Emil Kristensen becomes the Pusterer hero again – ICEHL
Match winner for HC Pustertal: Emil Kristensen. © Ivan Foppa
HC Pustertal can dream of the playoffs – after Sunday evening more than ever. The wolves celebrated the next memorable victory against their direct competitor from Innsbruck.
January 23, 2022
From the Intercable Arena in Brunico
From:
Thomas Debeljak
Emil Kristensen will represent Denmark at the Olympic Games today. At the same time, this means that HC Pustertal will miss him in the decisive phase of the regular season. A fact that should hurt the Pusterer fan heart enormously after the two most recent appearances of the 29-year-old. As is well known, the Dane had decided the derby against HC Bozen on Friday with his goal to make it 3:2 and on Sunday he also slipped into the role of the match winner against Innsbruck: the defender scored the much-acclaimed winning goal against the North Tyrolean neighbor 95 seconds before the end for the 3 :2.
Before that, the slightly more than 1000 spectators in the Intercable Arena saw an emotional roller coaster ride. In the first third, HC Pustertal was vastly superior to the shockingly weak guests from Innsbruck (only 3 shots in the first 20 minutes). After 22 minutes, the ICE newcomer was leading 2-0, then Innsbruck – driven by league top scorer Tim McGauley – turned the switch and exactly in the final section to 2-2. But the wolves still had an ass up their sleeves in Kristensen.
The win was extremely important for the HCP. In the table, the wolves have now overtaken Innsbruck and are in 10th place. As a reminder: The teams in places 7 to 10 play for two playoff tickets marked after the regular season, for all teams behind the season is over. Pustertal can therefore dream of the fifth season – after performances like against Bozen and Innsbruck more than ever.
The highlights
| HCP right there | After a tough first few minutes, the HCP picks up speed and takes the lead: Dante Hannoun, who is in form, has an eye behind the goal for Max Gerlach, who scores from close range (10′). |
| wolves superior | The strong wolves play cat and mouse with Innsbruck and increase the change of sides: Greg Carey sees the better positioned Raphael Andergassen, who accommodates the biscuit in the empty goal (22nd). |
| HCI compensation | Innsbruck takes control more and more and gets the deserved equalizer in the final third: Tim McGauley first hits the far corner (46′), then Reece Willcox, as the last man, negligently fritters away the disc to Michael Huntebrinker – and it’s already 2:2 ( 53.). |
| Kristensen! | But the HCP hits back ice cold! 95 seconds before the end, Kristensen hammered the disc straight into the Kreuzeck, giving the wolves victory. |
HC Pustertal continues on Tuesday with the home game against bottom side Linz (7.45 p.m.). HC Bozen, on the other hand, is only required to play Fehervar on Friday.
HC Pustertal – HC Innsbruck 3:2
HCP: Scholl (Stoll); Hanna-Willcox, Caruso-Kristensen, Glira-Hofer, Althuber-Hasler; Carey-Harju-Andergassen, Mantinger-Icons-Budish, Stukel-Hannoun-Gerlach, Ivan Deluca-Berger-Stephan Deluca
Trainer: Helmins
HCl: McCollum (Swette); Bourque-Messner, Lattner-Betker, Jakubitzka-Boruta; Feldner-McGauley-Leavens, Dostie-Magwood-Muigg, Bär-Hunterbrinker-Ulmer, Ludin-Lupinski
Trainer: O’Keeve
Crack: 1-0 Max Gerlach (9.25), 2-0 Raphael Andergassen (21.57), 2-1 Timothy McGauley (45.09), 2-2 Michael Huntebrinker (52.51), 3-2 Emil Kristensen ( 58.25)
Spectator: 1085
The other games
Dornbirn – Graz 2: 1
0-1 Kainz (19.24), 1-1 Padakin (22.12), 2-1 Schwinger (29.17)
Spectators: 500
Salzburg – Klagenfurt 3-0
1-0 Baltram (7.15), 2-0 Schneider (34.24), 3-0 Raffl (57.18)
Spectators: 700
