Release from 24.10.2023
On Wednesday, the teams tied on points (29) on the ranks one to three in the win2day ICE Hockey League each play a road game: EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV travels to Vorarlberg, has never lost a game against the "Pioneers", while Hydro Fehérvár AV19 has won every road game at Ljubljana so far. Thoms Raffl and his EC Red Bull Salzburg stops by in Pustertal – and he is hunting for his 300th league goal.
In addition to the second "Grande Classico", the spusu Vienna Capitals hope for a trend reversal with a new interim coaching duo and a loan defender, while the Steinbach Black Wings Linz want to extend their point streak against the bottom-ranked team.
All games of the 15th round are available on www.live.ice.hockey (PPV).
Win2day ICE Hockey League | 25.10.2023 | Schedule:
Wed, 25.10.2023, 7.15 pm: spusu Vienna Capitals – EC-KAC
Referees: FICHTNER, HRONSKY, Jedlicka, Konc. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The spusu Vienna Capitals have an eight-game losing streak available. The clear 1-6 defeat at HC Pustertal Wölfe on Saturday also prompted those responsible to suspend the previous Head Coach Marc Habscheid – Christian Dolezal and U15 Head Coach Fabian Schulz are currently, and at least until the International Break, in charge of coaching the twelfth-ranked side. They will make their joint debut Wednesday night at home against EC-KAC, with Kilian Zündel, recently signed on loan from Swiss first division side HC Ambri Piotta. The Austrian international is expected to add structure to Vienna's defense, as the "Caps" conceded 4.2 goals per game, more than any other team in the league.
Vienna's longest losing streak dates back to 2002, when the two-time champions lost nine games in a row. First its four semifinal games against Linz, then the first five games of the new season.
Klagenfurt has stabilized defensively in particular, conceding just five goals in its last four games and allowing an average of just 22.8 shots on goal per game. Gomboc, Herburger, Obersteiner and Dahm will be missing for the "Rotjacken". The EC-KAC won the first duel of the season despite an early two-goal deficit with 5-2.
Wed, 25.10.2023, 7.15 pm: Steinbach Black Wings Linz – Moser Medical Graz99ers
Referees: SMETANA, STERNAT, Durmis, Moidl. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The Steinbach Black Wings Linz continue to have an upright point streak: In the last ten games, the Upper Austrians have always scored, winning seven of them. This puts the team around league top scorer Graham Knott (12G|8A) in fifth place in the table, just four points off the leading trio, which are level on points. Thomas Höneckl will be covering the net for Linz. The fifth-placed team in the table recently suffered two home defeats in a row, while the last three games against Graz were won. The Moser Medical Graz99ers are still and with only one win from twelve games this season at the bottom of the table. In the last two games against Klagenfurt (3-2 win) and Villach (2-5 loss), the Styrians showed good approaches. With the return of Gustav Bouramman and Craig Schira, the injury list is also thinning out for Wednesday's clash.
Wed, 25.10.2023, 7.15 pm: HK SZ Olimpija – Hydro Fehérvár AV19
Referees: PIRAGIC, TRILAR, Bärnthaler, Hribar. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 has 29 points after the first quarter of the Regular Season and is tied with Villach and Salzburg at the top of the table. The Hungarians have won their last four games, scoring an average of 5.25 goals. The winning streak started with a 6-3 home win over upcoming opponents HK SZ Olimpija. A lightning start with two goals in the first four minutes paved the way to victory for the Magyars. Fehérvár has yet to score in Ljubljana in any of its visits, winning three of four games after regulation. HK SZ Olimpija is struggling with its performance on home ice, as the "Dragons" have not been able to win any of the seven home games so far, only twice (OT defeats against BWL and HCB) the eighth-placed team in the table managed to get a point. The values of Ljubljana's special teams are also challenging: both in PK (69.4%|#13) and PP (10.2%|#12) there is a need to catch up. Ljubljana forward Ziga Pance (184G|214A) is only two scorer points away from the 400th anniversary.
Wed, 25.10.2023, 7.30 pm: BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg – EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV
Referees: HUBER A., SCHAUER, Fleischmann, Wimmler. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV also has a road game to play, stopping by at BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg. The team from Villach took the top spot in the win2day ICE Hockey League with a 2-1 home win over Salzburg on Sunday and extended their winning streak to five in a row. Within this streak, the "Adler" also defeated their upcoming opponent from Vorarlberg (6-4). VSV has not yet lost a game against the "Pioneers". Five wins after regulation are on the books, on average the Carinthians scored 5.4 goals. With 3.8 goals per game, Villach (same as AVS) is the most goal-hungry team in the league. The league leader is missing Anthony Luciani, Marco Richter as well as Rene Swette.
The team from Vorarlberg, which is still missing Olli Vanttaja, has recently lost some of its strong form from the beginning of the season, remaining without a win or a point in the last five games. In addition, they had to concede a goal shorthanded in each of the last four games. In general, too many goals have been allowed recently (4.8 per game).
Wed, 25.10.2023, 7.45 pm: HC Pustertal Wölfe – EC Red Bull Salzburg
Referees: BERNEKER, OFNER, Mantovani, Puff. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
With EC Red Bull Salzburg, the third top team of the win2day ICE Hockey League also has to play an away game on Wednesday, as the reigning champion faces HC Pustertal Wölfe. The South Tyrolean team is in fourth place, only two points behind the top three and is convincing with its special teams: both in PP (29.27%) and PK (89.66%), the "Wolves" are in first place in the league – Salzburg is just a touch behind. The focus of both teams will thus probably also lie specifically on the 5-on-5. The Red Bulls, which won the first duel of the season at home with 2-1, have the entire squad available except for Benjamin Nissner. Forward Thomas Raffl is also back and has a chance to score his 300th ICE goal. Salzburg has scored against Pustertal in each of the nine confrontations, winning the last six.
Wed, 25.10.2023, 8.30 pm: HCB Südtirol Alperia – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: NIKOLIC M., NIKOLIC K., Pardatscher, Rigoni. | >> live.ice.hockey <<
The final match of the day is the "Grande Classico" between HCB Südtirol Alperia and Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey. Both teams won on the last matchday, the "Stellati" at home against PIV, the "Foxes" away after overtime at HKO and with that both teams also ended a three-game losing streak. Bolzano won the first "Grande Classico" of this season clearly with 3-0, all in all, last year's vice-champion against Asiago is without defeat for four games. Asiago is still playing for its first road win this season, Tom Barasso's team has been defeated six times "on the road".