Bolzano is giving the Finnish champions a tough fight

The Foxes gave the 2300 fans in the ice wave an evening worthy of the Champions League and showed them one of their best performances of the season. In the end, Lukko Rauma, the reigning Finnish champion and 2016 CHL semi-finalist, won 3-1. The Scandinavians thus opened the quarter-final door wide before the second leg next week.

However, the people of Bolzano did not leave the ice with their heads bowed, on the contrary: there was thunderous applause and chants from the stands. On the one hand, these were intended as cheering for the derby on Friday against HC Pustertal, but above all they acknowledged a team performance that was probably to the taste of coach Doug Mason.

The Foxes were significantly inferior to Lukko in terms of play and hounded the opponent as soon as they picked up the pace, but at the same time the men in red and white appeared more united than ever before this season. They held their own physically throughout the game and also created several top-class chances to score, while the brilliant Justin Fazio closed the gap at the back. You can build on that. <a data-fancybox="gallery-test" class="spn-fancybox uk-inline first" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1400x800/img/2021/11/brett-findlay-und-co-waren-den-finnen-zwar-nicht-ebenbuertig-sorgten-aber-trotdem-fuer-ein-tolles-spiel.jpg" data-caption="Brett Findlay und Co. waren den Finnen zwar nicht ebenbürtig, sorgten aber trotdem für ein tolles Spiel. © VANNA ANTONELLO" data-type="image">

The key scenes Brett Findlay fails in a one-on-one with Lukko's 22-year-old exceptional goalie Lassi Lehtinen (3rd). This thwarts further scoring chances immediately afterwards. As if out of nowhere, the guests take the lead: CHL top scorer Scott Pooley directs the puck into the net to make it 0-1 (6th minute). A blueliner from today's strong HCB defender Keegan Lowe hits the bar (8th). Lukko also fails at the post. With the subtle difference: Vili Saarijärvi is in the right place and pushes in the rebound to make it 0-2 (12th). A cracking open-ice hit from Mike Halmo opens a Bozen push phase that ultimately leads to the connection. After a shot attempt by Halmo, the puck bounces off Samuli Piipponen's shin into his own goal - 1:2 (32nd). Dustin Gazley has a great chance to equalize. But he fails alone in front of Lehtinen. Shortly before the second break, Lukko made it 2-3: First Piipponen hit the goal post, shortly afterwards Anrei Hakulinen hit the mark (1'). After that, no more goals will be scored. The home defeat made the already huge task a little harder, but HC Bozen still has a small glimmer of hope for reaching the quarter-finals for the first time. The decision will be made next Wednesday (18 p.m.) in the second leg in the Finnish Baltic Sea town of Rauma. HCB Südtirol Alperia – Lukko Rauma 1:3 HSBC: Fazio (Boyle); Plastino-Maione, DiPerna-Trivellato, Lowe-DeHaas, Tauferer; Gazley-Findlay-Halmo, Frigo-Bernard-Frank, Felicetti-Alberga-Miceli, Mizzi-Pitschieler-Glück Coach: Mason

Lukko: Lehtinen (Helomaa); Saarijärvi-Piipponen, Grégoire-Slovacek, Laitinen-Abt, Säkkinen-Pietilä; Repo-Mattila-Hakulinen, Haga-Ilomäki-Pooley, Skalicky-Päivärinta-Petman, Nyman-Kainulainen-Ylitalo Coach: Virtanen

Gates: 0:1 Scott Pooley (5.29), 0:2 Vili Saarijärvi (11.46), 1:2 Mike Halmo (31.08), 1:3 Anrei Hakulinen (38.18)

Viewers: 2.300 The other round of 16 duels: Skelleftea – Sparta Prague 1:3 Klagenfurt – Leksands 4:0 Vaxjö – Tappara 2:2 Mannheim – Frölunda 1:10 Friborg – Munich 2:4 ZSC Lions – Rögle 2:3 Rouen – Salzburg (Wednesday, 19.30 p.m.)

Second legs: November 23th and 24th

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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Bolzano is giving the Finnish champions a tough fight

The giant staggered but did not fall. Lukko Rauma scored a favorite win in the first leg of the Champions Hockey League round of 16 in Bolzano. However: Before the return match in the far north, there is hope at HCB Südtirol Alperia.

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