Show­down, Part II: Stein­dorf defend a four-goal lead in Hohenems

The first leg of the Ö Eishockey Liga 2022/2023 grand final was an entertaining ice hockey match. ESC SoccerZone Steindorf - buoyed by the title in the Carinthian AHC Division I - and SC Samina Hohenems 1974 served up a gripping contest with an exciting flow of play at the Ossiacher See Halle.

The Carinthians initially raced into a 4:1 lead, before the Steinböcke mounted a comeback to 3:4. At that point, just 23 minutes had been played. Steindorf then took centre stage again, scoring three goals in just under three minutes from the 27th to the 30th minute. In the end, the hosts won 8:4.

With this starting position, Steindorf have a great chance to complete the double in their 50th anniversary year. Just as Hohenems travelled to Carinthia for last weekend's first leg, Steindorf will travel to Vorarlberg as early as Friday, according to head coach Robert Moser, and train again on Saturday morning.

The Ossiacher See players are familiar with outdoor games from the quarter-final against WEV in Vienna and from away fixtures in Huben, but every open-air ice stadium has different conditions.

SC Hohenems have won each of their second-leg games convincingly in the playoffs so far, but Steindorf have also celebrated clear successes in their second legs.

The focus for the Carinthians will once again be on 16-year-old goaltender Paul Steiner, with the VSV loanee consistently delivering strong performances in senior ice hockey. Steiner has played all five games, recording three wins with his team, one draw and one narrow defeat to Kufstein.

Hohenems have yet to settle the question of a clear first-choice goaltender. Matthias Fritz has played a total of 175 minutes in the postseason, while Karlo Skec has played just under 125 minutes.

What is certain is that Steindorf will claim the title with a win or a defeat by no more than three goals. If Hohenems win by four goals, there will be overtime and the ultimate showdown. If the Vorarlberg side win by more than four goals, the Steinböcke will be Ö Eishockey Liga champions.

Bernd Schmidle, Head Coach SC Samina Hohenems 1974: "Four goals can be scored quickly in ice hockey. Steindorf showed us that it is possible to score three goals in three minutes, and we are a good team too. So anything is possible, and we have to bring our best game again, then it will be a great evening."

Robert Moser, Head Coach ESC SoccerZone Steindorf: "We are travelling to Hohenems with great respect for the crowd that has been announced, the outdoor rink and a very well-organised opponent. It will be a completely different game. We were able to surprise them in Steindorf. For us, the game starts at 0:0. We have to put the four-goal lead out of our minds. The start will be decisive, as will how we can adapt to the outdoor rink. It is a major adjustment, especially for the goaltenders. We are looking forward to one final great game against a superb opponent!"

Playoff format

The final will also be decided in the Champions Hockey League (CHL) format, over a first and second leg. The club that finished higher after the regular season starts with the away game. The aggregate result of the two completed games is used. The team leading on aggregate after the first and second legs is Ö Eishockey Liga champion.

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

Ö Eishockey Liga Playoff Final

Second leg:

SC Samina Hohenems 1974 vs. ESC SoccerZone Steindorf
Sat., 18 March 2023, 18:30, Herrenriedstadion

First leg:

ESC SoccerZone Steindorf vs. SC Samina Hohenems 1974 8:4 (4:2,4:1,0:1)
Sat., 11 March 2023, 17:30, Ossiacher See Halle
ESC SoccerZone Steindorf scorers: Martin Oraže (at 00:34), Franz Wilfan (at 04:19), Benjamin Petrik (at 09:33, at 29:36/PP2), Christof Martinz (at 18:37/SH1, at 26:41), Stefan Bacher (at 26:25), Markus Pöck (at 34:51/PP1)
SC Samina Hohenems 1974 scorers: Christian Haidinger (at 18:05/PP1), Johannes Hehle (at 19:30/PP1, at 51:00), Thomas Auer (at 23:02)

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