ICE Ice Hockey League

Victories for top trio Bolzano, Fehervar and Graz

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The top teams were unbeatable in the 17th round of the ICE Ice Hockey League on Friday. However, league leaders Bolzano lost 1-0 in Innsbruck in injury time, while Fehervar reduced the gap to the South Tyroleans to two points thanks to a 5-2 win against bottom team Pioneers Vorarlberg. 

The Graz 99ers, who won 5:2 in Asiago, are still four points behind.

Fehervar struggled for a long time at home against bottom of the table Vorarlberg. The team from the Ländle held a 2-2 draw until the 43rd minute, but then the Hungarians made everything clear with three goals in the space of eight minutes. The team from Vorarlberg, who had only just beaten Pustertal 5-4 on Thursday, suffered their eleventh straight defeat.

Graz found themselves 1-0 down after the first period in Asiago, but then got going. Trevor Gooch scored twice to give them the lead, which Casey Bailey also extended in the middle period. Frank Hora made it 4:1 in the 53rd minute and Bailey netted a second time in the final period. The 99ers will have to face Pustertal on Saturday. Bolzano were stingy with goals this time. Because no goals were scored for 60 minutes in Innsbruck, Troy McClure had to do it for the favorites in overtime.

In the duel between the table neighbors, Red Bull Salzburg won 5:3 against the Vienna Capitals. The Viennese team, who had attracted attention on Wednesday with their 3:1 win at Fehervar, managed to equalize within 13 seconds in the middle period after trailing 0:2 in the first period, but then fell behind by two goals again. The goal that tied the game at 3-4 gave them new hope, but Lucas Thaler's short-handed goal in the 54th minute put paid to that.

The Black Wings Linz won 4:3 at the KAC. The Red Jackets were always trailing and were already 3-0 down after 36 minutes. A late comeback went unrewarded. VSV celebrated a 3:2 home win over the Pustertal Wölfe.