Kufstein cele­brate derby rout over Kundl in front of 1.018 fans – Spittal gain revenge at VSV

The Kufstein district derby between league leaders HC Kufstein and EHC Crocodiles Kundl delivered everything the fortress town side had hoped for from this blockbuster in front of exactly 1.018 fans at the Kufstein Ice Arena.

Four minutes in, Philipp Sappl fired home with a powerful shot to make it 1:0 for the Dragons. His brother Samuel Sappl extended the lead to 2:0 in the 14th minute for Head Coach Ivo Novotny's team.

Kufstein played with freedom in the second period after going 2:0 up. Czech whirlwind David Hrazdira in particular created a storm in the Kundl defensive zone. Hrazdira completed a hat-trick within five minutes to make it 5:0 for HC Kufstein. After the 0:5 in the 27th minute, Crocodiles netminder Michael Sparr had seen enough and backup Johann Bauer took over.

Just before the halfway point of the game, Kundl scored their first goal, with Kayson Gallant making it 1:5 in the 30th minute. However, it was only a brief flicker from the visitors, as the Dragons continued to produce ice hockey fireworks of the highest order. Just 22 seconds later, Florian Eder extended the home side's lead to 6:1, before Sandro Haller made it 7:1.

Philipp Sappl then struck again, making it 8:1 for Kufstein in the 35th minute. The Crocodiles had no answer during this phase and conceded David Hrazdira's fourth goal of the middle period in the 37th minute.

In the final period, Kufstein gave netminder Patrick Fuchs the nod in place of Thomas Hechenberger, and he was able to enjoy an ice hockey celebration alongside his team-mates.

Robert Schopf took the Dragons' goal tally into double figures in the 46th minute, making it 10:1. The Kufstein fans went wild, with the wave going around the Ice Arena on this memorable evening of ice hockey.

The Dragons added two more goals, with Florian Eder scoring his second to make it 11:1 in the 48th minute. Patrick Hager completed the scoring at 12:1 in the 52th minute. Kufstein therefore gained revenge for the narrow 4:5 shoot-out defeat in the first meeting of the season and remain top of Group West.

Wattens Penguins overcome HC Innsbruck II

For around seven minutes, the clash between reigning champions WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins and HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II at the Alpenstadion was a tentative affair before Christian Pittl gave the home side a 1:0 lead. The junior Sharks were not thrown off course by going behind and equalised through Nicholas Schintler in the ninth minute, making it 1:1.

It got even better for the Tyrolean provincial capital side: 105 seconds later, Alexander Erlacher gave Innsbruck a 2:1 lead. Erlacher also scored his second goal of the game on the power play in the 19th minute to extend Head Coach Werner Strele's team's advantage to 3:1. However, the Penguins hit back just 36 seconds later in the first period, with Valentin Hammerle reducing the deficit to 2:3.

The game became more intense by the minute in the second period, with neither team giving the other much room. Mathias Kastner had the Alpenstadion fans celebrating when he levelled the score at 3:3 in the 29th minute. Jaro Betka's team pressed on, and Taylor Holst gave them a 4:3 lead in the 34th minute. Just under two minutes later, Daniel Frischmann made it 5:3 for the defending Ö Eishockey Liga champions.

However, the junior Sharks showed their bite, with Sandro Wille pulling one back to make it 4:5 with 66 seconds remaining in the period. Innsbruck kept the game open for a long time in the final period until Daniel Frischmann sealed the win for the Wattens Penguins at 6:4 in the 51th minute. After the narrow 4:3 win in Innsbruck, the reigning champions also emerged unscathed from their second meeting with the junior Sharks.

Group South: Spittal gain revenge at VSV

Barely a minute had been played at the Ossiacher See Halle in Steindorf in the South Group match between the Young Eagles of EC iDM VSV and EC LiWoDruck Spittal when Samuel Hobitsch delivered a body check and was made to answer for it by Luca Komar. Both were sent to the penalty box, and VSV used this phase to take an early 1:0 lead through Paolo Wieltschnig in the second minute.

An intense contest then developed, with tempers repeatedly flaring. This was also the case after 16 minutes, when VSV player Julian Raspotnig was sent off for kneeing and Daniel Kronig for excessive roughness. This time, the Hornets equalised at 1:1 through Luca Komar in the 17th minute.

VSV regained the lead right at the start of the second period. Florian Lanzinger scored the 2:1 for the blue and whites on the power play after 42 seconds. Spittal's Noel Brunner had received a penalty for high-sticking towards the end of the first period. Despite VSV's lead, little changed in the course of the game, with the match initially remaining evenly balanced and exciting.

Tim Thaler equalised at 2:2 for the Spittal Hornets in the 29th minute. Just under four and a half minutes after the equaliser, VSV were short-handed, and Samuel Hobitsch scored a short-handed goal to make it 3:2 for the home side. But Spittal responded ruthlessly: Marco Zorec scored twice in exactly 35 seconds in the 35th minute to make it 4:3 for Head Coach Florian Orzetek's team.

Shortly before the end of the period, the Hornets again set themselves on course for victory with two quick goals. Joshua Ogertschnig first made it 5:3 in the 40th minute, before Kevin Essmann increased the lead to 6:3 just eleven seconds later.

VSV were unable to mount a comeback in the final period; on the contrary, Spittal saw the game out. Noel Brunner sealed the result with the 7:3 on the power play in the 50th minute. With one minute and 55 seconds remaining, Kevin Essmann completed the 8:3 scoreline with his second goal. The Hornets had impressively avenged their opening 3:6 defeat.

West Group matchday

WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins vs. HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II 6:4 (2:3,3:1,1:0)
Fri, 18 November 2022, 19:30, Alpenstadion
Goalscorers for WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins: Christian Pittl (06:53), Valentin Hammerle (18:51), Mathias Kastner (28:35), Taylor Holst (33:54), Daniel Frischmann (36:36, 50:51)
Goalscorers for HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II: Nicholas Schintler (08:08), Alexander Erlacher (09:53, 18:15 PP1), Sandro Wille (38:44)

HC Kufstein vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl 12:1 (2:0,7:1,3:0)
Fri, 18 November 2022, 19:45, Eisarena Kufstein
Goalscorers for HC Kufstein: Philipp Sappl (04:07, 34:15), Samuel Sappl (13:15), David Hrazdira (21:45, 24:51, 26:39/PP1, 36:39), Florian Eder (29:51, 47:49), Sandro Haller (31:02), Robert Schopf (45:09), Patrick Hager (51:23)
Goalscorer for EHC Crocodiles Kundl: Kayson Gallant (29:29)

South Group matchday

EC iDM VSV vs. EC LiWoDruck Spittal 3:8 (1:1,2:5,0:2)
Fri, 18 November 2022, 20:00, Ossiacher See Halle Steindorf
EC iDM VSV goalscorers: Paolo Wieltschnig (at 01:30), Florian Lanzinger (at 20:42/PP1), Samuel Hobitsch (at 32:37/SH1)
EC LiWoDruck Spittal goalscorers: Luca Komar (at 16:35), Tim Thaler (at 28:09), Marco Zorec (at 34:03, 34:38), Joshua Ogertschnig (at 39:23), Kevin Essmann (at 39:34, 58:05), Noel Brunner (at 49:44/PP1)

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