WEV beat ATSE Graz to become the final team to qualify for the play­offs

Wiener Eislauf-VereinWiener Eislauf-Verein faced ATSE Graz on Sunday in the final round of the Ö Eishockey Liga regular season. It was the ultimate showdown for the final playoff spot in the North-East Group.

Vienna, buoyed by their sensational 3:1 away win over dominant group winners Kapfenberger SV, made a lightning start to the game in good conditions at Vienna's Heumarkt. Less than three minutes had been played when Maximilian Kafka put WEV 1:0 ahead. The team led by player-coach Mario Kubeczka continued to press and made the most of their first power play to make it 2:0, with Cedric Ehrenreich beating ATSE goaltender Florian Zeugswetter in the fifth minute.

After that, Graz were able to keep the match open and created plenty of tension in the Austrian capital after exactly 26 minutes. Cory Krenz scored ATSE's 1:2 goal. However, the hosts quickly found the right response, with Tobias Schönauer restoring the two-goal lead just under five minutes later. Patrick Böhm extended WEV's lead to 4:1 in the 34th minute, sending his side into the final period with a comfortable advantage.

WEV see out the final period without any trouble

In the final period, ATSE player-coach Rupert Strohmeier made the game exciting again with a power-play goal after five minutes. The final match before the start of the playoffs had a playoff atmosphere at the Heumarkt. Graz pulled goaltender Zeugswetter late on, but Vienna saw the game out without any trouble.

On the contrary, Oscar Marchhart sealed the 5:2 final score with an empty-net goal seven seconds before the final buzzer. WEV became the final team to qualify for the Ö Eishockey Liga playoffs, where strong southern group winners ESC SoccerZone Steindorf await. ATSE Graz finished the regular season in fifth place, behind city rivals UHT Dukes Graz. The quarter-finals begin on Saturday, 11th February.

Playoff format

From the quarter-finals onwards, the ties will be decided over two legs in Champions Hockey League (CHL) format. The club that finished higher in the regular-season standings starts with the away game. The aggregate result (points and goals) from the two completed matches will be used.

The team leading on aggregate after the two legs progresses to the semi-finals. Should the aggregate score be level after 120 minutes and the final buzzer, the tie will be decided by a ten-minute three-on-three overtime and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out with five shooters per team.

This means there is no overtime in the first leg. Each first leg ends after 60 minutes either level or with a winner after regulation time. 

North-East Group matchday

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. ATSE Graz 5:2 (2:0,2:1,1:1)
Sun., 05th February 2023, 15:00, Vienna Heumarkt
Wiener Eislauf-Verein scorers: Maximilian Kafka (02:43), Cedric Ehrenreich (04:17/PP1), Tobias Schönauer (30:47), Patrick Böhm (33:35), Oscar Marchhart (59:53/PP1/EN)
ATSE Graz scorers: Cory Krenz (26:00), Rupert Strohmeier (44:53/PP1)

Ö Eishockey Liga quarter-final playoff match-ups

Quarter-final 1:

SC Samina Hohenems 1974 vs. 1. EHC Althofen

Quarter-final 2:

ESC SoccerZone Steindorf vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein

Quarter-final 3:

Kapfenberger SV vs. VEU Feldkirch

Quarter-final 4:

HC Kufstein vs. EV Zeltweg Murtal Lions

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