Release from 03.10.2025
After six consecutive wins, Olimpija Ljubljana suffered their first defeat of the season. The Slovenians lost 1-3 to the Vienna Capitals but remain at the top of the win2day ICE Hockey League standings, as EC Red Bull Salzburg were clearly defeated 1-4 at home by HCB Südtirol Alperia. Bolzano even overtook Salzburg and is now second in the table. Additionally, EC-KAC narrowly defeated the Steinbach Black Wings Linz 3-2, with Jan Mursak scoring a brace to secure the win. No issues arose for HC Falkensteiner Pustertal, who won 3-1 away against Hydro Fehérvár AV19, nor for EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV, who claimed a 5-2 home victory over the Pioneers Vorarlberg. The 7th round will conclude on Saturday with HC TIWAG Innsbruck hosting the Moser Medical Graz99ers. Meanwhile, Vienna and Pustertal will open the 8th round.
The Vienna Capitals were able to keep Olimpija Ljubljana, the league’s top-scoring team, largely under control and eventually celebrated a 3-1 home victory. After a heavy 1-8 defeat in Ljubljana at the season opener, it was the perfect response by Vienna, who also became the first team to hand the Slovenians a loss. Sam Antonitsch was the player of the match, scoring just 65 seconds in to make it 1-0 and later securing the 3-1 final score in the 47th minute. In between, Bine Mašič equalized for the visitors in the 34th minute. The Capitals, earning their fourth win of the season, regained the lead in the 43rd minute through Lukas Zach-Kiesling, before Antonitsch sealed the win. Goalie Sebastian Wraneschitz shone with 30 saves. Vienna now sits sixth in the standings, while Ljubljana remains first with 16 points, also aided by Salzburg’s loss to Bolzano.
Bolzano unstoppable even against Salzburg
EC Red Bull Salzburg dropped to third place, overtaken by HCB Südtirol. Bolzano celebrated their fifth consecutive win and sits with 15 points, just one behind table leaders Ljubljana and only one ahead of Salzburg. In the away game in Salzburg, the “Foxes” dominated and earned a deserved 4-1 victory. The home side scored their only goal 125 seconds before the end, especially frustrating for Bolzano goalie Gianluca Vallini, who was beaten for the first time in his third game and narrowly missed his third shutout. Scorers for Bolzano were Brett Pollock (10th), Cole Schneider (31st), Max Gildon (47th), and Bryce Misley (57th). In the first matchup of the season, Salzburg had won 4-3 in Bolzano.
KAC snatches late win in Linz
The losing streak of the Steinbach Black Wings Linz continued against EC-KAC. In the 3-2 away win, Jan Mursak shone with a brace, including the game-winning goal just 113 seconds before the final buzzer. This victory moved Klagenfurt up to eighth place with their third win of the season, while Linz, suffering their fifth consecutive loss, remains 11th. A win was possible for the Upper Austrians: Travis Barron (2nd) and Graham Knott (30th) had given Linz temporary leads of 1-0 and 2-1.
Pustertal quickly sets course for victory in Fehérvár
After just 123 seconds in Székesfehérvár, HC Falkensteiner Pustertal led 2-0: Henry Bowlby scored after 53 seconds, and Tommy Purdeller added a power-play goal. Ten minutes later, Luca Zanatta scored shorthanded to make it 3-0. Hydro Fehérvár AV19 showed little, while the guests from Bruneck created further chances but failed to capitalize. Darren Archibald scored for the hosts 76 seconds before the final buzzer, denying goalie Eddie Pasquale (30 saves) a shutout. For fifth-placed Pustertal, it was the fourth win of the season, while tenth-placed Fehérvár suffered their fourth defeat, their first at home.
Villach dominates Pioneers
In the fifth game of the day, EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV defeated Pioneers Vorarlberg 5-2. For fourth-placed Villach, it was their third consecutive win. Elias Wallenta opened the scoring in the 13th minute, followed shortly by Mark Katic making it 2-0. Nikita Scherbak scored in the 29th minute to make it 3-0, before the Pioneers registered their first goal. Villach quickly responded through Guus van Nes to restore the three-goal lead. The visitors scored again 17 seconds before the second period ended, but the third period remained quiet until John Hughes sealed the 5-2 final score in the 58th minute.
win2day ICE Hockey League:
Fri, 03.10.2025:
Vienna Capitals – Olimpija Ljubljana 3:1 (1:0, 0:1, 2:0
Referees: OFNER, SOOS, Gatol-Schafranek, Jedlicka
Goals VIC: 1:0 Antonitsch S. (2.), 2:1 Zach-Kiesling L. (43.), 3:1 Antonitsch S. (47.)
Goal OLL: 1:1 Masic B. (34./PP1)
EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 1:4 (0:1, 0:1, 1:2)
Referees: HUBER A., NIKOLIC M., Nothegger, Seewald J.
Goal RBS: Nissner B. (58.)
Goals HCB: 0:1 Pollock B. (10.), 0:2 Schneider C. (31.), 0:3 Gildon M. (47./PP1), 0:4 Misley B. (57.)
EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV – Pioneers Vorarlberg 5:2 (2:0, 2:2, 1:0)
Referees: HLAVATY, KAINBERGER, Jeram, Wimmler
Goals VSV: 1:0 Wallenta E. (13.), 2:0 Katic M. (15.), 3:0 Scherbak N. (29.), 4:1 van Nes G. (39.), 5:2 Hughes J. (58.)
Goals PIV: 3:1 Dornbach C. (32.), 4:2 Allen R. (40.)
Hydro Fehérvár AV19 – HC Falkensteiner Pustertal 1:3 (0:3, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, STERNAT, Muzsik, Puff
Goal AVS: Archibald D. (59.)
Goals HCP: 0:1 Bowlby H. (1.), 0:2 Purdeller T. (3./SH1), 0:3 Zanatta L. (13./SH1)
Steinbach Black Wings Linz – EC-KAC 2:3 (1:1, 1:0, 0:2)
Referees: VOICAN, ZRNIC, Weiss, Zgonc
Goals BWL: 1:0 Barron T. (2./PP1), 2:1 Knott G. (30.)
Goals KAC: 1:1 Mursak J. (10.), 2:2 Maier D. (42.), 2:3 Mursak J. (59.)