Ice hockey celebration: IceCats Linz and Women Capitals set a new DEBL attendance record!

Hockeytown Linz was buzzing on Saturday: IceCats Linz faced EAC Women Capitals at home in the Women's Bundesliga (DEBL) at the LINZ AG Eisarena and set a new attendance record: 715 spectators witnessed a highly thrilling game in which the Viennese side prevailed 3:2 in overtime.

13 October 20251 min read

Ahead of the game against the DEBL champions of 2024 and third-placed finishers from the previous season, Women Capitals, Linz had called for another record-breaking crowd. The previous attendance record in the Steel City stood at 576 fans, set on 24 January 2025 in the game against Graz99er Huskies II.

With 715 fans, Linz experienced another ice hockey celebration, as it had in January and at the Final Four of the win2day Austrian Women's League in March. The Blackwings Linz fan clubs – above all the Overtime fan club – also provided support, helping to make the new attendance record possible.

The game developed into a high-quality, fast-paced thriller. The visitors from the capital led 1:0 after the first period thanks to a goal from Amelie Suppan (18 minutes). The home side turned the game around in the middle period: first, Johanna Zehetner scored a shorthanded equaliser for 1:1 after just under a minute and a half (22 minutes), before Emily Wiesinger sent the Linz ice rink into raptures with the go-ahead goal for 2:1 (36 minutes).

In the third period, Verena Haselsteiner beat Linz goaltender Viktorie Horinkovà to level the score at 2:2 with just under ten minutes remaining (51.). The decision came just seven seconds into overtime, when Lena Artner scored to secure a 3:2 victory for the Capitals (61.).