Top duo extends leading positions

Boxing-Day day was opened with the duel of the two best offensive teams. But instead of offensive fireworks, the teams initially presented themselves steadfastly on the defensive. Both Alexander Schmidt, who came on Monday for the suspended J.P. Lamoureux for his fifth appearance of the season, and Tom McCollum proved their reactions and kept the zero on both sides until the 33rd minute. But then the Villach ice arena fell silent for a short time as Nico Feldner put the Sharks in the lead. But just seven seconds later, a cross-ice pass from Kevin Moderer found its way into the net for the equalizer. In the final period, Innsbruck's special teams ignited the turbo. Two powerplay goals by Tyler Coulter gave Innsbruck the 3:1 lead. Innsbruck added on and prevailed 5-1. For the Sharks, this was their first win of the season against the Eagles in their third meeting. With this success, the Innsbruck team was able to extend its lead in the standings. The lead over chaser Bolzano is already four points. Third-placed Villach - with the same number of games - are even nine points behind.



Linz wins duel of table neighbors in shootout

In the duel of the two table neighbors Steinbach Black Wings Linz against EC Red Bull Salzburg, the Upper Austrians celebrated a hard-fought victory after penalty shootout. This was the first time the Linz team won a home game against Salzburg since November 16, 2018. Back then, Brian Lebler scored a hat trick and also more than four years later, it was him who opened the scoring. The Linz legend took ice-cold advantage of a set-up error by Salzburg and netted for 1:0 in the 19th minute. However, the reigning champions' answer followed promptly: Mario Huber equalized before the end of the first period. In regulation time and in overtime, the two goalies Thomas Höneckl and David Kickert did not allow any further goals. In the shootout, Black Wings top scorer Michael Haga made the decision. This brought the Linz team to within one point of EC Red Bull Salzburg in the standings. The reigning champion is already ten points behind leader Innsbruck - but the Bulls played three players less than the Sharks.

Bolzano defeats KAC in overtime

HCB Südtirol Alperia earned an OT home win against EC-KAC on December 26. For the South Tyroleans, this was already the 14th home win in 16 home games in the win2day ICE Hockey League. In the direct duel against the EC-KAC, the Foxes already celebrated their third victory in the third duel in the current season. The EC-KAC again had to play with a severely depleted lineup. In total, the KAC were missing eleven players. Nevertheless, the guests got off to the better start and took the lead in the 33rd minute through Fabian Hochegger. At the beginning of the final period, Mitch Hults equalized before Brad McClure scored the game-winner in overtime. With this defeat, the KAC had to give up its newly won top-6 position.

Pustertal outclassed Pioneers with highest ICE season win

HC Pustertal celebrated a 9:0 victory over BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg and shortened the gap to the top-10 teams of the win2day ICE Hockey League. Captain Raphael Andergassen started the winning run in the fifth minute with a remarkable shorthander. By the end of the second period, the Wolves increased to 6-0 - half of the goals were scored by the special team. In the final period, the Wolves added three more goals for a final score of 9:0. Only defender Emil Kristensen scored a brace. While the team from Vorarlberg lost the connection to the rest of the field, the team from Bruneck is back in contact with the pre-playoff spots.



Fehérvár wins against Graz for the first time

After two overtime losses of Hydro Fehérvár AV19 against the Moser Medical Graz99ers, the Hungarians celebrated their first win of the season in this duel. After Christian Engstrand seemed hardly defeatable for the Devils so far, Fehérvár found a recipe on Monday night. Defender Bence Stipsiczs opened the scoring in the first period before Alex Petan doubled in the middle period. An empty-netter finally allowed the Hungarians to celebrate a 3-0 win. For AVS-Goalie Olivier Roy this was already the fifth shutout in the current season.

Asiago still on the rise

In the fight for the pre-playoff places, Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey achieved an enormously important success. In the direct duel with HK SZ Olimpija, the yellow-reds won 5:2 in Slovenia. After the second win in a row - just before Christmas Asiago celebrated a surprise victory against leader Innsbruck - the newcomer climbed to ninth place in the table. Ljubljana, on the other hand, is gradually losing touch with the top 10, already four points behind. In the direct encounter on Boxing Day, the two teams were still on an equal footing in the first period. With the score at 1-1, Asiago stepped on the gas from the second period onwards and went up 4-1 by the 52nd minute. Ljubljana couldn't get back into the game and suffered a 2-5 home defeat - their sixth ICE loss in a row.

win2day ICE Hockey League | 26.12.2022 | Results:

EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie 1:5 (0:0,1:1,0:4)
Referees: OFNER, RENCZ, Hribar, Zgonc.
Goals VSV: Moderer (34.)
Goals HCI: Feldner (34.), Coulter (43./PP1, Coulter 44./PP1), Shaw (54.) Ulmer (56.)

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – Moser Medical Graz99ers 3:0 (1:0,1:0,1:0)
Referees: NAGY, ZRNIC, Durmis, Jedlicka.
Goals AVS: Stipsicz (9.), Petan (31./PP1), Hari (59.)

Steinbach Black Wings Linz – EC Red Bull Salzburg 2:1 S.O. (1:1,0:0,0:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, SMETANA, Bedynek, Riecken.
Goals BWL: Lebler (19.), Haga (65./PS)
Goals RBS: Huber (20./PP1),

HK SZ Olimpija – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 2:5 (1:1,0:2,1:2)
Referees: PIRAGIC, SOOS, Muzsik, Snoj.
Goals HKO: Pance (17./SH, 57.),
Goals ASH: Mcshane (14./27.), Marchetti (30./PP1), Moncada (52./PP1), Magnabosco (58./EN)

HCB Südtirol Alperia – EC-KAC 2:1 OT (0:0,0:1,1:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC K., STERNAT, Pardatscher, Weiss.
Goals HCB: Hults (44.), McClure (64.)
Goals KAC: Hochegger (33.),

HC Pustertal Wölfe – BEMER Pioneers Vorarlberg 9:0 (2:0,4:0,3:0)
Referees: NIKOLIC M., PINIE, Eisl, Martin.
Goals PUS: Andergassen (5./SH1), Archambault (17.), Spencer (27.), Bardaro (33./PP1), Sanna (35.), Kristensen (38./PP1, 47.), Hannoun (43.), Catenacci (50.)

Foto ©VSV / Krammer