ICE Ice Hockey League:

Graz loses, Salzburg wins against Capitals

Red Bull Salzburg defeated the Vienna Capitals.(Bild: GEPA)

 The Graz99ers have suffered their second defeat of the season in the ICE Ice Hockey League. The league leaders were beaten 2:4 (0:0,1:1,1:3) by Olimpija Ljubljana in Slovenia on Sunday and missed the chance to pull away at the top. Graz remain one point ahead of HCB Südtirol, two points ahead of Ljubljana and three ahead of Red Bull Salzburg. The defending champions celebrated a 3:0 (1:0,2:0,0:0) home win against the Vienna Capitals.

The Styrians took the lead in Ljubljana through Lukas Haudum (26th), but fell 2-1 behind in the 47th minute. Casey Bailey equalized just 44 seconds later, but Marcel Mahkovec's second goal of the game (56') ensured that Harry Lange's team came away empty-handed for the first time this season. The title co-favorites had suffered their only defeat to date last Sunday after overtime against the Vienna Caps.

Also successful in the league
The Red Bulls took the momentum from the CHL win in Växjö and the promotion that came with it into the league. Mario Huber gave them the lead with his first goal of the season (14th) when he deflected a backhand shot from Niki Kraus.

In the middle third, good penalty killing by Salzburg brought the preliminary decision. The champions survived two shorthanded games unscathed and then struck on the counter-attack. Troy Bourke converted a pass from Ali Wukovits (25'), Wukovits himself successfully finished off a wonderful combination through the pads of league debutant Anders Linbäck in the Caps goal (36').