Table-toppers Linz earn blowout win

Steinbach Black Wings Linz maintained their lead in the table on Friday with a 7:2 win over BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg. The Upper Austrians set the course for victory in the first period with goals from Pusnik (8th), Stajnoch (14th) and Kristler (18th). The visitors improved in the middle period and even came as close as one goal, but Logan Roe made it 4:2 before the second break. In the final period, the superior home side made sure that the situation was clear, with Julian Pusnik celebrating his second goal of the evening. In the end, Linz recorded their sixth home win in a row with a 7:2 victory.

Home wins for Salzburg and Villach
EC Red Bull Salzburg are now level on points in second place. The reigning champions celebrated a clear 4:1 win against HK SZ Olimpija and returned to winning ways after two recent defeats. The Red Bulls dominated the Slovenians for almost the entire game, but Peter Schneider only scored the first goal in the 29th minute. Captain Thomas Raffl set a personal milestone with his 300th league goal for a 2:0 lead. The home side had a four-goal advantage in the 54th minute, shortly before the end Trevor Gooch prevented a shutout by Salzburg goalie Atte Tolvanen on power play.

Philipp Lindner played his 400th league game when EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV faced the spusu Vienna Capitals. The Villach side was with a full line-up for the first time this season. The Carinthians produced an extremely efficient first period and went into the break with a 4:0 lead. Benjamin Lanzinger scored twice - it was the first brace of the 23-year-old in the win2day ICE Hockey League. Blaz Tomazevic also scored his second goal of the evening in the middle period. The Viennese showed morale and fought back in the third period, but VSV still won 6:3 in the end - the blue and whites improved to fourth place with the tenth win in their eleventh home game.

South Tyrolean teams celebrate successes
HCB Südtirol Alperia prolonged their winning streak as the runners-up won 4:2 at home against HC TIWAG Innsbruck - with three players scoring a brace. After a goalless first period, the visitors - two days after their strong CHL performance against Lukko Rauma - took the lead through Gordon Green. Mike Halmo (PP) equalised in the middle period and Dustin Gazley turned the game in the home side's favour. After Halmo and Green had both scored for a second time, Gazley made sure of the final score with an empty netter.

For the first time this season, the EC-KAC welcomed HC Pustertal with a full 22-man squad - and on this evening of all nights, the Red Jackets' three-game winning streak came to an end. The visitors opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Matthias Mantinger, Jan Mursak later equalised on power play. However, Klagenfurt were unable to build on their recent performances and fell behind again: Alex Petan scored in the 38th minute. The team from Bruneck defended their 2:1 lead until the final buzzer and celebrated their second win of the season over the Red Jackets.

Graz defeats Fehervar in a goal festival
The Moser Medical Graz99ers celebrated a 6:4 victory over the top 6 team from Hydro Fehervar AV19 on a varied hockey evening. After Ken Ograjensek gave the hosts a deserved lead, the Hungarians turned the game in their favour by the 31st minute. But then 99ers newcomer Renars Krastenbergs became the match-winner with a hat-trick - his goals made it 4:2. Fehervar never gave up, however, and reduced the deficit to 3:4 and 4:5. A second empty-netter for the home side by Ograjensek finally secured the 6:4 victory.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 24.11.2023:
EC-KAC - HC Pustertal 1:2 (1:1, 0:1, 0:0)
Referees: GROZNIK, SIEGEL, Bärnthaler, Gatol-Schafranek
Goal KAC: Mursak (18./PP)
Goals Pustertal: Mantinger (5.), Petan (38.)

EC Red Bull Salzburg - HK SZ Olimpija 4:1 (0:0, 3:0, 1:1)
Referees: PALKÖVI, SMETANA, Eisl, Nothegger
Goals Salzburg: Schneider (29.), Raffl (35.), Thaler (38.), Bourke (54.)
Goal Ljubljana: Gooch (59./PP)

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV - spusu Vienna Capitals 6:3 (4:0, 1:0, 1:3)
Referees: PIRAGIC, REZEK, Muzsik, Wimmler
Goals Villach: B. Lanzinger (7., 16.), Richter (12.), Tomazevic (15., 35.), Sabolic (58./EN)
Goals Vienna: Eriksson (45.), Weinger (47.), Ticar (57.)

Steinbach Black Wings Linz - BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 7:2 (3:0, 1:2, 3:0)
Referees: HLAVATY, NIKOLIC K., Beynek, Seewald
Goals Linz: Pusnik (8., 55./PP), Stajnoch (14.), Kristler (18.), Roe (39.), Knott (44.), Collins (55./PP)
Goals Pioneers: Owre (32.), van Nes (35.)

Moser Medical Graz99ers - Hydro Fehérvár AV19 6:4 (1:1, 1:1, 4:2)
Referees: HRONSKY, OFNER, Durmis, Riecken
Goals Graz: Ograjensek (7., 60./EN), Krastenbergs (38., 42., 45.), Antonitsch (59./EN)
Goals Fehervar: Stipsicz (17.), Leavens (31.), Bartalis (56.), Leclerc (59.)

HCB Südtirol Alperia - HC TIWAG Innsbruck 4:2 (0:0, 1:1, 3:1)
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC M., Mantovani, Sparer
Goals Bolzano: Halmo (37., 53.), Gazley (45., 59./EN)
Goals Innsbruck: Green (21., 54.)

Photo: Black Wings Linz/Eisenbauer