East leaders Kapfen­berg win at WEV – Hohenems prevail in West clash against Kufstein

East leaders Kapfenberger SV entered the Open Air clash against Wiener Eislauf-Verein in front of the magnificent backdrop of Vienna’s Konzerthaus with great confidence and showed from the outset why the Division East is dominated by the Kangaroos in this manner.

Iacopo Granza gave the Styrians a 1:0 lead (13 min.). In the second period, Christoph Draschkowitz made it 2:0 for the Mürztal side on the power play after just under three minutes (24 min.). The team coached by player-coach Kris Reinthaler controlled the game. WEV tried everything to get back into the match but could not beat KSV netminder Oliver Zirngast.

Kapfenberg waited patiently and were more clinical in front of goal: Lukas Winkler set the visitors on course for victory with the 3:0 (28 min.).   

Kapfenberg gave little away in the final period; quite the opposite: Adrian Stühlinger sealed the win with the 4:0 (46 min.). Vienna were now able to open up the game more offensively, but did not really have a chance to turn the match around. However, Nick Kompain denied Kapfenberg netminder Oliver Zirngast a shutout with the 1:4 (58 min.).

WEV head coach Mario Kubeczka pulled his netminder Mathias Lichtenecker just under two minutes from the end despite being three goals behind, and Manuel Trost scored 13 seconds before the end to make it 5:1 for Kapfenberg (60 min.).

Sharks Gmunden sweep Dukes Graz off the ice

The clash between UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden and UHT Dukes Graz was billed as a "battle for the very last playoff chance".

The hosts took that motto extremely seriously and burst out of the dressing room like a shot: Laurens Ober scored the early 1:0 for the Sharks after 71 seconds (2 min.). That was the starting signal for an offensive fireworks display from the Upper Austrians, who extended their lead to 2:0 through Moritz Neurauter (6 min.). Alwin Schuster made it 3:0 later in the first period (18 min.).

With a three-goal lead behind them, the team coached by head coach Gregor Baumgartner played with abandon in the second period and added further goals. Laurens Ober made it 4:0, his second goal of the evening (22 min.). Two power-play goals, making it 5:0 through Markus Krotsch (25 min.) and 6:0 through Adrian Rosenberger (29 min.), completed the half-dozen.

Graz could find no way into the game. At the other end, the Sharks scored goal after goal. Adrian Rosenberger once again made it 7:0 (36 min.). Just twelve seconds later, Bastian Szieber increased the lead to 8:0 (36 min.).

Early in the final period, Szieber made it 9:0 (43 min.) before Moritz Stradner scored the consolation goal to make it 1:0 for the Dukes from the Styrian capital (45 min.). Just 20 seconds later, Bastian Szieber again got the better of Dukes netminder Daniel Garneyer and took the hosts into double figures with the 10:1 (45 min.).

The Sharks’ appetite for goals was still not satisfied: Fabian Gruber scored to make it 11:1 (46 min.). Bastian Szieber then netted his fourth goal, making it 12:1 (50 min.). Felix Mayer (51 min.) and Adrian Rosenberger with his third goal (57 min.) took the score to 14:1. This emphatic victory puts the Sharks right back in the playoff race, while UHT Dukes Graz have only a slim, but still existing, chance of a playoff place. 

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions beat ATSE Graz

The EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions had already secured a playoff place before the match against ATSE Graz on Wednesday against Sharks Gmunden.

The Lions accordingly played with freedom in the Aichfeldhalle against the Graz side and quickly took a 1:0 lead through Andreas Forcher (5 minutes). Zeltweg made perfect use of their first power play late in the opening period, with Daniel Forcher extending the lead to 2:0 (16 minutes).  

Shortly after the restart, Manuel Stuhlpfarrer made it 3:0 in the 22nd minute, before Mario Sulzer put the Upper Styrians on course for victory shortly afterwards in the 27th minute. When Mario Sulzer scored to make it 5:0 just after the halfway point of the game in the 32nd minute, the win was in the bag for the second-placed team in the Division East. Rupert Strohmeier pulled one back to make it 1:5 with a shorthanded goal in the second period in the 38th minute.

ATSE scored twice more in the final period, with Cory Krenz first making it 2:5 (53rd minute). Florian Panger’s power-play goal to make it 3:5, 25 seconds before the siren, was merely cosmetic (60th minute). The win secured second place in the standings for the Murtal Lions, while ATSE Graz, Sharks Gmunden and WEV are battling for the two remaining playoff spots.

