The negative streak of Val Pusteria continues and falls to the bottom of the ranking.
The Val Pusteria also loses in Vienna against the Capitals, one of the few formations of this hockey league against which – to date – the yellow-blacks have never managed to collect even a point, putting five defeats (with today’s one) in the five disputed challenges. The fourth setback in 5 races disputed, reveals the playing problems of a team that seems to be only very distant relative of the one seen last season and that, tonight, finds itself at the bottom of the tournament.
The Vienna that complains about the absences of defenders Niklas Würschl and Mario Fischer as well as those of forwards Rafael Rotter, Lukas Kainz, Alexander Maxa and Yannic Pilloni, presents itself with the following Starting Six: Dominic Hackl – Alex Wall / Matt Bradley – James Sheppard – Max Zimmer. In the second line they play: Chad Kris – Lukas Piff / Nikolaus Hartl – Lukas Kainz – Patrick Antal; in third Nico Brunner – Bernhard Posch / Jeremie Gregoire – Radek Prokes – Sascha Bauer, while in fourth, in addition to the young defender Timo Pallierer, the youngsters: Mathias Böhm – Armin Preiser and Leon Widhalm. In defense of the cage, the Swede Stefan Steen returns with Bernhard Starkbaum.
Both Caps and Wolves hold three points after four games on the eve of the match. Both teams were defeated on Friday: Vienna lost 3-2 to HK SZ Olimpija, Val Pusteria lost 3-0 to EC Red Bull Salzburg. HC Pustertal Wölfe is competing in its second edition in the ICE Hockey League win2day. Last season, the Spusu Vienna Capitals dueled four times in the regular season with the South Tyrolean team from Brunico, the Caps have always won. The assistant coach of the “Pusteresi” is the Viennese Phil Horsky, who worked at the spusu Vienna Capitals, among other things, as assistant coach for the professional team and in the youth sector.
Entering the news, we observe that there is not even time to sit down and look around that there is immediately a Capitals advantage to be registered. The goal comes after 11 seconds thanks to the couple Bradley – Zimmer. The Canadian wins the face off enters the third and promptly shoots towards the goal; Smith offers the rebound and with the men’s defense positioned, the American manages to score the goal of the advantage.
Obligatory indicates that taking lightning goals seems to have become a bad habit in Brunicense that, with Linz, he scored after 6 seconds, with Salzburg after 74 and tonight is even “improving” by going under after less than a quarter of a minute! !
In the first drittel the ball of the game is practically always in the hands of the hosts that the hosts who are clearly superior, the wolves only have to defend themselves with courage. With similar premises, it is no surprise that the first twenty minutes end with a partial of 22 shots on goal against 8 in favor of the Caps.
Also in the second drittel the Capitals continue to play better than the Val Pusteria and, after a great opportunity which happened to Jeremie Gregoire, the Viennese double. Captain Nikolaus Hartl leaves with a good restart and serves Lukas Kainz crosswise, the player recently arrived from Graz pushes on goal for the 2-0, scoring his first official goal in the ranks of the “Caps”.
In the last drittel the playing pressure of the Wolves is penalized by the third goal of the hosts. Gregoire served Sascha Bauer well from behind the goal, and these with a volley bags at the far post: 3-0 after 43 minutes. When Luchuk manages to score the 3-1 with 9 minutes remaining (shot from central position), the wolves sense the opportunity and boldly launch themselves forward. In the final minutes, Steen has a lot of work to do but manages to prevent another scoring.
With two minutes to go, Mair takes Smith off the ice for an “Extra Attacker” in an attempt to put even more pressure on his side. The move, tactically daring, seems to bear the hoped-for results as Bardaro uses a rebound on a conclusion by Archambault, and scores 3: 2, giving the idea that the result of the race is again reopened.
So Jakob Smith stays out and the wolves attempt the “Mission Impossible”. Unfortunately, a blocked offensive conclusion allows Bradley to score an empty goal with a shot from the other side of the field (4: 2, 59 ‘). In the last minute, then, the Caps bag, again, into an empty net, bringing the final score to 5: 2.
Sunday 02.10.2022 at 17:30 Steffl Arena Attemsgasse 1, 1220 Wien Vienna.
Spusu Vienna Capitals – HC Lupi Val Pusteria – Val Pusteria Wölfe 5: 2 (1: 0, 1: 0, 3: 2)
Referees: Patrick FICHTNER and Stefan SIEGEL; Line Judges: Barna KIS-KIRALY and David VACZI.
HEAD COACH Capitals: Dave BARR – HEAD COACH Pusteria: Stefan MAIR.
Shots on Goal: 22: 8 – 13: 8 – 17:13
MARKERS: 00:11 1: 0 GWG EQ VIC Max Zimmer (Matt Bradley); 27:22 2: 0 EQ VIC Lukas Kainz (Nikolaus Hartl – Dominic Hackl); 43:18 3: 0 GWG EQ VIC Sascha Bauer (Jeremy Gregoire – Armin Preiser); 50:48 3: 1 EQ PUS Aaron Luchuk (Olivier Archambault); 58:21 3: 2 EQ PUS Anthony Bardaro (Olivier Archambault – Marc – Olivier Roy); 58:55 4: 2 EQ VIC Matt Bradley (Alex Wall); 59:46 5: 2 EQ VIC Jeremy Gregoire (Nikolaus Hartl – Lukas Kainz).
(Massimo Gasperi)