Sharks Gmunden come from behind against WEV – Hohenems cele­brate emphatic derby win over VEU Feld­kirch

A key game in the battle for a play-off place was the head-to-head clash between the UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden and Wiener Eislauf-Verein. 

The first meeting of the season was intense and physical from the outset, with both teams going back and forth. It was clear that there was a certain edge to this game. 

The Sharks Gmunden took a 1:0 lead on the power play through Patrick Gaffal (in the 10th minute). WEV fought back and soon equalised. Following an attack, Raphael Poisinger fired a shot, Nick Kompain collected the rebound and beat Gmunden netminder Luka Gračnar to make it 1:1 (in the 14th minute).

Little changed in the character of the game in the second period. Both teams closed down the space, but continued to create attacking moments. Both goaltenders, Mathias Lichtenecker for WEV and Luka Gračnar for the Upper Austrians, were in good form, resulting in a classic close contest. 

Shortly after the halfway mark, the team coached by Mario Kubeczka led 2:1. The Viennese combined their way in front of the opposition goal and Christophe Vermeersch scored (in the 31st minute). The Sharks from Lake Traun quickly found the right response and equalised: Mario Pichler gave Mathias Lichtenecker no chance with a powerful wrist shot from the left (in the 33rd minute).

In the final period, the team coached by Gregor Baumgartner seized the momentum. First, Felix Mayer, superbly set up by Moritz Neurauter, made it 3:2 from close range (in the 46th minute). Just under two minutes later, Alwin Schuster again scored from point-blank range to extend the home side's lead to 4:2 (in the 48th minute). WEV took risks and pulled goaltender Lichtenecker early, but the Sharks struck and sealed the win with an empty-net goal by Adrian Rosenberger to make it 5:2 (in the 58th minute). 

With this victory, Gmunden overtook WEV in the standings and now sit fourth. The back-to-back clash takes place in Vienna on Immaculate Conception, 8 December, at the open-air match in front of the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Kapfenberg sweep Dukes Graz aside

Just 23 hours after the start of the first back-to-back clash, Kapfenberger SV and UHT Dukes Graz took to the ice again at Kapfenberg Stadthalle. 

On Friday, the Kangaroos had clearly won the “away game” 8:0 – after a match postponement, the Dukes had selected Kapfenberg as their home venue. This time, the Graz Dukes made the better start, with Cornelius Kaschnig giving the University Hockey Team from the Styrian capital a 1:0 lead after just under two minutes (in the 3rd minute). The early deficit did not unsettle the Kangaroos for long, as just 40 seconds later Max Wimmer made it 1:1 (in the 3rd minute). 

The Mürztal side then produced an attacking masterclass and played as one. Fine attacks were finished with fine goals. After Pierre Graf made it 2:1 (in the 5th minute), the team led by player-coach Kris Reinthaler raced away. Goals from Lukas Draschkowitz (in the 10th minute), Adrian Stühlinger (in the 14th minute) and Daniel Oberkofler (in the 16th minute) made it 5:1, with the game effectively decided after the first period.

The second period continued in the same vein, with the Kapfenberg express unstoppable for Graz. Pierre Graf extended the lead to 6:1 49 seconds after the restart (in the 21st minute). Daniel Oberkofler added the 7:1 a minute before the halfway mark (in the 30th minute). Florian Hoppl made it 8:1 (in the 32nd minute), Kevin Moderer scored the 9:1 on the power play (in the 35th minute), and Lukas Winkler added the 10:1 (in the 36th minute) to take the home side into double figures before the end of the second period. 

Lukas Draschkowitz (in the 37th minute) and Daniel Oberkofler with his third goal (in the 37th minute) took the score to 12:1 within 14 seconds. David Kessler made it 2:12 from Graz's perspective (in the 39th minute). In the final period, the Kangaroos continued to toy with the Dukes and scored goal after goal. Following a ten-minute break in scoring spanning two periods, Kevin Moderer struck again on the power play to make it 13:1 (in the 49th minute). 

