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Unbounded jubilation in Bruneck: The Wolves have reached the final for the first time. © HCP/Iwan Foppa
Final! A Puster Valley ice hockey game for the history books.
It's done: HC Pustertal is in the final! The Wolves celebrated their decisive fifth semi-final victory against Olimpija Ljubljana on Tuesday evening – and the entire arena erupted in celebration. History was made here and now in the Intercable Arena.
April 07, 2026
From the Intercable Arena in Bruneck
From:
Alexander Foppa
It was precisely 10:22 PM when a Slovenian player, of all people, brought joy to HC Falkensteiner Pustertal and, with it, to an entire ice hockey region. Rok Ticar scored the decisive goal for a 2-1 overtime victory. The Wolves won the semifinal series against Ljubljana 4-1.
It's now official: Bruneck will host a championship final for the first time since 2019. The last time this happened was in the Alps Hockey League, when Olimpija Ljubljana ultimately claimed the title on the banks of the Rienz River. And it was precisely this same Olimpija Ljubljana that was knocked out of the playoffs in a memorable series. And this in the ICE Hockey League, where HCP had never before reached the final.
Next week is the title showdown.
Bruneck will face the Graz 99ers in a major title showdown starting Wednesday, April 15th. And the Graz 99ers will have to be on their guard, because one thing is certain: the Wolves are hungrier than ever! This past Tuesday evening, they battled the Green Dragons from Ljubljana, tying a 0-1 deficit late in the game and scoring the winning goal right at the start of overtime.
The star-studded Slovenian team played their best game of the playoffs that evening. It was a closely contested match, offering 62 minutes of top-level hockey, spectacle, and emotion. In the end, the more passionate and cohesive team prevailed – HC Pustertal.
Medical emergency in the Rienz curve
After the game, the Puster Valley ice hockey heroes celebrated with their fans for a long time. None of the 3.104 spectators left the arena early. However, they all paused briefly when a medical emergency occurred in the Rienzkurve section immediately after the final whistle. Paramedics were on the scene right away and administered first aid. Once the fan was well enough to be transported from the arena, the supporters' celebrations came to a boisterous close.The highlights
| On both sides... | ...there are chances every minute. Ljubljana's Mahkovec fails to convert a one-on-one opportunity against HCP goalie Pasquale in the opening period, and immediately after the restart, an Almquist shot hits the post of the Slovenian goal. |
| Ouch, now he's in! | Ljubljana breaks the deadlock: Drozg shoots from a sharp angle on the power play, the puck somehow slips through Pasquale's hands and comes to rest in front of the goal line. League top scorer Meyer reacts quickest and puts it in the net (39th minute). The visitors' 1-0 lead had been coming. |
| Austin with Power | Austin Osmanski brings Pustertal back into the game! After a pass from Frycklund, the American simply takes a shot, the puck slips between the leg pads of the hitherto outstanding Tokarski in the visiting goal, it slides very slowly first against the inside of the post, then over the line – and the Intercable Arena explodes (53rd minute). |
| Bardreau – oh no! | With the final minute ticking away, Pustertal had a golden opportunity to win: Saracino laid the ball off to Bardreau after a counter-attack, the goal was wide open, but the shot went just inches wide (60'). The fans' cheers died in their throats. |
| The shot to happiness | The ensuing overtime lasted only 66 seconds before HCP sealed the deal. Zanatta fired a shot from the blue line, and Ticar deflected it decisively. It was 2-1 – and now there was no stopping them. |
HC Falkensteiner Pustertal – HK Olimpija Ljubljana 2:1 aet
HCP: Pasquale (Rabanser); Almquist-Blum, Lauridsen-DiTomaso, Zanatta-Osmanski, Glira; Saracino-Bardreau-Rueschhoff, Bowlby-Ticar-Purdeller, Lobis-Frycklund-Lipon, Mantinger-Andergassen-Deluca, Ierullo.Coach: Jaspers
Olympia: Tokarski (Kolin); Cosic-Brennan, Halbert-Kirichenko, MacWilliam-Gregorc, Crnovic-Sodja; Meyer-Boychuk-Mahkovec, Drozg-Petan-Sabolic, Mehle-Quince-Pance, Simsic-Bericic-Kapel
Coach: Cooper
Gates: 1:0 Nicolai Meyer (38.16), 1:1 Austin Osmanski (52.25), 2:1 Rok Ticar (61.06)
Viewers: 3.104 (sold out)
Final standings of the series: 4:1
Final dates: April 15, 17, 19, 22, possibly April 24, 26, 29
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