EC Red Bull Salzburg equals Dornbirn

The capitals of Vienna were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICE ice hockey league. The Viennese topped Fehervar 6: 0 (3: 0.0: 0.3: 0) on Friday and won the “best of seven” quarterfinals as fast as possible with 4: 0 wins. KAC took a 3-1 lead against VSV, as did HCB Südtirol against Bratislava. Salzburg drew 2-2 against Dornbirn.

Salzburg turns a turbulent match

Salzburg lost a three-goal lead against the Dornbirn Bulldogs but worked their way to a 6-4 victory in the final. The Red Bulls led 3-0 after 22 minutes, but Dornbirn cut it to 2: 3 in the middle third and tied through Anthony Luciani (44th). Austin Ortega put Salzburg ahead again with his third goal that day (47./PP), David McIntyre (55.) and Florian Baltram (59./EN) finally made it all clear.

“We got the start we wanted. Then Dornbirn came back into the game and they deserve a lot of credit for this, even if our mistakes were avoidable. But in the last third the guys showed character and after drawing they won the game as a team,” explained the Salzburg coach Matt McIlvane. Game 5 of the best-of-seven series will take place tomorrow at 5.30 pm in the Salzburg Volksgarten.

The capitals go to the semifinals

From the beginning, the Capitals left no doubt that they wanted to fix the promotion on the first try. Already in the first third, coach Dave Cameron’s team made the preliminary decision with a 3-0 lead. Play-off top scorer Ty Loney confidently completed a solo to make it 1-0 (7th), William Besse (11th) and Niki Hartl increased on the power play (16th).

After a goalless middle third, Darren Archibald (41.) and Loney (48./PP), who deflected a shot from Archibald, followed suit, before 40-year-old veteran defender Philippe Lakos set the final score ( 54º). Loney scored five goals and four assists in four games against Fehervar, goalkeeper Bernhard Starkbaum celebrating the second consecutive shutout.

“Today’s game was our best in the entire quarter-final series against Fehervar. My team delivered a complete game,” said Cameron cheerfully, not expecting such a quick decision in this duel. “No one would have even remotely thought that we could ‘sweep’ Fehervar. The deciding factor in this series was that we managed to win the close matches, twice only one decided goal. I have never backtracked and been rewarded for it. I am very happy with him. performance of my team, ”said the Canadian.

The Viennese won their third play-off match with Fehervar and are in the semi-finals for the fourth time in a row (as of March 28). After the first “sweep” (climb without a loss) since 2017, they now have a good week off to prepare for the next challenge.

KAC in the best way

KAC still lacks a victory to win the local duel with VSV. The reigning champions celebrated a 3-2 win at Villach and can now secure their entry to the semi-finals at the local town hall on Sunday. KAC’s early lead through Matt Fraser’s fifth goal in the play-off (7th) tied Jerry Pollastrone in the power play (28th). A double blow at the end of the middle third by Nik Petersen (37th) and Samuel Witting (39th) following a capital error by Sebastian Zauner led the Red Vests to victory. Martin Ulmer’s 2: 3 (57th) no longer brought change.

HCB Südtirol won the Bratislava Capitals 4: 3 and, like KAC, can arrange promotion on Sunday.

(Those: APA)