EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions secure playoff berth after win over WEV

The new league leaders before Saturday's matchday, ESC SoccerZone Steindorf, travelled to face second-placed 1st EHC Althofen in the absolute top clash, with a possible South Group title on the line.

Steindorf made a lightning start to the match: Christof Martinz scored to make it 1:0 from close range after exactly one minute and 34 seconds. Both teams produced attractive, intense hockey with good passages at both ends, and the game offered a foretaste of the forthcoming inter-regional Ö Eishockey Liga playoffs.

Little changed in the character of the game in the second period, with Head Coach Robert Moser's team initially unable to make use of a power play. The Rhinos then pinned Steindorf back during a strong shift, and Lukas Telsnig sent the puck in to level at 1:1 in the 28th minute.

Following a quick counter-attack, Steindorf regained the lead at 2:1, with Fabian Groyer beating Fabian Horn in the 31st minute. Althofen were then unfortunate when Sandro Seifried hit the post. With a 5:3 power play, Seifried made amends a minute and a half before the end of the period, scoring the 2:2 equaliser from a tight angle after a swift passing move.

The match became even more intense in the final period. Steindorf raised the tempo and pushed for the lead. The Ossiacher See side created several good chances on a power play, but Fabian Horn in the Althofen goal was outstanding. The Rhinos then also squandered good opportunities as the match entered crunch time.

With no further goals scored, the attractive contest went to overtime, where Markus Pöck netted the 3:2 winner for Steindorf following a solo breakaway. Steindorf are now on the verge of winning the South Group.

Spittal beat Pirates Velden on the road

After a lively scoreless first period between USC Pirates Velden and EC LiWoDruck Spittal, Tim Thaler gave Spittal a 1:0 lead from close range early in the second period, in the 22nd minute. The Hornets pressed on and made it 2:0 midway through the game following a quick attack. Marco Zorec played a cross-ice pass to Daniel Tschurnig, who converted from close range. Head Coach Florian Orzetek's team was not done in the middle period, however. Luca Komar scored the 3:0 for the visitors on the power play in the 33rd minute. The Pirates fought their way back into the game on a power play: Valentin Leiler scored from the left face-off circle to make it 1:3 for Velden two minutes before the second buzzer.

In the final period, Luca Komar initially put the game beyond doubt with a quick double, making it 4:1 and 5:1 within 34 seconds in the 47th minute, completing his hat-trick in the process. Velden responded shortly afterwards through Christian Ban to make it 2:5. They then struck again: Benjamin Rassl made it 3:5 in the 52nd minute following a quick burst on a solo breakaway. The match was suddenly open again. It became highly dramatic with the goal that narrowed the deficit: Sebastian Höffernig scored from close range to make it 4:5 in the 55th minute. In the end, Velden coach Herwig Gressel pulled goalkeeper Thomas Stroj, and Daniel Nageler put the finishing touch on the game with an empty-net goal to make it 6:4 for Spittal, who moved into third place in the standings with the win.

Zeltweg Murtal Lions in the playoffs after win over WEV

High tension ahead of the clash between EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions and Wiener Eislauf-Verein in the North-East group: Both teams showed how much this game meant to them, with the match an intense, no-holds-barred battle from the very first shift. A playoff atmosphere had taken hold at the Aichfeldhalle during the regular season.

The Lions initially missed a penalty shot, but the hosts made it 1:0 with three minutes left in the period. Marco Quinz fired the puck off the boards behind the net, and Marco Herzl converted the rebound.

The home side picked up at the start of the second period where they had left off in the first. Marco Kuntze caught goalie Mathias Lichtenecker out with a saveable shot into the near corner to make it 2:0 for EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions in the 23 minute. WEV now needed to find their way back into the game. The Styrians held onto their two-goal lead and had chances of their own to extend it.

In the final period, the Murtal Lions failed to put the game beyond doubt with a third goal. On the contrary, the Viennese side pulled back to 1:2 in the 47 minute following a swift attack and a shot by Cedric Ehrenreich, and crunch time began at the Aichfeldhalle. The hosts got the relieving 3:1 on the power play in the 56 minute, with Stefan Scholz converting a cross-ice pass from close range.

Shortly before the end, WEV took goalie Mathias Lichtenecker off the ice, and Marco Quinz sealed the result with an empty-net goal for 4:1 with a minute and a half remaining. This win confirmed EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions' place in the playoffs. WEV are battling ATSE Graz and Dukes Graz for the final playoff spot in the group.

Kapfenberger SV beat ATSE Graz

As in their previous meeting at the beginning of January in Hall B at Graz's Merkur Eisstadion, ATSE Graz and league leaders Kapfenberger SV played fast, attractive and evenly matched hockey. Late in the first period, favourites from the Mürztal took a 1:0 lead through Christoph Draschkowitz in the 15 minute.

