The celebration knows no bounds: Pascal Brunner (2nd from right) scored his first HCB goal on Saturday. © 2024,Vanna Antonello

First the breakdowns, then the magic show: crazy, these people from Bolzano

HC Bozen provided a completely crazy ice hockey evening on Saturday. In the end, the Foxes celebrated a memorable victory in which a young man from Meran particularly stood out.

27 January 2024

From the Sparkasse Arena

Ice hockey, as they always say, is a sport in which anything can happen. On Saturday evening, 3500 fans in the Bolzano ice hockey temple witnessed the Foxes putting this saying through its paces. The White Reds sank Vienna with a 7:3 triumph. But how this victory came about was simply crazy.

The first third in the Sparkasse Arena was a complete Bolzano blooper show. Some fans may have rubbed their eyes in amazement at how sloppy the Foxes acted (McClure even accidentally sent a Viennese player onto his own goal), how harmlessly they went into the duels, how listless they sometimes appeared. It was 0:3 after 20 minutes, and the Talferstadters were still well served.

You don't know what coach Glen Hanlon said to his players during the break. But it must have been a decent announcement. What the HCB conjured up in the ring after the break was one of the best things the Sparkasse Arena has seen in recent memory. The passion, the power and the fire of the White Reds could be felt right up to the top of the stands. Mike Halmo & Co. won every duel, every face-off, every check - and converted the 0:3 deficit into a 12:4 lead within 3 minutes. The Viennese cracks looked like a school team being paraded by the men's team. You could feel sorry for them.

The Redemption of Pascal Brunner

One player in particular shined during this big show: Pascal Brunner. After 43 games, the youngster from Meran finally scored his long-awaited first HCB goal. This rounded off the perfect evening of ice hockey in Bolzano - together with the fact that the Foxes cemented their fourth place in the table and are still clearly on course for the playoffs.

The Foxes continue their away game at Linz on Friday. Meanwhile, HC Pustertal will face Asiago away from home on Sunday at 17.30:XNUMX p.m.

HCB Südtirol Alperia – Vienna Capitals 7:3

HSBC: Harvey (Vallini); Valentine-Vandane, Miglioranzi-Parlett, Teves-DiPerna, Pietroniro; Halmo-Ford-Gazley, Frigo-Mantenuto-Frank, Miceli-McClure-Thomas, Brunner-Alberga-Felicetti
Coach: Hanlon

VIC: Steen (Wraneschitz); Heinrich-Wardley, Hackl-Donohue, Fischer-Posch; Cheek-Eriksson-Ticar, Böhm-Stefanson-Weinger, Kainz-Kromp-Hartl, Widhalm-Preiser-Piff
Coach: Dolezal

Gates: 0:1 Bernhard Posch (9.30), 0:2 Christof Kromp (12.14), 0:3 Mathias Böhm (12.41), 1:3 Luca Frigo (20.48), 2:3 Angelo Miceli (23.37), 3:3 Christian Thomas (31.02), 4:3 Pascal Brunner (31.30), 5:3 Daniel Mantenuto (42.22), 6:3 Josh Teves (50.53), 7:3 Christian Thomas (52.13)

Viewers: 3.420

The other games

HK Olimpija – HC Innsbruck 5:2
Goals: 0:1 Roy (0.16), 1:1 Bicevskis (9.21), 2:1 Leskinen (9.33), 3:1 Mehle (14.35), 4:1 Ronkainen (22.41), 4:2 Green (51.55), 5:2 Leskinen (58.39)
Audience: 1.695

Graz99ers – Pioneers Vorarlberg 1:4
Goals: 0:1 Macierzynski (26.46), 1:1 Viksten (38.05), 1:2 Oden (39.10), 1:3 Woger (51.48), 1:4 Pastujov (53.58)
Audience: 1.975

Table