The champion of the Erste Bank Ice Hockey League (EBEL) is determined in a decision game. The HCB South Tyrol won the home game against Red Bull Salzburg 6:3 (1:1,2:1,3,3:1) in Bolzano on Tuesday and placed 3:3 in the “best of seven”-series.
In front of 6,700 spectators in the ice wave, the special teams were decisive. While the Salzburger Powerplay did not function as last and Trattnig and Co. could use only one of five outnumbered games, the South Tyroleans scored four goals in their first five Powerplays.
Salzburg had to do without Thomas Raffl, who retired on Sunday with an inner ligament injury and did not get fit. But even so, the guests got off to an ideal start. After a successful forechecking Alexander Cijan took the lead in the 6th minute. The last so efficient power play didn’t work for the Salzburgers, four more games passed in the first third without scoring a goal. The South Tyroleans, on the other hand, took their first advantage of Angelo Miceli to equalize (16th).
In the middle third, Bolzano took over and rewarded itself. Austin Smith failed with a penalty against Salzburg goalkeeper Bernhard Starkbaum (30th), but one minute later Bolzano was ahead thanks to Travis Oleksuk. The South Tyroleans countered the equaliser by Peter Mueller (36./PP) only 48 seconds later by Alexander Petan (37./PP). Robin Gartner (49th) and Anton Bernard (53rd) made everything clear with two more Powerplay goals.
Even then, the final between the Red Bulls and the Bozen Foxes in Salzburg saw the South Tyroleans win their only EBEL Cup to date. EBEL record champion Salzburg is going for the seventh success with a home advantage and may be able to bet on Raffl again.