The next quick double followed, this time within 48 seconds: Adrian Stühlinger made it 14:2 (in the 51st minute), before Florian Hoppl added the 15:2. Manuel Trost extended the lead to 17:2 with two goals (in the 53st and 58th minutes), before Adrian Stühlinger completed his hat-trick to seal the final score of 18:2 (in the 59th minute). 

The Kapfenberg side thus celebrated their seventh win in seven games, with an impressive goal difference of 67:10.

ATSE Graz v Zeltweg Murtal Lions cancelled

Sat, 02 December 2023, 19:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion, cancelled due to weather conditions – new date to follow

Division West:

HC Kufstein hit Dornbirn for nine

League leaders HC Kufstein hosted bottom side Dornbirner EC at the Eisarena Kufstein. In the first period, the underdogs from Vorarlberg took the game to the heavy favourites, repeatedly creating dangerous chances in front of the Kufstein goal guarded by netminder Patrick Fuchs, and also had more shots on goal. However, the Dragons took the lead four minutes before the end of the period: Sandro Haller fired home to make it 1:0 for the hosts (17.).

The Dragons got serious in the opening minutes of the second period and pulled away. Florian Eder finished off a swift attack to make it 2:0 (25.), before goal scorer David Hrazdira surprised Dornbirn netminder David Bernhard to make it 3:0 for the Tyroleans just 21 seconds later (25.). Nearly two minutes later, Hrazdira received a superb pass from Martin Kosnar and hammered the puck into the net for 4:0 (27.).

The Dragons then took a little pace out of the game before the brilliant Czech forward duo struck again: this time, David Hrazdira set up Martin Kosnar perfectly, who made it 5:0 for HC Kufstein from the slot (37th minute). Eleven seconds before the end of the second period, David Hrazdira completed his hat-trick to make it 6:0 for Kufstein (40th minute). 

The hosts had not yet satisfied their appetite for goals in the final period. Martin Kosnar made it 7:0 after a wonderful spin move (43.). Kosnar struck again for 8:0, sweeping the puck home from close range with his backhand (49.). Bulldogs netminder David Bernhard was replaced by Laurin Gehringer after conceding the eighth goal. 

With 58 seconds remaining, Herbert Steiner completed a fine one-two with Florian Eder to seal a 9:0 final score for HC Kufstein (60.). The Tyroleans remain top of the Division West standings.

Hohenems celebrate derby rout against VEU

The VEU Feldkirch hosted local rivals SC Samina Hohenems for the third derby of the season at the Vorarlberghalle. 

The Steinböcke had won the first two meetings and the visitors also took an early lead on the first Advent weekend: Lukas Fritz intercepted a pass in the slot, the puck rebounded off a VEU defenceman straight onto Christian Haidinger's stick, and he made it 1:0 for the visitors after a minute and a half (2.). 

Felix Vonbun then fired from the blue line and the puck found its way into the net for 2:0 for SC Hohenems (7.). 43 seconds later, it was 3:0: VEU netminder Fabian Pozzera could only make a brief save from a shot, and Martin Grabher Meier converted the rebound (8.). Pozzera subsequently made way for Kevin Wanger in goal. 

Head coach Lars Foder's team briefly found hope when Lucas Loibnegger reduced the deficit to 1:3 from close range on the power play (9.). However, the Steinböcke did not let up, with Thomas Auer scoring from the slot to make it 4:1 (14.).

Head coach Thomas Sticha's team struck early again in the second period: Benjamin Kyllönen increased the lead to 5:1 on the power play with a precise shot (22.). Thomas Auer sealed the outcome shortly afterwards with the goal for 6:1 (25.). Eight seconds after the midway point, Niklas Gehringer finished a quick counter-attack with a rebound to make it 7:1 (31.). 

