WEV to face SC Hohenems in the semi-finals – Lustenau take on Sharks Gmunden

Quarter-final 1 – second leg: EHC Lustenau reach semi-finals after emphatic win over HDK Maribor

The EHC Lustenau had secured a comfortable __OEHV_NUM_H_A__ lead away from home last Saturday ahead of Saturday's second leg against HDK Maribor a reassuring 8:2 lead. The Vorarlberg side were clearly superior from the outset against the Slovenians, who had travelled to the Ländle with only 13 skaters, in front of 700 fans at the Rheinhalle, but had to wait for their first goal. Following a long pass, Philipp Koczera entered the offensive zone and fired home for 1:0 (13). The Löwen remained in control, but were held back by their large overall lead.

Lustenau also spent most of the second period in the Foxes' defensive zone, rotating the puck superbly but lacking enough ruthlessness in front of the Maribor net guarded by Omar Ždralović. Two and a half minutes after the halfway point of the game, Lucas Haberl turned in a rebound to make it 2:0 (33 minutes). The home side continued to press and scored their third goal late in the second period. Prolific scorer Chris D’Alvise finished off a fine move to make it 3:0 (40 minutes). 

In the final period, Maid Meduseljac increased the favourites' lead to 4:0 from a tight angle (43 minutes). Philipp Koczera then hammered the puck into the net with a powerful slap shot to make it 5:0 (49 minutes). Maribor brought on keeper Lazar Ilić for the final eleven and a half minutes of their season. 

The Vorarlberg side rounded off the quarter-final with a shorthanded double strike: first, Lucas Haberl scored at the second attempt to make it 6:0 (56 minutes). Exactly 30 seconds later, Robin Wüstner completed a swift counter-attack to seal the final score at 7:0 (57 minutes). Lustenau will face Sharks Gmunden in the semi-finals, starting away from home next Saturday.

First leg: 8:2 for EHC Lustenau – EHC Lustenau reach the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 15:2.

Quarter-final 2 – second leg: Wiener Eislauf-Verein reach the last four for the first time after 5:0 win over Crocodiles Kundl

The Wiener Eislauf-Verein faced on Saturday in the quarter-final second leg at the WEV Arena in front of 450 fans.EHC Crocodiles Kundl in the second leg of their quarter-final at the WEV Arena on Saturday in front of __OEHV_NUM_T_A__ fans. After their 3:2 home win, the Tyroleans took to the ice in the federal capital with a slender one-goal lead. Vienna took the lead on their first power play, with Daniel Aschauer giving Kundl goalie Jakub Kostelny no chance from the slot to make it 1:0 (7 minutes). 

The two teams once again engaged in an intense playoff battle, leaving little room on the ice. Things became a little more heated for the first time towards the end of the opening period. In the final minute of the first period, the team coached by head coach Philipp Ullrich had another power play but could not find the net, carrying the remaining time of their numerical advantage into the second period.

The second period saw an open end-to-end contest. Both teams played offensively and created good chances, while the two goalies – Moritz Merkader for WEV and Jakub Kostelny for the Crocodiles – were outstanding. Just under three minutes after the halfway point of the game, the home side launched a quick attack down the right, with Theodor Fichtinger squaring the puck to Lukas Kaider, who made it 2:0 from the slot to give WEV the aggregate lead for the first time (33 minutes). 

Nils Granitz then headbutted his opponent Johannes Schernthaner following a skirmish in front of goal, bringing Granitz’s game to an end with a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct. Jan Billa and Felix Platzer then dropped the gloves, but there were no further goals in the second period. The match remained highly exciting, with WEV taking a one-goal aggregate lead into the final period. Lukas Kaider extended it early on with another determined rush to 3:0 (42nd minute). 

Patrick Bolterle fired Vienna into the semi-finals with a brace: after the Tyroleans lost possession, Bolterle was able to pick his corner for 4:0 (55th minute). Just under two minutes later, he turned a rebound into the net to make it 5:0 and seal WEV’s first-ever semi-final appearance in the Ö Eishockey Liga (57th minute). Vienna will face SC Hohenems in the last four, travelling away next Saturday.

First leg: 3:2 for EHC Crocodiles Kundl - Wiener Eislauf-Verein with an aggregate score of 7:3 in the semi-finals.

