Dolomites Cup: Davos wins the opening cracker

The Dolomites Cup 2023 is open! The Swiss record champions HC Davos and Rögle BK, the winner of the 2022 Champions Hockey League, offered almost 1000 spectators in the WürthArena a great ice hockey show, at the end of which the Swiss were able to celebrate reaching the final. The HCD won a rousing opening game 3-1.

August 18, 2023

From: pm/sn

The exceptional talents from Davos and Rögle stepped onto the ice in Neumarkt for the first time. On the international stage, however, they have already faced each other twice, and the cult club from Switzerland won twice. Now Davos followed up with their third success at the Dolomites Cup.

In front of the stands filled with 928 spectators, both teams set a good pace right from the start and let the puck slide smoothly across the ice. However, it took nine minutes for the first real chance, but the group was floundering in the net: Davos striker Raphael Prassl moved into the opponent's third on the right wing, took a swing in the face-off circle and put his slap shot into the short top corner. The around 150 Swiss fans in the Würtarena raised their arms for the first time. In the 17th minute, their second scream of celebration caught in their throats when Yannik Frehner completed a counterattack with a shot from the pole.

Rögle increases the pressure

Rögle seemed really fired up and came back onto the field with a lot of energy after the first break. Captain Anton Bengtsson had the greatest chance to date on the ladle, but he was denied from close range by Davos goalie Sandro Aeschlimann. However, the Graubünden team did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the Swedish top team, they were extremely compact in defense and repeatedly caused danger when they released attacks. It was only with the second power play that the Swedish top team was able to break the Davos resistance. In the final minute of the middle period, Rodrigo Abols picked up a fine backhand pass from Adam Tambellini and made it 1-1 in an ice-cold manner.

Knak becomes the match winner

The Scandinavians stayed in control after the second break and had the next top chance through Linus Sandin. The winger failed on the breakaway because of goalie Aeschlimann. As the game progressed, Rögle's strength weakened, and Davos took advantage of this to clearly gain the upper hand in the final phase. The needle pricks from the Swiss repeatedly hit the Swedes deeply - especially the one in the 58th minute by Simon Knak. The 21-year-old Swiss national striker pushed a Dahlbeck shot over the line. But that wasn't enough, because Knack scored again in the final minute: his shot into the now deserted goal sealed the final score 3-1 in favor of the Davos team.

The players of the traditional Swiss club can now sit back and watch the second semi-final between Augsburger Panther and Dynamo Pardubice on Saturday (20 p.m.). The winner of this duel follows them into the final, the loser meets Rögle in the game for third place on Sunday.

Rögle BK – HC Davos 1:3 (0:1, 1:1, 0:1)

Rögle BK: Rifalk (Kvaca); Engström-Kapla, Davidson-Johannesen, Claesson-Jonsson, Viljanen; Ryfors-Zaar-Everberg, Abols-Tambellini-Bengtsson, Ferguson-Sandin-Sundsvik, Sjödin-Pettersson-Nilsson. Coach: Cam Abbott

HC Davos: Aeschlimann (Senn); Dahlbeck-Egli, Jung-Fora, Näkyvä-Barandun, Heinen-Minder; Nordström-Bristedt-Knak, Rasmussen-Nussbaumer-Stransky, Prassl-Gredig-Wieser, Egli-Frehner-Peltonen. Coach: Josh Holden

Referee: Lazzeri, Virta; Fleischmann, Pardatscher

Goals: 0:1 Raphael Prassl (8.58), 1:1 Rodrigo Abols (39.54/PP), 1:2 Simon Knak (57.35), 1:3 Simon Knak (59.16)

MVP: Christoffer Rifalk (Rögle), Raphael Prassl (Davos)

Schlagwörter: Hockey dolomite cup