ICE: HC TIWAG Innsbruck – At the same time, the Haie celebrate victory in the fight for the playoffs
The Haie beat the Graz99ers 2-1 at home. Messner (10th, PP) and Bär (20th) meet in the first third. Zalewski (26th, PP) can only shorten for Graz. The KAC, on the other hand, has to tremble after a 2: 3 in Bolzano to participate in the pre-season.
Graz got their first good chance through a breakaway by defender Ben Blood, (6.) but Innsbruck scored the opening goal: The Haie converted the first power play to 1:0 (9.) through Messner, who after a cross pass on the second post can shoot unhindered. Just a second before the break siren, Bär increases the Haie to 2-0. His long-range shot flutters uncomfortably and 99ers goalie Engstrand misses.
In the middle, Innsbruck develops a lot of offensive drive, but fails again and again at Engstrand. Neither Magwood (22nd) nor Leavens (24th) can accommodate the disc in the goal. In the power play, Graz then scored the following goal: Zalewski completed the majority play in the 27th minute to make it 2-1. Until the end of the middle passage, 99ers goalkeeper Engstrand plays the focus. Neither Magwood (28th), Leavens (33rd) or McGauley (36th) can defeat the Swede. In the 39th minute, Engstrand also thwarted the best chance of the third period when he saved against Huntebrinker, who broke through alone. Despite Innsbruck’s many chances, it’s 2-1 in the second break.
The situation changes in the last third. The 99ers develop more and more offensive drive, fail through Ackered (48th) and Boivin (56th) at Haie goalie McCollum. Almost 3 minutes before the end, Altmann breaks through and appears alone in front of McCollum, but is held back by Messner with his stick. In the following power play, the Grazers do everything they can to equalize, but are ultimately unsuccessful. The Innsbruckers only hit the bar of the empty goal, so that the game remained exciting until the end. The hosts ended up winning the game and keeping their pre-playoff chance alive.
Despite the loss, the Graz 99ers are still tenth, but are only holding 1,447 points per game. The eleven-placed Innsbruckers come a little closer to Grazer with 1,413 points per game.
KAC tremble for playoffs
Direct playoff participation is becoming ever more distant for the KAC! On the 49th day of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League, HC Bozen lost 3-2.
The “Red Jackets” completely slept through the initial phase, and Insam (3rd) scored with the first chance to score, giving Bozner the lead. This extends Alberga (7th) to 2-0 a little later, using a catastrophic mistake in KAC’s build-up game when he’s outnumbered.
With persistence, the reigning champion comes into play better, but remains toothless offensively for long stretches. The South Tyroleans, on the other hand, are sniffing at 3-0, but Insam (39th) only hits the bar in the power play with his one-timer.
Hochegger (43rd) ended the long dry spell in the third section, but only shot over the goal from the slot. So it takes a total of 204 minutes and 36 seconds before the Matikainen squad can celebrate again for the first time. In the power play, Boyle parried against Ticar, but the Bolzano goalie was powerless when Fraser rebounded (52./PP).
The record champions set a historical negative record: It was the longest phase without a goal in league games since the Bundesliga was founded in 1965. The old negative best value dates back to October 2013, when 187:36 minutes no goal could be scored.
Suddenly the Werkl is running again, Unterweger (55th) equalizes just three minutes later. Miceli (59th) is to blame for the fact that Klagenfurt returned to Carinthia empty-handed, who scored the 3:2 for Bozen 1:31 minutes before the end of the game.
With the fourth defeat in a row, KAC slips to eighth position with an average of 1,542 points and must have points in their two deepest games against Znojmo and Graz to have a chance of a direct playoff ticket. Bolzano (1,568 points), on the other hand, leaves KAC behind for the time being and now takes sixth place.
Fehervar removes Salzburg from the list
In the fourth and final meeting of the regular season, Fehervar AV19 beat EC Red Bull Salzburg 3-2. The Hungarians have won at least once against every team in the league.
Fehervar comes in better in an attractive game, but Raffl scores the opening goal in the breakaway (16th). The captain nails the puck under the bar. The answer is not long in coming, after penalties on both sides, Campbell (19th) ignites a rocket from the blue line – 1: 1!
The “bulls” take the lead again after the restart, Nissner (22nd) scores to make it 2-1. However, it only takes three minutes before Shaw (25./PP) equalizes again with a majority.
The score remained 2-2 until the 58th minute, when a penalty against Predan was fatal to Salzburg. Kuralt (58./PP) deflects a blueliner from Campbell into the mesh and ensures victory.
Nothing has changed in terms of positions: Red Bull Salzburg are still clearly at the top of the table with 1,957 points per game, while Fehervar is third with 1,733 points per game.
Ljubljana running against Znojmo in debacle
Orli Znojmo clearly won 7:0 against Olimpija Ljubljana on the 49th matchday of the bet-at-home ICE Hockey League.
Already in the first third the guests from Znojmo Ljubljana played mercilessly against the wall. In the 9th minute, Köver is the top scorer, followed quickly by Immo (12′), Ahl (14′) and Sedlak (15′). Ljubljana is harmless in attack, while the defense and goalie Us seem uncertain. The first third ended with 0:4.
In the middle, Ljubljana seems to be stabilizing a bit and gets a good chance through Murphy (23′). After the 0:5 by Prokes (30th), the short intermediate sprint of the hosts is over again. After a good passing game by the guests, Culkin increased it to 0:6 (38th), then it went into the second break. Symptomatic for Ljubljana that evening: In the last minute of the second period, Olimpija striker Pance creates a breakaway, but his shot doesn’t hit the puck properly and has to watch the disc roll harmlessly past the Czech goal. Ljubljana have now replaced the goalkeeper, Holsa is in the hosts’ goal instead of Us.
The last third brings two more goals for Znojmo. First Luciani scored from the slot (44th), then Kvasnica increased it to 0:8 (52nd). The last 8 minutes pass uneventfully, then the final siren redeems the defeated host team.
Ljubljana are 9th on 1,524 points per game after this defeat. Znojmo are in seventh place with 1,543 points per game and are within striking distance of the playoff places.
Note: This article is first up laola1.at published