Sharks Gmunden host ATSE Graz – Hohenems face Kundl in the head­line clash

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. ATSE Graz

Sat, 02 November 2024, 18:30, MUKI Eisarena Gmunden

League leaders UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden face ATSE Graz in the East Division of the Ö Eishockey Liga on Saturday at the MUKI Eisarena Gmunden in the first round of return fixtures. The Upper Austrians narrowly won the opening game against the Styrians 5:4 at the Merkur Eisstadion, then beat defending champions Kapfenberg by the same score in their first home game, and sit top of the table with a game in hand.

Sharks chairman Günter Kail is pleased with the balanced division: “I see the league, or the East group, as very evenly matched. Every team can beat anyone else in the group. The Maribor boys naturally surprised everyone with their win over Kapfenberg, as did WEV, who in turn were able to prevail against Maribor. We will again give everything at home in the Shark Tank in the second game of the season against ATSE Graz and hope to retain the upper hand, but as I said, anything is possible this year and it remains very exciting!”

Gmunden head coach Gregor Baumgartner hopes his side return well from the break in games: “We are expecting a close game and need to make a good start, as we are coming back from a break and Graz will come to us full of confidence. Our objective for the game will be to play consistent, high-tempo hockey with four lines.”

Last Saturday, the Eggenberg side celebrated a comfortable and untroubled 6:2 victory over Maribor to register their first three points.

ATSE head coach Markus Losch knows the opposition following the start of the new season and is expecting another close contest at Lake Traun: “After the first win against Maribor last weekend, the team is looking forward to the ‘return game’ against Gmunden. As the first game went to the Sharks, we will try to bring the win back to Graz this time. Gmunden have a very compact team which strengthened very well over the summer. It will certainly be another close game, in which we will have to show greater efficiency than in the first game. Then we can spring a surprise away from home!”

KSV Kängurus vs. HDK Maribor

Sat, 02 November 2024, 19:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

Champions Kapfenberger SV host league newcomers HDK Maribor on Saturday at the Stadthalle Kapfenberg in their first rematch. The hosts sensationally won the first meeting in Maribor 6:5 against the defending champions. This game will be remembered in Štajerska and in the Ö Eishockey Liga above all for Danilo Tomašević’s spectacular winning goal, as he scored a “Michigan Goal” on the power play 58 seconds from time to seal the result.

Kapfenberg player-coach Kris Reinthaler promises an intense performance from his team: "We left a lot on the table in the first game of the season, especially in terms of commitment and intensity. The team knows it has a lot to make up for and will go full throttle from the first minute."

The Kapfenberg side therefore has a score to settle. Most recently, the Kängurus had vented some frustration with a 6:1 win over WEV after their two defeats at the start of the season. The Foxes from Slovenia may have lost 2:6 to ATSE last weekend, but they are second in the current standings with four points. 

Maribor head coach Jure Verlič now knows the Kapfenberg side after the first encounter and knows how to play against them: "We now know that they are very good offensively and handle the puck very well, especially in the offensive zone. If we do not give them space and time in our zone and take the chances we create offensively, we are capable of achieving a positive result away from home."

The Wiener Eislauf-Verein have a bye – the Viennese side's next game is away to the Sharks Gmunden on 09th November.

Division West:

SC Samina Hohenems vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl

Sat., 02nd November 2024, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

The SC Samina Hohenems face EHC Crocodiles Kundl on Saturday in the Division West blockbuster in the Ö Eishockey Liga. The second-versus-third clash is about important points in order to keep pace with league leaders EHC Lustenau. After two clear opening wins, the Steinböcke suffered their first defeat of the season against league newcomers EHC Lustenau in the Vorarlberg derby on National Day. 

It is the other way round for the Tyroleans: Crocodiles Kundl arrive at Herrenriedstadion buoyed by a dramatic overtime derby win over HC Kufstein.

Hohenems president Michael Töchterle is convinced of the strength of his Steinböcke, with the primary objective being to keep pace with Lustenau: "Of course, a derby defeat is never easy to get over, but the team now has the opportunity to keep the gap to Lustenau in the standings small with a good performance and a home win. Kundl also have another strong team with good players, so it will certainly be an exciting encounter. However, our team has a great deal of talent and quality, and we have to play with confidence in our own arena. I am therefore convinced that our team will once again go into the game highly motivated and focused, and then the three points will stay with us!"

