SC Hohenems down leaders Kufstein – Kapfen­berg win derby against Zeltweg Murtal Lions

In the North-East Group, leaders Kapfenberg celebrated their third derby win against EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions, with the Kangaroos prevailing 7:4 this time. ATSE Graz thrashed UHT Dukes Graz 10:3 in the city derby. WEV defeated Sharks Gmunden 4:1. In the South Group, leaders 1. EHC Althofen edged VSV’s Jungadler 1:0. Eisbären Huben came from behind against Spittal to win 3:1.

Hohenems win in Kufstein

The absolute blockbuster in the West Group between league leaders HC Kufstein and second-placed SC SAMINA Hohenems got under way at the Eisarena Kufstein with a cold shower for the hosts. Martin Grabher Meier scored 1:0 for the Steinböcke with a solo effort after exactly 13 seconds of play.

The game then developed into an open contest, with Kufstein looking to make their mark offensively while Hohenems also had good chances. Martin Grabher Meier converted one of them from the slot in the 16th minute to make it 2:0 to Hohenems.

In the second period, Head Coach Bernd Schmidle’s team lacked discipline and took several penalties. HC Kufstein used one of those power plays to pull back to 1:2. Czech offensive force David Hrazdira beat HSC goaltender Karlo Skec with a powerful shot in the 28th minute.

The blockbuster now gathered momentum, with the match becoming more intense and emotional. On another power play, the second Czech powerhouse, Martin Kosnar, brought the Kufstein Arena to the boil by levelling the score at 2:2 in the 35th minute. But SC Hohenems had the perfect response: Stefan Spannring made it 3:2 after a counter-attack in the 39th minute.

In the final period, Head Coach Ivo Novotny’s team pushed for an equaliser, but Hohenems were solid defensively and held on to their one-goal lead. With 50 seconds remaining, Kufstein went all in and pulled goaltender Thomas Hechenberger.

A few seconds before the siren, the puck found the Hohenems net for what appeared to be an equaliser, but the officiating team disallowed the goal. The side from Vorarlberg celebrated their second win in the third meeting of the season and reduced the gap to first place to three points, with a game in hand.

VEU Feldkirch edge Innsbruck away from home

On Friday, HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II and VEU Feldkirch had provided a goal fest in the Vorarlberg side’s 8:4 win, but in the second match within 24 hours, the defensive units and the two goaltenders – Markus Gratzer for Innsbruck and Thomas Schubert for VEU – took centre stage for a long time.

The Junghaie kept the match open and came close to finally claiming their first win of the season. Just as everyone in the TIWAG Arena was anticipating overtime, VEU leading scorer Benjamin Kyllönen struck for the Montfortstädter with just under two minutes remaining to make it 1:0, sealing their sixth win of the season. The door to the inter-regional play-offs is now wide open for Head Coach Thomas Sticha’s team.

North-East Group: Kapfenberg win derby

Following the ÖEHV national team’s international double-header against Hungary, the Kapfenberg Stadthalle experienced top-level ice hockey for the third consecutive day.

The third Upper Styria derby of the season between league leaders Kapfenberger SV and challengers EV Zeltweg Murtal LionsFrom the outset, it had everything that characterises a derby. Rapidly changing momentum and no fewer than four goals in the first period. In the tenth minute, Christoph Draschkowitz gave the hosts a 1:0 lead.

Florian Dinhopel equalised at 1:1 for the Murtal Lions in the 13th minute, before Marco Herzl put them 2:1 ahead in the 17th minute. But the Kangaroos are renowned for their efficiency: Florian Hoppl capitalised on a power play just under a minute before the end of the period to level the score at 2:2.

The match remained attractive and exciting in the second period. Thomas Koller put the team coached by player-coach Kris Reinthaler back in front in the 26th minute.

This time, the Lions battled back and Thomas Schiechl equalised at 3:3 on the power play three minutes later. Florian Hoppl found the net for the second time that evening in the 32th minute to restore KSV's lead. Just under four minutes later, Christoph Draschkowitz beat Zeltweg netminder Andreas Brenkusch for the second time as well, suddenly making it 5:3 for the commanding Group North-East leaders.

When Patrick Huppmann made it 6:3 for the Kangaroos after exactly 44 minutes, the derby appeared to be decided. But Marko Tadic breathed new life into the Lions once again.

