Release from 04.01.2025

South Tyrolean derby in Bolzano | Top 6 duel between Fehérvár and Linz

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The win2day ICE Hockey League sees the third South Tyrolean derby of the season between HCB Südtirol Alperia and HC Pustertal on Sunday. The playoff race enters the next round, with the Steinbach Black Wings Linz travelling to Hydro Fehérvár AV19 in a duel between two top 6 teams.

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Hydro Fehérvár AV19 - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Fehérvár turned their home game against Ljubljana around on Friday and are now back at the top of the table. The Hungarians have shown a cohesive team performance throughout the season, with Josh Atkinson (+21) and Tim Campbell (+20) even leading the league's plus/minus rating. Linz suffered its fourth defeat in a row in Klagenfurt yesterday, dropping the Upper Austrians to sixth place. Last year, Phil Lukas' team already had a slump after Christmas, losing seven out of eight games between 26 December and 14 January. The Hungarians have a 2:1 lead in the head-to-head meetings this season, with the away team always winning.

HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC Pustertal
Bolzano had to vacate its place at the top of the table after losing 3:1 at home to Vorarlberg. The second-placed Foxes are still have an eleven points advantage to seventh place. HC Pustertal, on the other hand, have won their last three games and are in ninth place. Since the Wolves entered the win2day ICE Hockey League, there have been 14 encounters in which Bolzano has won nine times. Interesting fact: Both teams find it difficult to win on home ice - Bolzano has only won three of the seven home derbies, while Val Pusteria has only won one of seven. This season, the two previous meetings have gone to HCB.

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - EC-KAC
Things have not been going according to plan for Innsbruck in sporting terms for some time now, with the Tyroleans suffering their sixth defeat in a row in Bruneck on Friday. Nevertheless, the management decided this week that Jordan Smotherman will remain HCI coach next season. The upcoming opponents from Klagenfurt come to Innsbruck on the back of a seven-game winning streak. However, the team currently bottom of the table is the only team in the win2day ICE Hockey League that the third-placed Red Jackets could not beat in 2024/25. The Sharks won 4:1 away and 4:3 at home.

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Olimpija Ljubljana
VSV also came away victorious in their second game of the new year, as the blue and whites won 4:1 in Asiago. After 13 wins from their last 14 games, Villach are in fourth place for the first time. With twelve wins from 17 games, the Carinthians are the best home team in the league. For Ljubljana, on the other hand, a winning streak came to an end on Friday, with Olimpija suffering their first defeat under interim head coach Andrej Tavželj (1:2 in Fehérvár). The eighth-placed Slovenians are twelve points behind the top six. It's 1:1 in the direct season comparison, with both teams coming out on top in front of a home crowd.

spusu Vienna Capitals - Moser Medical Graz99ers
The Capitals have won three of their last five games, beating the champions in Salzburg on Friday. The Viennese are in tenth place, nine points ahead of the teams outside the pre-playoff places. The 99ers, on the other hand, are currently searching for their form. Harry Lange's team has lost four of its last five games. The Styrians slipped out of the top six in the table for the first time this season after losing 3:2 to Olimpija Ljubljana on New Year's Day. Tomorrow's game is the final encounter in the regular season between the two teams. Two of the three previous duels went to the Styrians, most recently on 20 December.

Pioneers Vorarlberg - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
David Madlener of the Pioneers Vorarlberg was the win2day Game Day Hero of the 37th round. The 32-year-old recorded 38 saves in the away game in Bolzano and played a big part in his team's 3-1 win, which can still hope to make the pre-playoffs after four wins from its last five games. Asiago, on the other hand, have lost their last twelve games, with their last win dating back to the end of November. The team from Feldkirch is 2:1 in favour in the season duel, with all wins so far coming away from home.

win2day ICE Hockey League
Sun, 05.01.2025:
16:00: Hydro Fehérvár AV19 - Steinbach Black Wings Linz
Referees: M. NIKOLIC, ZRNIC, Nothegger, Vaczi | >> live.ice.hockey <<

16:00: Pioneers Vorarlberg - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: HOLZER, SCHAUER, Fleischmann, Martin | >> live.ice.hockey <<

17:30: HC TIWAG Innsbruck - EC-KAC
Referees: KAINBERGER, OFNER, J. Seewald, Wimmler | >> live.ice.hockey <<

17:30: spusu Vienna Capitals - Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: HRONSKY, STERNAT, Jedlicka, Konc | >> live.ice.hockey <<

17:30: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Jeram, Zgonc | >> live.ice.hockey <<

18:00: HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC Pustertal
Referees: K. NIKOLIC, PIRAGIC, Mantovani, Pardatscher | >> live.ice.hockey <<