Kundl chairman Gerhard Maier is convinced by his Crocodiles after their recent matches: "We are travelling to Hohenems to take something tangible away from the game. The performances we have shown recently give us confidence that we will also be able to hold our own in Hohenems!"

EHC Lustenau vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins

Sat., 02nd November 2024, 17:30, Rheinhalle

League leaders EHC Lustenau will host the WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins in the Division West on Saturday. In the season opener in mid-October, the Lions introduced themselves to the Ö Eishockey Liga with a solid 6:2 win over the Tyroleans, then climbed to the top of the table with two further full points victories against Kundl and in the Ländle derby against Hohenems in front of an impressive crowd of 1.600 fans at the Rheinhalle. 

Lustenau head coach Daniel Fekete has warned of the visitors from the Crystal City: "When we first played Wattens, the Tyroleans had had relatively little ice time and match practice beforehand. That has changed after the first three rounds and, following their win against Dornbirn, they are coming to Lustenau with a measure of confidence. Nevertheless, we want to impose our game on them and build on the performance we showed in the match against Hohenems."

The Penguins secured their first win of the comeback season last Sunday with a 3:1 victory away to the Dornbirn Bulldogs. 

Wattens coach Manfred Burgstaller wants his side to give the league leaders in the Ländle a real test after their first win: "Almost nothing has changed for us compared to three weeks ago; in this game, too, we want to improve by 100% on every shift and make it as difficult as possible for our opponents. They are top of the table, so it will be another very difficult weekend for us, and we hope that we can land one or two blows. We want to take the positive mood from our first win last weekend into the match!"

Following the clash with the Tyroleans, Lustenau face their next Vorarlberg derby away to the Dornbirn Bulldogs at the Messestadion as early as Wednesday. The two local rivals' ice rinks are only around five kilometres apart.

HC Kufstein vs. Dornbirner EC

Sat., 02 November 2024, at 17:35, Eisarena Kufstein

For the second time this season, the HC Kufstein and Dornbirner EC will also cross sticks in the Division West. In their first meeting, the Dragons celebrated a 6:3 away win. The young Dornbirn side had already trailed 0:5 in that game, but showed character, scored three consecutive goals and briefly made the match exciting again. 

The Bulldogs are still without a point in the table. Most recently, they once again delivered a good performance in the lively game against Wattens; all that is still missing is the reward of gaining points. 

Dornbirn chairman Christof Schwendinger has already seen development in his young team over the opening weeks: "The Dragons won the first game 6:3. But we have improved since the first league match and were able to perform better on the power play. Our game system is also slowly beginning to click better. Kufstein are clear favourites. They have plenty of depth and experience in their squad. We want to keep a clean sheet for as long as possible and try to take points from Kufstein. We will see whether we succeed."

The Fortress City side recently recovered from a 1:3 deficit in the final period of the heated district derby against Kundl, but had to leave the extra point to the Crocodiles in overtime. 

Kufstein sporting director Willi Lanz is giving the team time to develop a new playing philosophy. However, they are targeting a clear win against the Bulldogs: "We did not start the season as we had hoped, but this year we want to implement a new playing philosophy, and that takes time and patience. We know the quality within our team and are convinced that we will get the best out of it. Even though Dornbirn are a good opponent, we expect a clear win. The team is focused and we want to demonstrate the potential within us with a convincing performance!"

After the match against Kufstein, the Bulldogs will host EHC Lustenau at the Messestadion on Wednesday in the next Vorarlberg derby. It is a genuine local clash between two clubs whose ice rinks are around five kilometres apart.

Ö Eishockey Liga - Division East:

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. ATSE Graz

Sat., 02 November 2024, 18:30, MUKI Eisarena Gmunden

KSV Kängurus vs. HDK Maribor

Sat., 02 November 2024, 19:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

Wiener Eislauf-Verein have a bye

Ö Eishockey Liga - West Division:

SC Samina Hohenems vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl

Sat., 02 November 2024, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

EHC Lustenau vs. WSG Swarovski Wattens Penguins

Sat., 02 November 2024, 17:30, Rheinhalle

HC Kufstein vs. Dornbirner EC

Sat., 02 November 2024, 17:35, Eisarena Kufstein

Dornbirner Eishockey Club vs. EHC Lustenau

Wed., 06 November 2024, 19:30, Messestadion Dornbirn

All standings, statistics and fixtures of the Ö Eishockey Liga in the Game Centre

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