The game remained tense and exciting until Florian Hoppl crowned his performance with his third goal in the 53th minute, scoring to make it 7:4 for Kapfenberg. The Mürztal side thus celebrated their third derby win of the season, their tenth victory in ten games, and have so far dropped just a single point against WEV in Vienna.

ATSE Graz thrash Dukes in city derby

In the third Graz city derby of the season – the head-to-head record stood at one win apiece after two games – at the large Merkur Eisstadion between ATSE Graz and the UHT Dukes Graz the two teams produced a veritable goal fest in the first period.

Niki Zierer gave ATSE a 1:0 lead after exactly 22 seconds. Barely a minute later, Lukas Mayer beat ATSE goalie Florian Zeugswetter to make it 1:1. After a blistering start to the derby in the opening two minutes, Manuel Pekler put the hosts 2:1 ahead. Three minutes later, the Dukes were celebrating again as Luca Rodiga equalised at 2:2.

In the second half of the first period, the team coached by player-coach Rupert Strohmeier got serious and scored three unanswered goals. Fabian Möth made it 3:2 in the 14th minute, before Niki Zierer celebrated after his second goal made it 4:2 in the 16th minute. In the 17th minute, it was player-coach Rupert Strohmeier himself who scored to make it 5:2 for ATSE.

In the second period, the Eggenberg side took a little pace out of their attacking game, but Fabian Möth – his second of the evening – still scored in the 34th minute.

ATSE went into the final period with a four-goal lead, which Patrick Atzl cut to 3:6 for the team coached by Jurica Bednjanec after just 15 seconds. That was all the visitors had left, while ATSE returned to top form and added four more goals in the final period.

Moritz Ausperger in the 43th minute, Niki Zierer with his third goal in the 51th minute, Cory Krenz in the 52th minute and Andreas Meixner on the power play in the 56th minute took the score to 10:3 for ATSE Graz, who remain in the play-off race with their second derby win of the season.

WEV celebrate away win in Gmunden

The UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden and the Wiener Eislauf-Verein, with forward Maciej Postek making his comeback, once again battled for every inch of ice at the start of their third meeting of the season.

WEV had narrowly won the first encounter 3:2, while the second game was also extremely close, with the Traunsee Sharks prevailing 5:4 at the start of December. It was Postek of all people who gave WEV a 1:0 lead after exactly twelve minutes. Just 36 seconds later, player-coach André Flatscher equalised for the Sharks at 1:1.

The game remained tight for a long time in the second period before the team led by player-coach Mario Kubeczka scored twice in the final five minutes to take a 3:1 lead. Raphael Nemeth made it 2:1 in minute 36, before Stefan Nador extended the Viennese side's lead to 3:1 two minutes before the second intermission.

The Upper Austrians pushed for a goal to reduce the deficit in the final period, but Mathias Lichtenecker and his defence kept a clean sheet. Stefan Nador sealed the win for WEV in minute 55, as the 4:1 away victory took them another major step towards the playoffs.

South Group: Leaders Althofen defeat VSV

For a long time, the Young Eagles of EC iDM VSV held their own against league leaders 1. EHC Althofen, who lined up in the Ossiacher See Halle in Steindorf with ÖEHV para ice hockey head coach Lucas Herrnegger in the line-up, in the first period.

It was not until minute 18 that the favourites took the lead through Martin Zeloth, making it 1:0. In the second period, the Rhinos, who had just twelve skaters at their disposal, remained on top, but VSV netminder Jannik Jacob Ladinig kept his team in the game with some fine saves. At the other end, Fabian Horn prevented any goals from the few counter-attacks.

In the final period, VSV, with Florian Lanzinger also named in the Ö Eishockey Liga squad after making his ICE Hockey League debut against Fehervar on Friday, pressed for an equaliser.

Althofen saw out the game comfortably with a solid defensive display. Just under a minute and a half from the end, coach Günther Lanzinger pulled netminder Jannik Jacob Ladinig, but the Blue-Whites could no longer find an equaliser. League leaders Althofen claimed three important points and are firmly on course for the playoffs in the Ö Eishockey Liga.

Eisbären Huben turn the game around against Spittal

The clash between UECR Eisbären Huben and EC LiWoDruck Spittal at the Eisstadion Huben provided the usual magnificent ice hockey atmosphere.

The East Tyroleans needed a win to stay in the race for the Ö Eishockey Liga's inter-regional playoffs. In a well-kept minus four degrees Celsius outdoors, the Hornets from Upper Carinthia took a 1:0 lead through Wolfgang Unterlercher in minute 17.

