Austria defend title at home tournament with 1:0 win over Poland
With a 1:0 overtime win over Poland, the trophy remains in the hands of the hosts at the Österreich Cup. Poland gave Austria a tough battle throughout the game. Benjamin Baumgartner ultimately became the golden-goal scorer in overtime.
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“I expected Poland to play like that and said so yesterday. Poland have shown in recent years that they are very combative, play a very physical game and are very uncomfortable opponents. They confirmed that today. That suited me well. I want our players to experience what it is like to play against a persistently battling opponent and to win such a game. I think we should have won the game over 60 minutes. We had the better and more scoring chances in all three periods. From an excitement perspective, it is very positive that it went to overtime in the end, but I would have preferred to win it in regulation time. Overall, I am very satisfied,” said Head Coach Roger Bader immediately after the final whistle on the win over Poland and the Österreich Cup title.
His team set the tone from the outset, playing fast, aggressively and with hard forechecking. David Kickert was always in position for Poland’s few clearances, also keeping his team from conceding in dangerous situations. Like David Madlener on Thursday evening, the 29-year-old also recorded a shutout and was named Best Player.
“I am happy for both goaltenders. I have always stressed that if David Kickert and David Madlener stay healthy, that is positive for us, as both have World Championship experience. It is important that we have both available and that both have been rewarded with a shutout,” said Roger Bader of his two goaltenders.
Austria repeatedly managed to establish themselves in the Polish zone and tested their goaltender Tomas Fucik time and again. At times, the hard-fought game was also marked by confrontations on the ice.
No goals were scored in the three periods, with the decision coming in overtime, which was played 3-on-3. Benjamin Baumgartner was on hand with the winner in the 63rd minute.
With the 1:0 win, Austria celebrate their seventh consecutive victory over Poland and defend their title at the home tournament.
David Kickert, Austria Best Player: “I think we had a great many chances, perhaps not always as clear-cut as against Hungary, but we had the upper hand in what was a rather disjointed game. There was no pace to it, no flow to the game, and it was not necessarily nice to watch. But the points and the win are what count for us. We can leave the team camp with a positive feeling. From the last camp to this one, it was a real step in the right direction. We always want to improve.”
Österreich Cup schedule
Austria vs. Hungary 3:0 (1:0,0:0,2:0)
Thu, 14 December 2023, 19:00, Heidi Horten Arena
Austria scorers: Oliver Achermann (13th), Emilio Romig (41st), Lukas Kainz (60th/EN)
Poland vs. Italy 3:1 (0:1,2:0,1:0)
Thu, 14 December 2023, 15:00, Heidi Horten Arena
Poland scorers: Bartlomiej Jeziorski (24th), Patryk Krezolek (40th), Krystian Dziubiński (59th/EN)
Italy scorer: Alberto Colli (3)
3rd-place game
Hungary vs. Italy 0:2 (0:1,0:0,0:1)
Fri, 15 December 2023, 13:00, Heidi Horten Arena
Italy goalscorers: Giovanni Morini (16), Pascal Brunner (57)
Final
Austria vs. Poland 1:0 AET (0:0,0:0,0:0;1:0)
Fri, 15 December 2023, 17:00, Heidi Horten Arena
Austria goalscorer: Benjamin Baumgartner (63)
