The Black Wings Linz took the lead in the Erste Bank Ice Hockey League on Tuesday. The Upper Austrians beat Red Bull Salzburg 3:2 in the defeat against Red Bull Salzburg and replaced the Vienna Capitals, which had been in the lead since the first round. The Viennese can return to first place on Wednesday with a win at the KAC.
The men from Linz, who had already defeated the Caps on Sunday, fell behind by a Herburger goal (8th), but took the lead after goals from Corey Locke (12th) and Rick Schofield (24th/PP). After the equaliser by Ryan Duncan (36/PP), Locke’s second goal (45th) was decisive for the exciting game:”If we want to win, we have to act defensively in a different way,”said Salzburg coach Greg Poss.
This means that the Linz-based company has been in business for 22 years. Since then, they have won all ten games in the No Worries Arena. With the victory, Troy Ward’s troops are now also ahead of the Red Bull in the battle for the second CHL starting place next to Vienna Capitals. The better placed team after the end of the intermediate round on Sunday gets the international ticket.
Medvescak Zagreb celebrated another victory in the Dom Sportova after five home races in a row. The Croatians defeated Innsbruck 5:2 and improved to fourth place ahead of the equal teams from Innsbruck and Klagenfurt.
In the qualifying round, the VSV in Znojmo went into a 6-0 defeat in Znojmo and, after the fourth consecutive defeat, has only a minimal chance of reaching the quarter-finals (from 9-9. March). Graz 99ers came last, without any chance of advancement even before the game, lost 1:7 at the HCB Südtirol in Bolzano. Bozen (16 points) came second behind Dornbirn (22) and ahead of Fehervar (15), who met on Wednesday.