It took a long time for the team led by head coach Silvio Trojer to finally find their feet in this crucial home game: Raphael Bstieler equalised at 1:1 on the power play in minute 33.

Hornets player Kevin Essmann was then handed a match penalty following an attack on referee Dominik Wuntschek. One minute and one second later, Alexander Payr converted on the power play to make it 2:1, sending Huben's open-air arena into raptures as the Eisbären had turned the game around in no time.

What followed was an exciting game that remained on a knife-edge until the end. Exactly one second before the final buzzer, Elias Mattersberger sealed the win for the Eisbären with an empty-net goal to make it 3:1. The East Tyroleans were back in the playoff race.

Matchday – West Group

HC Kufstein vs. SC SAMINA Hohenems 2:3 (0:2,2:1,0:0)
Sat., 17 December 2022, 17:30, Eisarena Kufstein
HC Kufstein scorers: David Hrazdira (27:37/PP1), Martin Kosnar (34:48/PP1)
SC SAMINA Hohenems scorers: Martin Grabher Meier (00:13, 15:52), Stefan Spannring (38:32)

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II vs. VEU Feldkirch 0:1 (0:0,0:0,0:1)
Sat., 17 December 2022, 19:30, TIWAG Arena
VEU Feldkirch scorer: Benjamin Kyllönen (58:12)

Already played or postponed:

HC TIWAG Innsbruck - Die Haie II vs. VEU Feldkirch 4:8 (0:3,3:3,1:2)
Fri., 16 December 2022, 19:00, TIWAG Arena
HC Innsbruck II scorers: Luca Reiter (30:29), Marcus Massimo (31:43), Nicholas Schintler (35:45), Felix Platzer (59:28)
VEU Feldkirch scorers: Sven Vugrinec (06:45), Yannik Lebeda (11:37), Benjamin Kyllönen (12:05), Tobias Reinbacher (27:55/PP1), Simon Hämmerle (28:57/PP1, 34:35, 53:38/PP1), Alessandro Togni (58:26/PP1)

WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl
Cancelled due to weather, new fixture date to follow.

Matchday – North-East Group

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein 1:4 (1:1,0:2,0:1)
Sat., 17 December 2022, 18:15, Eishalle Gmunden
Sharks Gmunden scorer: André Flatscher (12:36)
Scorers for Wiener Eislauf-Verein: Maciej Postek (12:00), Raphael Nemeth (35:44), Stefan Nador (38:01, 54:36)

Kapfenberger SV vs. EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions 7:4 (2:2,3:1,2:1)
Sat, 17 December 2022, 19:00, Stadthalle Kapfenberg
Scorers for Kapfenberger SV: Christoph Draschkowitz (09:23, 35:35), Florian Hoppl (18:52/PP1, 31:18, 52:02), Thomas Koller (25:03), Patrick Huppmann (44:00)
Scorers for EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions: Florian Dinhopel (12:56), Marco Herzl (16:18), Thomas Schiechl (28:04/PP1), Marko Tadic (46:55)

ATSE Graz vs. UHT Dukes Graz 10:3 (5:2,1:0,4:1)
Sat, 17 December 2022, 19:30, Merkur Eisstadion
Scorers for ATSE Graz: Nikolaus Zierer (00:22, 15:25, 50:25), Manuel Pekler (06:10), Fabian Möth (13:47, 33:24), Rupert Strohmeier (16:10), Moritz Ausperger (42:26), Cory Krenz (51:43), Andreas Meixner (55:52/PP1)
Scorers for UHT Dukes Graz: Lukas Mayer (01:36), Luca Rodiga (09:05), Patrick Atzl (40:15)

South Group matchday

EC iDM VSV vs. No. 1 EHC Althofen 0:1 (0:1,0:0,0:0)
Sat, 17 December 2022, 17:00, Ossiacher See Halle Steindorf
Scorer for No. 1 EHC Althofen: Martin Zeloth (17:54)

UECR Eisbären Huben vs. EC LiWoDruck Spittal 3:1 (0:1,2:0,1:0)
Sat, 17 December 2022, 19:00, Eisstadion Huben
Scorers for UECR Eisbären Huben: Raphael Bstieler (32:12/PP1), Alexander Payr (33:13/PP1), Elias Mattersberger (59:59/EN/PP1)
EC LiWoDruck Spittal scorer: Wolfgang Unterlercher (16:47)

USC Pirates Velden vs. ESC SoccerZone Steindorf
Postponed, new date to follow.

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