Ice hockey in Austria: EBEL’s top duo cashes in on defeats

Despite a 2:5 defeat in Linz, the Graz 99ers maintained their lead in the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL) against HC Südtirol.

Because also the Bozener lost, went at home against Znojmo as 1:2 losers from the ice and lie further a point behind the 99ers. The KAC, however, stalked South Tyrol with a 4-2 win in Zagreb, the fourth victory in a row, up to one point.

Graz was the victim in the 2:5 (2:3.0:1.0:1) match of the still home strong Upper Austrians, who always scored in the last seven games in front of their own audience or won six victories. After a goal-packed first third, which went thanks to Rutkowski (9./PP), Locke (12.) and Schofield (20.) with 3:2 to the hosts, it “rang” in a game at eye level only twice. It was Lebler who scored the final goal in the final minute of the match. The Linzers remained true to their current line: in the past seven games, victory and defeat alternated.

In the addendum to the 7th round the KAC ended the three games lasting winning series of Zagreb with 4:2 (1:0,2:1,1:1), Geier with an over-number double pack (13., 23.), Wahl (37.) and Koch (49.) scored for the “red jackets”. They are currently missing only two points from the top of the table. Bolzano could have shot its way there with a victory, but Insam (54th) was too late in his race to catch up with Znojmo (Znaim). The second defeat of the Foxes in a row could not be averted.

After Maxa (20.) and Lahoda (26.) scored in Szekesfehervar, the VSV gave a 2-0 lead and the chance for the first away success of the season still out of hand. The Carinthians finally lost 2:4 (1:0,1:2,0:2) and continue to rank four points behind Zagreb (11.) at the end of the table. Three points ahead of the Croats is Dornbirn, who only turned the corner in the fifth game of the evening at home 5:3-(1:1.0:1.4:1) over Innsbruck in the final third and made everything clear.