Joonatan Kyllönen made it 2:7 on the power play in the final period, beating HSC netminder Pascal Prugger with a powerful shot (42.). The Steinböcke then took centre stage again and added 8:2: Lukas Fritz scored from the slot (43.). With two goals in 21 seconds, Hohenems took their tally into double figures. 

First, Thomas Auer fired from the left face-off circle and completed his hat-trick to make it 9:2 (48.), before Niklas Gehringer added 10:2. The Montfort city side added some respectability to the scoreline through two Yannick Wiedner power-play goals, making it 3:10 (55.) and 4:10 with one second remaining (60.). SC Hohenems therefore won all three season derbies against VEU Feldkirch.

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division East:

UEHV RAUCH Technology Sharks Gmunden vs. WEV 5:2 (1:1,1:1,3:0)

Sat., 02 December 2023, 18:15, Eishalle Gmunden

Sharks Gmunden scorers: Patrick Gaffal (09:27 min./PP1), Mario Pichler (32:10 min.), Felix Mayer (45:29 min.), Alwin Schuster (47:16 min.), Adrian Rosenberger (57:52 min./EN)

Wiener Eislauf-Verein scorers: Nick Kompain (13:58 min.), Christophe Vermeersch (30:44 min.)

Kapfenberger SV vs. UHT Dukes Graz 18:2 (5:1,7:1,6:0)

Sat., 02 December 2023, 19:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

Kapfenberger SV scorers: Max Wimmer (02:44 min.), Pierre Graf (04:14 min., 20:49 min.), Lukas Draschkowitz (09:16 min.), Adrian Stühlinger (13:59 min., 50:10 min., 58:22 min.), Daniel Oberkofler (15:18 min., 29:00 min., 36:48 min.), Florian Hoppl (31:09 min., 50:58 min.), Kevin Moderer (34:59 min./PP1, 48:18 min/PP1), Lukas Winkler (35:48 min.), Christoph Draschkowitz (36:34 min.), Manuel Trost (52:11 min., 57:17 min.)

UHT Dukes Graz scorers: Cornelius Kaschnig (02:04 min.), David Kessler (38:25 min.)

UHT Dukes Graz vs. Kapfenberger SV 0:8 (0:2,0:3,0:3)

Fri., 01 December 2023, 20:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

Kapfenberger SV scorers: Pierre Graz (01:54 min.), Florian Hoppl (06:51 min.), Daniel Oberkofler (34:09 min.), Kevin Moderer (38:37 min./SH1), Matthias Wassermann (39:44 min.), Lukas Draschkowitz (54:41 min./PP1), Christoph Draschkowitz (57:12 min., 59:54 min.)

ATSE Graz vs. EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions cancelled

Sat., 02 December 2023, 19:30, Graz Merkur Eisstadion, cancelled due to weather conditions – new date to follow

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division West:

HC Kufstein vs. Dornbirner EC 9:0 (1:0,5:0,3:0)

Sat., 02 December 2023, 17:30, Eisarena Kufstein

HC Kufstein scorers: Sandro Haller (16:04 min.), Florian Eder (24:02 min.), David Hrazdira (24:23 min., 26:52 min., 39:49 min.), Martin Kosnar (36:32 min., 42:41 min., 48:33 min.), Herbert Steiner (59:02 min.)

VEU Feldkirch vs. SC Samina Hohenems 4:10 (1:4,0:3,3:3)

Sat., 02 December 2023, 18:00, Vorarlberghalle

VEU Feldkirch scorers: Lucas Loibnegger (08:59 min./PP1), Joonatan Kyllönen (41:56 min./PP1), Yannick Wiedner (54:30 min./PP1, 59:59 min.)

SC Samina Hohenems scorers: Christian Haidinger (01:26 min.), Felix Vonbun (06:49 min.), Martin Grabher Meier (07:32 min.), Thomas Auer (13:41 min., 24:51 min., 47:26 min.), Benjamin Kyllönen (21:26 min./PP1), Niklas Gehringer (30:08 min., 47:47 min.), Lukas Fritz (42:49 min.)

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