The quarterfinals of the ICE Hockey League started with a big surprise! The Pioneers Vorarlberg defeated the KAC 2-0 in Klagenfurt on Sunday and took a 1-0 lead in the “Best Of Seven” series. Defending champion Red Bull Salzburg won the home game against Black Wings Linz 4-0, VSV lost 2-5 in Bozen against HCB Südtirol. Fehervar won at home against the Pustertal Wölfe 3-2 after extra time.
The KAC was the clear number 1 in the regular round, but in the duel with the playoff debutants from Vorarlberg there was a major false start in front of almost 4,400 spectators in the local town hall. The team from Feldkirch took the lead after just 17 seconds through Nick Pastujov, and when they were outnumbered, league MVP Steven Owre (27th) increased the score to 2-0 for the outsiders. Strong Vorarlberg defense The Klagenfurters, by far the strongest offensive team of the season so far, bit The Vorarlberg defense and goalkeeper David Madlener, who parried all 28 shots on goal, cut their teeth. “After a ten-day break, we were rusty. “We didn’t achieve the precision that we normally have in either our passing or our finishing,” summed up KAC coach Kirk Furey. After conceding a goal at the start, we actually came back well and controlled the action for long stretches of the game. “But we were too rarely able to penetrate the dangerous zones. It wasn’t a question of effort and commitment, we pushed, but didn’t find our way to success.” On Tuesday (7:30 p.m.) Game 2 will take place in the Feldkirchen Vorarlberghalle, where the KAC will play a playoff game for the first time in 21 years Salzburg won their first victory on the way to their third championship title in a row. The Linz team played on equal terms in the first third, but in the 25th minute Peter Schneider once again proved his class in his comeback after a month-long injury break. The team striker gave the defending champions the lead when they were outnumbered and set up captain Thomas Raffl (35th) to make it 2-0. In the final third, Drake Rymsha made the final decision with a power play double within 56 seconds (48th, 49th). There was nothing to gain for VSV in Bozen. The South Tyroleans were already 4-0 ahead after 30 minutes, but the Villach team ensured excitement in the finish with two goals (45th, 57th) before the home side made everything clear with the fifth goal.
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