also had reason to cheer. The Moser Medical Graz99ers and the EC-KAC played an intense derby, in which the home side scored the only goal in the first period through Daniel Viksten. After the restart, the Carinthians became stronger and Nick Petersen lit the lamp on the powerplay to equalize. The 99ers went ahead through a great solo effort by Ken Ograjensek, but Klagenfurt equalized again on the power play - this time through Jan Mursak. The game was on a knife edge and this time the Styrians had the better end for themselves. In the 59th minute, Anthony Salinitri scored on the power play for the 99ers' first win of the season.

Linz extends Caps' negative run
For the first time since December 26, 2020, the Steinbach Black Wings Linz celebrated a win in Vienna. The spusu Vienna Capitals, who again had to substitute several players, took the lead after eight minutes through Trevor Cheek. But former Caps forward Emil Romig equalized before the first period break, in the middle period the Linzers added powerplay goals by Matt MacKenzie (33./PP1) and Shawn St-Amant (36./PP1). The Upper Austrians defended fifth place with a 5:2 away win.

Olimpija manages shutout in Asiago
After four defeats in a row, Ljubljana returned to the road to success in impressive fashion. Although the Slovenians were the dominating team from the beginning in the road game in Asiago, the first period ended goalless. Shortly after the restart, Jaka Sodja finally scored to take the lead. After a check, Asiago's Nicholas Porco had to go to the shower and the visitors took advantage of the power play with a goal by Marcel Mahkovec. In the 37th minute Sodja increased the lead to 3:0. In the end Olimpija won 5:0, goalie Lukas Horak recorded his second shutout this season.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 15.10.2023:
spusu Vienna Capitals – Steinbach Black Wings Linz 2:5 (1:1, 0:2, 1:2)
Referees: Huber A., NIKOLIC K., Konc, Moidler.
Goals Vienna: Cheek (8.), Kromp (45./PP)
Goals Linz: Romig (19.), Mackenzie (33./PP), St-Amant (36./PP), Collins (41.), Knott (59./EN)

Moser Medical Graz99ers – EC-KAC 3:2 (1:0, 1:2, 1:0)
Referees: SIEGL, STERNAT, Durmis, Jedlicka.
Goals Graz: Viksten (12.), Ograjensek (31.), Salinitri (59./PP)
Goals KAC: Petersen (23./PP), Mursak (38./PP)

EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 6:3 (1:1, 3:1, 2:1)
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Gatol-Schafranek, Seewald E.
Goals Salzburg: Schneider (20./PP, 54., 59./EN), Murphy (23./PP), Bourke (31./PP), Payerl (40./PP2)
Goals Bolzano: McClure (18., 56.), Thomas (34.)

Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – HK SZ Olimpija 0:5 (0:0, 0:3, 0:2)
Referees: GROZNIK, ZRNIC, Mantovani, Rigoni.
Goals Ljubljana: Sodja (23., 37.), Mahkovec (28./PP), Leskinen (59./EN), Pance (60.)