Division West:

SC Hohenems edge HC Kufstein

The SC Samina Hohenems faced HC Kufstein at the Herrenriedstadion for the fifth time this season.

The Tyroleans had not won a match against the Vorarlberg side so far and fell behind 0:1 after just under three minutes. Lukas Fritz scored the opening goal for SC Hohenems on their first power play (3. minute). As the game progressed, the Western Conference leaders were on top, creating significantly more shots and scoring chances, but were thwarted by the strong Kufstein netminder Thomas Hechenberger.

In the second period, the Dragons levelled the score at 1:1 through Manuel Eder shortly before the halfway point of the game (30nd minute). Hohenems quickly found the right response and regained the lead before the second siren, with prolific scorer Martin Grabher Meier making it 2:1 (35th minute). The game remained exciting for a long time before Martin Grabher Meier struck again in the final period to make it 3:1 for the team coached by Thomas Sticha (52nd minute).

HC Kufstein then pressed for a goal to reduce the deficit and eventually pulled goaltender Hechenberger, but the visitors were unable to score again. The Steinböcke therefore celebrated a victory in their fifth direct meeting with the Tyroleans.

Kundl celebrate emphatic victory over VEU Feldkirch

The EHC Crocodiles Kundl faced VEU Feldkirch at the Eisarena Kundl on Friday. The playoff places in Division West have long since been decided, with both teams having known for some time that they will take part in the inter-regional playoffs of the Ö Eishockey Liga. The Tyroleans have shown improved form since Jaroslav Betka took over as coach and celebrated their fourth win in the last five games against the Vorarlberg side. After falling 0:2 and 1:3 behind early on, the Crocodiles hit back in style and scored nine unanswered goals. Goaltender Johann Bauer did not concede another goal to the side from the Montfort city.

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division Ost:

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. Kapfenberger SV 1:5 (0:1,0:2,1:2)
Sat., 20 January 2024, 18:00, WEV Arena, Lothringerstraße 22
Wiener Eislauf-Verein goalscorer: Nick Kompain (57:45)
Kapfenberger SV goalscorers: Iacopo Granza (12:42), Christoph Draschkowitz (23:06/PP1), Lukas Winkler (27:15), Julian Stühlinger (45:10), Manuel Trost (59:47/EN)

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. UHT Dukes Graz 14:1 (3:0,5:0,6:1)
Sat., 20 January 2024, 18:15, Gmunden Eishalle
Sharks Gmunden goalscorers: Laurens Ober (01:11, 21:17), Moritz Neurauter (05:08), Alwin Schuster (17:36), Markus Krotsch (24:54/PP1), Adrian Rosenberger (28:33/PP1, 35:42, 56:28), Bastian Szieber (35:54, 42:26, 44:24, 49:15), Fabian Gruber (45:41), Felix Mayer (50:47)
UHT Dukes Graz goalscorer: Moritz Stradner (44:04)

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. ATSE Graz 5:3 (2:0,3:1,0:2)
Sat., 20 January 2024, 19:00, Aichfeldhalle
EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions goalscorers: Andreas Forcher (04:14), Daniel Forcher (15:38/PP1), Manuel Stuhlpfarrer (21:46), Mario Sulzer (26:16), Michael Grüneis (31:42)
ATSE Graz goalscorers: Rupert Strohmeier (37:38/SH1), Cory Krenz (52:28), Florian Panger (59:35/PP1)

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division West:

SC Samina Hohenems vs. HC Kufstein 3:1 (1:0,1:1,1:0)
Sat., 20 January 2024, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems
SC Samina Hohenems goalscorers: Lukas Fritz (02:52/PP1), Martin Grabher Meier (34:56, 51:15)
HC Kufstein goalscorer: Manuel Eder (29:29)

EHC Crocodiles Kundl vs. VEU Feldkirch 10:3 (2:3,5:0,3:0)
Fri, 19 January 2024, 19:30, Eisarena Kundl
EHC Crocodiles Kundl scorers: André Flatscher (07:52), Simon Brander (15:15). Alexander Frandl (21:08/PP1), Daniel Frischmann (27:06), Patrick Lithen (30:50, 51:11), Lukas Thaler (35:22), Christian Pittl (36:13), Matko Pavetic (54:32), Erik Hefke (59:43)
VEU Feldkirch scorers: Joonatan Kyllönen (01:52), Sven Vugrinec (04:30), Elias Malin (08:31)

All standings, statistics and fixtures for the Ö Eishockey Liga in the Gamecenter

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