Quarter-final 3 - Second leg: SC Hohenems reach the semi-finals after overtime thriller against Kapfenberg

Defending champions Kapfenberger SV Kängurus demonstrated their Open Air strength in Herrenried once again with a 3:1 win in the first leg of the quarter-final against SC Samina Hohenems and took a good position into the second leg in front of more than 1.000 fans at Stadthalle Kapfenberg. 

Both teams traded chances at a brisk pace, with neither side able to capitalise on a power play in the first period. The two goaltenders – Karlo Škec for the visitors from Hohenems and Oliver Zirngast for the Kängurus – made fine saves to keep the game scoreless after the opening period.

The Vorarlberg side made a dream start to the second period: Christian Haidinger scored on the power play from the slot after a quick entry into the offensive zone to make it 1:0 for SC Hohenems, reducing the aggregate deficit (41st minute). The contest was extremely exciting early on and became even more so one minute after the halfway mark: following a fine attack, Christian Haidinger fired the puck into the net from the right face-off circle for 2:0, levelling the aggregate score at 3:3 (32nd minute). 

KSV goaltender Oliver Zirngast had to leave the ice shortly afterwards, with Felix Nußbacher taking his place in the Styrians’ net. It was crunch time in the final period, and the match became increasingly tense with every shift. Neither team gave in or wanted to make the decisive mistake. 

With the aggregate score at 3:3 after 120 minutes, the game went to overtime, where Patrick Spannring had the winner for Hohenems on his stick after a solo effort. Shortly afterwards, Spannring fired on the power play to score the 3:0 winner (64th minute). The narrow 4:3 aggregate score gave Head Coach Thomas Sticha’s team revenge for last year’s final defeat against the Mürztal side. The Vorarlberg team will now face WEV in the semi-finals, playing at home first next Saturday at Eisstadion Hohenems. 

First leg: 3:1 for Kapfenberger SV Kängurus - SC Samina Hohenems with an aggregate score of 4:3 in the semi-finals.

Quarter-final 4 - Second leg: Sharks Gmunden reach the semi-finals after comeback at HC Kufstein

The HC Kufstein confirmed their impressive form of recent weeks in last Saturday's quarter-final first leg against the UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden on Lake Traun, celebrating their ninth consecutive win and taking a 4:0 lead into the decisive return leg for a place in the semi-finals at the Eisarena Kufstein in front of 1.108 fans. Both teams were cautious in the opening minutes, but the intensity increased with every shift. 

As in the first leg, Kufstein coach Andreas Luchner opted for goaltender Jakob Sprachmann, while Luka Gračnar was once again in goal for the Sharks. Following a straightforward attack, the visitors suddenly took a 1:0 lead after almost ten minutes, with Bastian Szieber tucking away the puck for the opener (11.). 

Kufstein struggled offensively, while the Upper Austrians added another on the power play: veteran Marc-André Dorion fired home to make it 2:0 (19.). The Sharks had therefore halved the aggregate deficit in the opening period, and tension rose in the Kufstein Arena.

Early in the second period, Head Coach Gregor Baumgartner's team closed in on the Dragons: Ian Motil sent Elias Koller through one-on-one with goaltender Jakob Sprachmann, and he made it 3:0 after 61 seconds (22.). The Tyroleans were beginning to feel the pressure. Kufstein celebrated what appeared to be their first goal on a power play, but it was disallowed by the referees. 

Things then got even worse for the hosts: shortly before the halfway point of the game, Mathias Haiböck equalised on aggregate for the Sharks with a power-play goal to make it 4:0 (29.), leaving the quarter-final tie completely open again. The Dragons' legs looked heavy, and the course of the game had taken its toll. Kufstein urgently needed a spark to get back into the game. 

In the final period, Herbert Steiner deflected a shot from captain Dominique Saringer on the power play to make it 1:4, putting the hosts back in front on aggregate (42.). Tension was high as the Tyroleans pressed for a second goal, but it did not come. With two goals in 30 seconds, the Sharks set themselves on course for the semi-finals. Bastian Szieber scored from the slot on a power play to make it 5:1 (55.). Laurens Ober then rounded HCK goaltender Sprachmann and tucked the puck over the line for 6:1 (55.). 

Kufstein had no response, and after losing 0:4 in the first leg, the Sharks Gmunden turned the aggregate score around to 6:5 with a 6:1 win and reached the Ö Eishockey Liga semi-finals for the first time. The Upper Austrians will face EHC Lustenau, with the first game at home next Saturday. 