With 40 seconds played in the second period, Dominik Wassermann made it 2:0 following a swift attack by the Kapfenberg Kängurus. ATSE fought back and, seven seconds after the halfway mark, player-coach Rupert Strohmeier capitalised on a glaring defensive error to score the 1:2 goal.

Three and a half minutes later, the visitors had restored their two-goal lead: Pierre Graf sent a precise shot from the slot into the net to make it 3:1. The team coached by player-coach Kris Reinthaler were now even more dominant and frequently pinned the Eggenberg side in their own defensive zone, but it remained 3:1 after 40 minutes.

In the final period, ATSE battled fiercely to get back into the game, and they did so. After a lapse in concentration by the Kapfenberg defence, Diethard Winzig scored the 2:3 goal in the 43 minute. Graz then had a great opportunity to equalise on the power play.

But it turned out differently: Rupert Fichtinger won the puck, went in alone on Graz goalie Florian Zeugswetter and scored to make it 4:2 for Kapfenberg. ATSE took a risk and pulled their netminder, but Rupert Fichtinger put the finishing touch on the game with an empty-net goal for 5:2. ATSE must now battle WEV and Dukes Graz for the final playoff spot in the North-East group.

UHT Dukes Graz edge Sharks Gmunden       

The clash between UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden and UHT Dukes Graz was a lively affair from the outset, with play going back and forth.

The visitors made the better start, with Tristan Schröttner giving Graz a 1:0 lead after just under five minutes. As the first period progressed, the Sharks pressed for an equaliser, but Dukes goalie Gernot Fally kept a clean sheet.

In the second period, Sascha Sudnikiewicz extended the lead to 2:0 for the Graz Dukes with a fine shot in the 28 minute. In the final period, Simon Helm poked the puck over the line to make it 3:0 for the Styrians in the 47 minute, seemingly deciding the game at the Haifischbecken on Lake Traunsee.

But the Sharks showed their bite and did not give up: Alessandro Mühllechner took responsibility and scored with a slap shot to make it 1:3 from Gmunden's perspective in the 53 minute. With two and a half minutes remaining, Alwin Schuster forced the puck over the line for 2:3. A thrilling final phase followed, but Sharks Gmunden could not find an equaliser.

With the win, the Dukes still have a mathematical chance of reaching the play-offs, but have only one game remaining against the Murtal Lions.

North-East Group matchday

EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein 4:1 (1:0,1:0,2:1)
Sat., 21 January 2023, 19:00, Aichfeldhalle Zeltweg
EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions scorers: Marco Herzl (17:01), Marco Kuntze (22:52), Stefan Scholz (55:36/PP1), Marco Quinz (58:37/EN)
Wiener Eislauf-Verein scorer: Cedric Ehrenreich (46:52)

ATSE Graz vs. Kapfenberger SV 2:5 (0:1,1:2,1:2)
Sat., 21 January 2023, 19:30, Merkur Eisstadion
ATSE Graz scorers: Rupert Strohmeier (30:07), Diethard Winzig (42:38)
Kapfenberger SV scorers: Christoph Draschkowitz (14:33), Dominik Wassermann (20:40), Pierre Graf (33:31), Rupert Fichtinger (54:01/SH1, 58:43/SH1/EN)

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. UHT Dukes Graz 2:3 (0:1,0:1,2:1)
Sat., 21 January 2023, 18:20, Eishalle Gmunden
UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden scorers: Alessandro Mühllechner (52:46), Alwin Schuster (57:37)
UHT Dukes Graz scorers: Tristan Schröttner (04:50), Sascha Sudnikiewicz (28:14) , Simon Helm (46:11)

South Group matchday

1st EHC Althofen vs. ESC SoccerZone Steindorf 2:3 OT (0:1,2:1,0:0,0:1)
Sat., 21 January 2023, 17:00, Stadthalle Althofen
1st EHC Althofen scorers: Lukas Telsnig (27:40 min.), Sandro Seifried (38:29 min./PP2)
ESC SoccerZone Steindorf goalscorers: Christof Martinz (01:34 min.), Fabian Groyer (30:39 min.), Markus Pöck (61:23 min.)

USC Pirates Velden vs. EC LiWoDruck Spittal 4:6 (0:0,1:3,3:3)
Sat., 21 January 2023, 18:30, Eishalle Velden
USC Pirates Velden goalscorers: Valentin Leiler (38:03 min./PP1), Christian Ban (47:21 min.), Benjamin Rassl (51:59 min.), Sebastian Höffernig (54:33 min.)
EC LiWoDruck Spittal goalscorers: Tim Thaler (21:11 min.), Daniel Tschurnig (29:54 min.), Luca Komar (32:47 min./PP1, 46:17 min., 46:51 min.), Daniel Nageler (59:06 min./EN)

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