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HC Bozen suffered a defeat against Olimpija Ljubljana. © Vanna Antonello
A sad evening: Bolzano's playoff start goes awry
Oh dear! HCB Südtirol Alperia had victory practically secured in their first quarterfinal game against Olimpija Ljubljana on Tuesday, but then let it slip away. However, that was all secondary that evening.
March 10, 2026
From the Sparkasse Arena
From:
Thomas Debelyak
HC Bozen got off to a bad start in the playoffs. In the first quarterfinal against Olimpija Ljubljana, the Foxes were leading 2-1 with 36 seconds remaining, but then let their hopes of winning the best-of-seven series slip away. In the end, the visitors from Slovenia celebrated a 3-2 overtime victory.
All of that was overshadowed Tuesday evening, however, because the ICE Hockey League was hit by a serious incident. In the quarterfinal between Klagenfurter AC and Fehervar AV19, a KAC defenseman broke Jordan Murray on the ice shortly before the first intermission.
Fears for Jordan Murray
The 33-year-old had to be resuscitated for about ten minutes before being taken to hospital. The match was abandoned, and there was no information about the player's condition as of late Tuesday evening. News of the tragedy spread like wildfire through the Sparkasse Arena in Bolzano, leaving shocked faces among the stands, which were filled with only 2.800 fans.
On the ice, Bolzano and Ljubljana engaged in an incredibly physical battle, with the boards constantly being tested for their sturdiness. At the start of the second period, HCB played furiously, pulling ahead 2-0 and could have extended their lead further – indeed, given the quality of their scoring opportunities, they should have.
Petan as match winner
But instead, Ljubljana kept themselves afloat thanks to last-minute transfers Reid McNeill (38th minute) and Marcel Mahkovec (36 seconds before the end). Bolzano, which had controlled the match up to that point, faltered considerably – and so it was none other than former Ljubljana player Alex Petan who secured the Slovenian victory after 55 seconds of overtime.The highlights
| liberation | After a first period where Bolzano left room for improvement, things are now heating up. First, Olimpija's goalie Tokarski lets a DiGiacinto shot slip through (22nd minute), then Pollock, on the power play after a brilliant assist from Schneider, is perfectly positioned at the far post and hammers the puck into the net (27th minute). |
| Ljubljana is here | The Green Dragons do not give up and reduce the deficit in the middle period: A McNeill shot from the Blue sails past friend and foe – and lands in the net for 1:2 (38th minute). |
| Cold shower | Bolzano missed several good chances in the final period, but victory was still within reach. Then, with 36 seconds remaining, Ljubljana struck again! McNeill's shot was crucially deflected by Mahkovec – 2-2, sending the game to overtime (60th minute). |
| Old acquaintance | Ironically, Alex Petan, the former Bolzano and Puster Valley player, delivers the lucky punch: After a counter-attack, he converts a strong pass from Mahkovec to make it 3:2 (61st minute). |
HC Pustertal, on the other hand, had reason to celebrate on Tuesday, as they Reigning champions Salzburg were denied home advantage with an overtime victory. Both South Tyrolean clubs continue their campaigns on Thursday: Bolzano will be looking to make amends in Ljubljana at 7:15 pm, while Pustertal will be aiming to follow up with a win at home against the Bulls, also at 7:15 pm.
HC Bozen – Olimpija Ljubljana 2:3 aet
HSBC: Harvey (Vallini); Samuelsson-Valentine, Gildon-Seed, Barberio-DiPerna; Pollock-Gersich-Gazley, Schneider-Bradley-McClure, DiGiacinto-Mantenuto-Gennaro, Frigo-Misley-Frank, BrunnerCoach: Shedden
HKO: Tokarski (Kolin); Cosic-Brennan, McNeill-Halbert, MacWilliam-Gregorc, Crnovic-Bukovec; Meyer-Boychuk-Drozg, Sabolic-Petan-Mahkovec, Polei-Quince-Simsic, Pance-Bericic-Kapel
Coach: Cooper
Gates: 1:0 Cristiano DiGiacinto (21.44), 2:0 Brett Pollock (26.16), 2:1 Reid McNeill (37.21), 2:2 Marcel Mahkovec (59.24), 2:3 Alex Petan (60.55)
Viewers: 2.802
Status in the series: 0:1
ICE Quarterfinals, Game 1 (Best-of-Seven)
Red Bull Salzburg – HC Pustertal 2:3 OTGates: 1:0 Stephens (6.56), 1:1 DiTomaso (28.11), 1:2 Bowlby (36.38), 2:2 St-Denis (37.49), 2:3 Ticar (65.50)
Viewers: 2.945
Status in the series: 0:1
Graz99ers – Villacher SV 2:1 aet
Gates: 0:1 Helewka (20.41), 1:1 Collins (36.59), 2:1 Currie (74.12)
Viewers: 4.126
Status in the series: 1:0
Klagenfurt – Fehervar AV19 cancelled
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