EBEL - fourth round review

The Carinthia derby: one of the games with the biggest rivalry rate in EBEL league was played last night in Villach. Home team Record Fenster Villach won their last two games on the road and they planned to keep the team on the winning track. The guests from Klagenfurt also won both games they played before and 290^th derby of Carinthia promised to be a giant match. And it really was. KAC seemed to be technically better, but Villach played strong, aggressive hockey in return. Both teams had their own chances, Villach hitting the post twice during the first period. The second period offered high tempo hockey with lot of fast skating, quick passing and strong shooting, but the score shield remained empty. The last period was partially obstructed by fog in the arena and the home team missed a few chances to get in front of KAC. The answer was ruthless – KAC scored after a quick counter attack to lead the game 1:0 in the 50^th minute. Villach was in full offensive after that but unfortunately for the home crowd it all happened again – a quick counter attack in the 56^th minute and the Villach ship began to sink – 2:0 for KAC. There was a bit controversy about the second goal and video studies of the goal had to be taken. Anyway, Villach pulled their goalie and desperately tried to level the score, but they received the third puck into their open net at the final minute – 3:0 for the guests from Klagenfurt. KAC has won three out of three games and is once again the leading team of the league.

Moser Medical Graz 99ers won their first game of the season on Friday in Zagreb, Croatia. Surely there was a plan in Graz to win over the second National Champion in a row – Sapa Fehervar (Hungarian champions) was the guest side in Graz. Graz had a few chances missed in the first minutes and they didn’t capitalize on 1:36 playing with a 5:3 situation. Sapa scored a goal from a crowd in front of the home goalie in the 15^th minute. Three minutes later bad passing in Graz’s defence gave Sapa another clear chance and the result was 2:0 for the Hungarians. The second period offered a siege of Sapa’s goal, but the goalie Adam Munro was in really good form. However, he had no chances with another 5:3 situation for Graz in the 34^th minute when the captain of the home team hit the net from the blue line. Sapa hit once again in the 48^th minute from a counter attack. Graz managed to answer right in the next minute (2:3), but all of the attacking didn’t get any result in the last minutes and the guests won the game, leaving Graz with one win only in four games. Sapa Fehervar reached their second.

The surprise leader of the league standings Olimpija Ljubljana was the guest team in Linz last night. Mike Ouelette capitalized Olimpija’s penalties during the first period twice: he scored for 1:0 in the 9^th minute on a 5 on 3 situation for Linz, and he did it again a minute later on a 5 on 4 advantage on the ice. Olimpija answered with Jamie Fraser hitting the post in the 10^th and Domen Vedlin scoring in the 16^th minute. The first ten minutes of the middle period offered many goal chances for Linz with no scoring. In the 30^th minute Olimpija missed the chance to level things up. Linz then managed to score (34^th minute) after a quick counter attack. In the 38^th minute John Hughes stood at the right place for Olimpija and scored the second for his team, but Linz answered in the next minute (4:2). During the last period Linz hit the post once again and Olimpija pulled their goalie for the last 94 seconds, but the result remained 4:2 for Black Wings. That way Linz gave Olimpija their first defeat of the season and pulled the Slovenians off the first place of the league standings.

Another Slovenian team in the league is in agony: Acroni Jesenice lost their fourth game in a row against Red Bulls Salzburg last night. The third home game in four rounds was full of hope for the home crowd as Jesenice performed well in Ljubljana on Friday. Unfortunately for them Salzburg capitalized on the nervous start of the home team and scored in power play in the 3^rd minute already. Jesenice managed to turn the result upside down when two young defenders Tosic and Berlisk scored their first goals for the team ever. Jesenice had not scored on two occasions with two men advantage on the ice and Salzburg leveled the score in the second period. Last period offered no good hockey with the home team desperately trying to find the guest’s net. However, Salzburg scored once again on the power play and left Jesenice with a 3:2 win.

Many goals were scored in Znojmo, Czech Republic. The guest side Vienna Capitals already lead the game 3:0 during the second period, but the Czechs managed to came back and level things up. Vienna once again got in front in the 41th and 45^th minute to lead 5:3, but Orli did it again: they scored for 4:5 in the 55^th minute and Antonin Boruta levelled the score in 59^th.  The home team even had a man advantage at the beginning of over time, but didn’t capitalized. The game was finally decided after penalty shooting when Peter Casparsson delivered the winning goal for Vienna.

Fixtures for the 5th round, September 23rd:

Szekesfehervar, Hungary:   Sapa Fehervar AV!) – Black Wings Linz

Klagenfurt:   KAC – Moser Medical Graz 99ers

Salzburg:   Red Bulls Salzburg – Record Fenster Villach

Ljubljana, Slovenia:   HDD Tilia Olimpija – Orli Znojmo

Vienna:   Vienna Capitals – Medvescak Zagreb

Tweets by @eurohockey