ÖEL Final: Kapfen­berger SV vs. SC Hohenems live from 19:15!

The Kapfenberger SVgo into Saturday's second leg of the final and title-deciding match in the Ö Eishockey Liga against after the 4:1 away win, holding a three-goal leadSC Samina Hohenems at Stadthalle Kapfenberg with a three-goal lead after their __OEHV_NUM_E_A__ away win.

Exactly two minutes and ten seconds had elapsed in Hohenems last Saturday when the Kapfenberg visitors were already 3:0 ahead. The Steinböcke and their fans were in a collective state of shock. After that incredible start, however, the Vorarlberg side regrouped and made the remainder of the game more evenly contested, even winning the final period 1:0.

The Mürztal side swiftly converted their game plan of coming out of the dressing room at full speed into goals, and the early, clear lead allowed them to play to their strengths. Kapfenberg are in an ideal position heading into the return leg.

The Kangaroos take a three-goal cushion into the home game, which is set to be the crowning conclusion to an exceptionally successful season so far – the team led by player-coach Kris Reinthaler has recorded 20 wins from 20 games to date. The match will also offer several highlights and is the ice hockey event of the year in Upper Styria.

A number of legends from Kapfenberg's ice hockey history will attend the match, including Christoph Brandner, David Schuller and Gregor Baumgartner, who will be honoured by the City of Kapfenberg during the second intermission. A pyrotechnic show and a major post-game end-of-season party will round off the ice hockey celebration. Naturally, the Styrians will do everything they can to turn that party into a championship celebration.

Kapfenberg president and ice hockey enthusiast Franz Gärtner is expecting an ice hockey celebration in Upper Styria: "I am really looking forward to the game on Saturday in our own arena, in front of what is sure to be a great crowd. We laid a very good foundation in Hohenems and really should not let this opportunity slip away. 4:1 is a good lead; by and large, the team was clearly the better side over the 60 minutes. It did drop off a little in the third period, but that was also because Hohenems applied a bit more pressure, and I think they changed things around a little in the final period. Our boys know what is at stake. It is not only the club's aim to bring the championship title to Kapfenberg this year, but certainly also a major goal for the team that the Kangaroos win the title!"

Kapfenberg goaltender Oliver Zirngast, who has been a reliable backbone for the Styrians with his calm and strong play, is hoping for a championship celebration in their own arena: "We start again at 0:0; everyone knows what they have to bring to the ice. We proved that on Saturday and will deliver again next week. We are hoping once more for the incredible support from the stands that we have always had recently, and are then looking forward to an end-of-season game with the fans that will hopefully become a championship celebration."

The Vorarlberg side will have something to say about that and will give everything once again. Hohenems still know from last season how to perform and win in Kapfenberg, when the Steinböcke, after a 4:4 result in the first leg of the semi-final, won the away match in the Böhlerstadt convincingly 5:1.

To do so, the Schlittschuhclub players will need to be fully alert, especially at the start. Hohenems now see themselves as underdogs. Following the incredible course of the first leg, the opening period in particular will be hugely exciting for the fans in terms of the direction the decisive match will take.

Thomas Sticha, head coach of SC Hohenems, wants to overturn the aggregate score through a compact defence and efficient offence: "Game one has now been played, and we had the worst possible start to a game all season. However, we recovered as the game went on and played on equal terms with Kapfenberg. In the return leg, we will be stronger and more compact, and we will take advantage of the chances Kapfenberg give us. Kapfenberg now have the favourites' role, while we come into the away game as underdogs, which suits us!"

Play-offs – final matches:

Final – return leg:

Kapfenberger SV vs. SC Samina Hohenems
Sat., 16 March 2024, 19:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

Final – first leg:

SC Samina Hohenems vs. Kapfenberger SV 1:4 (0:3,0:1,1:0)
Sat., 09 March 2024, 18:30, Eisstadion Hohenems
SC Samina Hohenems scorer: Martin Grabher Meier (49:10)
Kapfenberger SV scorers: Daniel Oberkofler (00:47), Manuel Trost (01:48), Lukas Draschkowitz (02:10), Christoph Draschkowitz (37:42)

Play-off format:

From the quarter-finals onwards, ties are decided in Champions Hockey League (CHL) format over two legs. The club that finished higher in the regular season starts with the away game. The aggregate score from the two matches played is used. The team leading on aggregate after the first and second legs is champion of the Ö Eishockey Liga.

Should the aggregate score be level at the final siren after 120 minutes, the decision will be made in a ten-minute three-on-three overtime period and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out with five shooters each. This means there is no overtime in the first leg. The respective first leg ends after 60 minutes in a draw or with a win in regulation time.

The ÖEL is shown on the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation's livestreaming platform at LIVE.eishockey.at.

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