ICE: KAC wins the Carinthia derby, Innsbruck remains in the lead
HC Innsbruck continues to lead the table in the ICE ice hockey league. The Tyroleans defeated Fehervar 4-2 on Tuesday and are still three points ahead of HCB Südtirol, who won the derby against bottom-placed Pustertal 4-1. KAC won the Carinthian Derby with a 4:3 win at VSV.
In Villach, KAC fell behind three times, but turned the game around in the finish through Thomas Hundertpfund (57th) and Rok Ticar (60th). With the success in the gripping duel in front of more than 3,600 spectators, the Klagenfurt team, with six regular players and four U20 team players not available, ended the five games of their local rivals’ winning streak and improved to sixth place.
VSV with a better start
The VSV had the better start. Ironically, in the prestige duel, John Hughes (4th) ended the Villach flute in a power play, which had not been successful in nine games recently. In the middle third it got really fast and thrilling after seven minutes. At first, KAC striker Nik Petersen didn’t put the disc in the empty goal, in the counterattack the lonely attacking Robert Sabolic failed at goalkeeper Sebastian Dahm, who quickly put the puck back into play and thus initiated Petersen’s equalizer (29th).
But the KAC fans’ joy didn’t last long. Anthony Luciani brought VSV back up with a superbly converted penalty (31st). Sabolic countered the renewed equalization of Rihards Bukarts (48./PP) with the goal to make it 3:2 (53.), but in the finish KAC struck twice more.
Black Wings is improving
Innsbruck took a 2-0 lead against Fehervar thanks to a double strike within 21 seconds by Braeden Shaw and Tyler Cuma (6th). In the final third, the Hungarians managed to tie, but the Haie quickly absorbed the setback. Corey Mackin (56th) didn’t need half a minute to shoot the home team to victory.
Black Wings Linz improved to fourth place with a 5-1 thrashing of Olimpija Ljubljana. The Graz 99ers lost the home game against the penultimate Asiago with 2:3.