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Two former teammates together: Matthias Mantinger and Alex Petan © Domen Jancic
236 penalty minutes: Pustertal is unbeatable once again.
In the cauldron of the Hala Tivoli arena, Olimpija Ljubljana presented HC Falkensteiner Pustertal with a real test of their mettle on Tuesday for several reasons. The Wolves passed with flying colors, bringing them a big step closer to the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL) final.
March 31, 2026
From: leo
Playoff hockey has always been the epitome of emotion. But when emotions get out of hand, you get a game like the one on Tuesday night. A staggering 236 (!) penalty minutes were handed out by referees Christian Ofner and Patrick Fichtner, who were never in control of the situation. The Slovenians resorted to unfair tactics from the very beginning, provoking the opposing team relentlessly. HC Pustertal fought back, but refused to be drawn into the Green Dragons' game and celebrated a well-deserved 3-0 victory.
After their opening defeat, a reaction was expected from the Slovenians – in terms of skill, tactics, and emotion. Fueled by the frenzied crowd, Jan Drozg and his teammates repeatedly overstepped the mark. From the first period onward, the game became a series of scuffles, almost every minute. The trigger was a cowardly attack by Robert Sabolic on the unprotected Raphael Andergassen, which resulted in a match penalty. Another tasteless act by Alex Petan, which will likely have further repercussions, followed in the third period.
Pustertal is doing its own thing
Some spectators may have wondered whether they were watching a boxing match or an ice hockey game. In the final minutes of the game, this resulted in seven (!) Slovenians simultaneously sitting in the penalty box.
Amidst all this chaos, one constant remained: Pustertal's goalie Eddie Pasquale, who frustrated the Slovenians with brilliant saves. And an HCP defense that was cohesive, compact, and virtually flawless. Yes, Ljubljana was a bit unlucky with TJ Brennan's disallowed 1-1 goal. Yes, Ljubljana did create some dangerous moments. But ultimately, the Jaspers team always had everything under control.
With their sixth consecutive playoff victory, the Wolves have put themselves in an excellent position to secure their first-ever ICEHL Finals appearance. Raphael Andergassen and his teammates aim to take the next step toward this goal on Thursday when the third game of the series takes place at the Intercable Arena (7:45 p.m.).
The highlights
| Puster dream start | Less than three minutes have been played – and the Hala Tivoli falls silent. Rueschhoff penetrates the zone on the right side and leaves Tokarski no chance with a shot into the near corner. |
| Penalty Festival | The officials are kept very busy, handing out 41 penalty minutes in the first period alone. Emotions run high time and again during scuffles. However, no goals are scored on the power plays. |
| Pole shot | Pustertal successfully killed off another penalty kill at the start of the second period – and almost extended their lead to 2-0 shortly afterwards: Andergassen set up Ticar, who deflected the puck onto the post. At the other end, the impressive Drozg was denied by Pasquale. |
| Ticar again | Just like in Bruneck, Ticar scores the 2-0 goal during a power play. His direct shot touches Tokarski with his knee pad, but the hard rubber bounces into the goal. |
| Penalties upon penalties | After Petan Bowlby was punched in the head from behind, the escaped Bardreau increased the lead to 3-0 with a low shot. Numerous fights ensued, but there was no doubt about Puster Valley's victory. |
Olimpija Ljubljana – HC Pustertal 0:3
HKO: Tokarski (Kolin); McNeill-Brennan, Halbert-Kirichenko, MacWilliam-Gregorc, Cosic-Mehle; Meyer-Boychuk-Drozg, Sabolic-Petan-Mahkovec, Simsic-Quince-Kapel, Pance-Bericic-Bukoveccoach: cooper
HCP: Pasquale (Rabanser); Almquist-Blum, Lauridsen-DiTomaso, Zanatta-Osmanski, Glira; Bowlby-Ticar-Purdeller, Saracino-Bardreau-Rueschhoff, Lobis-Frycklund-Lipon, Mantinger-Andergassen-Deluca, Ierullo
coach: Jasper
Gates: 0:1 Rueschhoff (2.48), 0:2 Ticar (40.26), 0:3 Bardreau (55.29)
Viewers: 4292
Status in the series: 0:2
ICE Hockey League:
AV Fehervar – Graz 99ers 1-5Goals: 0:1 Ganahl (00.11), 0:2 Conley (31.18), 0:3 Haudum (40.38), 0:4 Conley (41.28), 1:4 Cheek (43.18), 1:5 Swaney (56.49)
Audience: 4592
Score in the series: 0:2
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