VSV secures last playoff ticket in shootout

Sovereign victory of EC-KAC against Fehérvár
The EC-KAC recorded a commanding victory over Fehérvár AV19 at the end of the intermediate round. While the Klagenfurter had the second place already in the bag before the game, Fehérvár AV19 would have had theoretical chances for the home right in the quarterfinals before the last round. The Hungarians started from third place in the intermediate round but could not stop the negative trend. The Hungarians won only one of their last six games. The KAC presented themselves quite differently in the last games - they celebrated their third victory in a row. Klagenfurt took a 2:0 lead until the 22nd minute. Fehérvár managed to get a goal back, but eventually had to concede defeat with 2:4. While Klagenfurt chose EC Grand Immo VSV as their quarterfinal opponent following the second-choice match, the Hungarians had no choice and will face the fourth-placed spusu Vienna Capitals.

Caps secure home right in quarterfinals
The spusu Vienna Capitals secured the home advantage for the quarterfinals in the last game of the intermediate round. The Viennese defeated leader HCB Südtirol Alperia and thus finished the Pick Round in third place. The South Tyroleans, who had already fixed the first place in the second phase for some time, had to accept the second defeat in a row after three wins in a row. The Viennese, on the other hand, ended their four-game losing streak and evened the duel score with the "Foxes". The South Tyroleans still took the lead in Sunday's encounter, but in the second period they could not keep up with the Caps. The Viennese, led by Nikolaus Hartl, turned the encounter in their favor and eventually prevailed 3-1. With the first pick right, Bolzano selected the iClinic Bratislava Capitals. For the Viennese, Fehérvár AV 19 finally remained as quarterfinal opponent.

Innsbruck ends season winning
While the iClinic Bratislava Capitals were already fixed in the postseason before the game, HC TIWAG Innsbruck knew that it would be their last game of this season. The Sharks, who started the Qualification Round in fourth place and still thought they had a legitimate chance of making the playoffs at the beginning of the Intermediate Round, were finally able to celebrate a worthy end to the season. Bratislava went in front twice in this encounter. But the Sharks fought their way back each time and finally recorded a 3:2 victory. Daniel Ciampini scored a brace. While the season is over for the Tyroleans, a tough quarterfinal opponent awaits the league newcomers in HCB Südtirol Alperia.

Sovereign success of the Black Wings remains unrewarded
The Linzers got off to a dream start in the guest game in Graz, after just 49 seconds Brian Lebler put VSV under pressure in the distance with his opening goal. Dennis Yan increased the lead in the ninth minute for the determined visitors, but a little later the 99ers also added to their tally. Kilian Rappold scored his first professional goal after Cameranesi's prework. But there was a premiere goal on the opposite side as well, with defender Charles-David Beaudoin scoring for the first time in his 50th game for the Upper Austrians - 1:3. Again, only a few seconds passed before Rappold cut the deficit again with his second goal. A covered shot by Julian Pusnik ended the scoring in the first period, restoring Linz's two-goal lead and putting them on course for a playoff spot in the meantime. In the middle period the visitors controlled the action for long stretches, Yan was unlucky with a shot from the bar. The score was 2:4 going into the second intermission. In the 43rd minute, Erik Kirchschläger made it exciting again against his former club, but Yan didn't leave much hope - he scored in overtime to make it 3:5. The Linzers defended this lead until the end, but had to admit defeat in the playoff battle - due to Villach's victory in the parallel game - by a narrow margin.



VSV clinches playoff ticket in shootout
EC GRAND Immo VSV delivered the most exciting possible final of the Qualification Round. The Eagles needed a win against the Dornbirn Bulldogs to be represented in the 2021 playoffs, as the Black Wings defeated the Graz99ers in the parallel game. However, the start did not go according to Villach's wishes. The Bulldogs already gained a 2:0 advantage in the first period. Villach's goal at the start of the second period only brought a brief respite for the Eagles, and within a few minutes the Vorarlbergers had taken a 4:1 lead. The 21-year-old goalie Alexander Schmidt replaced Villach's number one at a deficit of three goals tand initiated the turnaround. Still in the second period, Villach fought their way back to 3:4 before Maximilian Egger made it 5:3 from the Bulldogs' point of view. But the Eagles reared back one more time: Jerry Pollastrone and Chris Collins shot the VSV into the overtime. But that was not enough for the final playoff spot, as the Carinthians needed the extra point to push Linz out of eighth place in the live standings. After a scoreless overtime, the decision was made in the shootout: Sahir Gill scored the decisive penalty to send his team into the 2021 postseason, but the man of the match was the young goalie Schmidt, who saved numerous shots of the Bulldogs. In the quarterfinals, it now comes to the Carinthian derby with the EC-KAC. The Dornbirn Bulldogs will meet EC Red Bull Salzburg.




bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | Pick Round | Sunday, 7.3.2021:
EC-KAC – Hydro Fehérvár AV19 4:2 (1:0,2:1,1:1)
Referees: FICHTNER, STERNAT, Kontschieder, Nothegger
Goals KAC: Witting (12.), Koch (29./pp1), Obersteiner (38.), Ganahl (42.)
Goals AVS: Erdely (33.), Hargrove (48./pp1)

HCB Südtirol Alperia – spusu Vienna Capitals 1:3 (1:0,0:2,0:1)
Referees: OFNER, ZRNIC, Basso, Hribar
Goals HCB: Insam (20.)
Goals VIC: Hartl (27./pp1, 38./pp1), Loney (57.)

bet-at-home ICE Hockey League | Qualification Round | Sunday, 7.3. 2021:
iClinic Bratislava Capitals – HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie 2:3 (1:1,1:1,0:1)
Referees: RENCZ, SIEGEL, Gatol, Kis-Kiraly
Goals BRC: Hults (10.), Faith (21.),
Goals HCI: Ciampini (12., 23.), Christoffer (53.)

So, 07.03.2021, 17.30 Uhr: Moser Medical Graz99ers – Steinbach Black Wings 1992 3:5 (2:4,0:0,1:1)
Referees: PIRAGIC, SMETANA, Durmis, Seewald
Goals G99: Rappold (10., 13.), Kirchschläger (43.)
Goals BWI: Lebler (7.), Yan (9.), Beaudoin (12.), Pusnik (18.), Yan (47./pp1)

So, 07.03.2021, 17.30 Uhr: Dornbirn Bulldogs – EC GRAND Immo VSV 5:6 S.O. (2:0,3:3,0:2)
Referees: BERNEKER, NIKOLIC K., Pardatscher, Sparer
Goals DEC: Rapuzzi (4.), Woger (20./pp1), Straka (27.), Luciani (28.), Egger (39.)
Goals VSV: Gill (22.), Mangene (31.), Kosmachuk (33.), Pollastrone (48.), Collins (52.), Gill (65./des-pen.)