First leg: 4:0 for HC Kufstein - UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden reach the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 6:5.

Ö Eishockey Liga – Play-offs – Quarter-final return legs

EHC Lustenau vs. HDK Maribor 7:0 (1:0,2:0,4:0)

Sat., 15 February 2025, 17:30, Rheinhalle

EHC Lustenau scorers: Philipp Koczera (12:23, 48:31), Lucas Haberl (32:39, 55:56/SH1), Christopher D’Alvise (39:48), Maid Meduseljac (42:19), Robin Wüstner (56:26/SH1)

EHC Lustenau reach the semi-finals with an aggregate score of 15:2.

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. EHC Crocodiles Kundl 5:0 (1:0,1:0,3:0)

Sat., 15 February 2025, 18:30, WEV Arena, Lothringerstraße 22

Wiener Eislauf-Verein scorers: Daniel Aschauer (06:35, PP1), Lukas Kaider (32:53, 41:34), Patrick Bolterle (54:41, 56:51)

Wiener Eislauf-Verein with an aggregate score of 7:3 in the semi-finals.

Kapfenberger SV Kängurus vs. SC Samina Hohenems 0:3 n.V. (0:0,0:2,0:0,0:1)

Sat., 15 February 2025, 19:30, Stadthalle Kapfenberg

SC Hohenems scorers: Christian Haidinger (20:41 min./PP1, 31:03 min.), Patrick Spannring (63:04 min./PP1)

SC Samina Hohenems with an aggregate score of 4:3 in the semi-finals.

HC Kufstein vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden 1:6 (0:2,0:2,1:2)

Sat., 15 February 2025, 17:00, Eisarena Kufstein

HC Kufstein scorer: Herbert Steiner (42:05, PP1)

Sharks Gmunden scorers: Bastian Szieber (10:22, 54:05, PP1), Marc-André Dorion (18:42, PP1), Elias Koller (21:01), Mathias Haiböck (28:03, PP1), Laurens Ober (54:35)

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden with an aggregate score of 6:5 in the semi-finals.

Ö Eishockey Liga – Playoffs – Semi-final first legs

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. EHC Lustenau

Sat, 22 February 2025, tba

SC Samina Hohenems vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein

Sat, 22 February 2025, tba

Ö Eishockey Liga – Playoffs – Semi-final second legs

EHC Lustenau vs. UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden

Sat, 01 March 2025, tba

Wiener Eislauf-Verein vs. SC Samina Hohenems

Sat, 01 March 2025, tba

Ö Eishockey Liga – Playoffs – Quarter-final first legs

HDK Maribor vs. EHC Lustenau 2:8 (0:3,2:2,0:3)

Sat, 08 February 2025, 18:30, Ledena dvorana Maribor

HDK Maribor goalscorers: Rene Zernko (24:30 / PP1), Aljaž Ogrizek (25:09)

EHC Lustenau goalscorers: Philipp Koczera (00:42, 40:48), Robin Wüstner (03:58), Christopher D’Alvise (15:34 / PP2), Lucas Loibnegger (27:39), Dominic Haberl (37:31), Martin Grabher Meier (43:25 / SH1), Adem Kandemir (46:22)

EHC Crocodiles Kundl vs. Wiener Eislauf-Verein 3:2 (1:1,0:0,2:1)

Sat, 08 February 2025, 17:30, Eisarena Kundl

EHC Kundl goalscorers: Tobias Dinhopel (01:02), Daniel Frischmann (55:56, 56:57)

Wiener Eislauf-Verein goalscorers: Xaver Emslander (05:54), Daniel Aschauer (48:10)

SC Samina Hohenems vs. KSV Kängurus 1:3 (0:2,0:1,1:0)

Sat., 08 February 2025, 17:30, Eisstadion Hohenems

SC Hohenems goalscorer: Christian Haidinger (at 58:59)

KSV Kängurus goalscorers: Florian Hoppl (at 07:56), Christoph Draschkowitz (at 19:55), Lukas Draschkowitz (at 36:30)

UEHV CAM4DENT Sharks Gmunden vs. HC Kufstein 0:4 (0:0,0:3,0:1)

Sat., 08 February 2025, 18:30, Muki Eisarena Gmunden

HC Kufstein goalscorers: Manuel Eder (at 30:04), Marcel Bruimann (at 31:06), Valentin Hammerle (at 32:32), Clemens Paulweber (at 58:01)

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