The derby was a real physical affair. © I. Foppa / HC Pustertal

Jubilation in Bolzano and frustration in Puster Valley: The derby reactions

This derby was the best advertisement for South Tyrolean ice hockey: HC Pustertal and HC Bozen delivered a top-class and thrilling duel on Saturday, leaving fans with mixed feelings. We present the reactions.

04 January 2026

From the Intercable Arena

"That was really fun today," said Bolzano's captain Daniel Frank late Saturday evening in the locker room area of ​​the Intercable Arena. The Merano native and his HCB team had just finished... a 5-3 victory over arch-rival HC Pustertal won. A victory that tasted particularly sweet, after all, it was an extremely hard-fought derby in which the momentum constantly shifted back and forth; a derby that was on a knife's edge until the very end; a derby in which two teams met openly and on equal terms.

“We ruthlessly capitalized on our chances up front,” said Frank, adding immediately, “Everyone gave it their all today. You can see the upswing our team is experiencing. The atmosphere was fantastic.” Why is HC Bozen, who have now won seven of their last eight games, suddenly on such a roll again? “You can tell we have our confidence back. The new coach has made some adjustments, first and foremost in our own zone, then in our forechecking. We knew we were a good team, and now everyone is simply focused on doing their job.”

The Puster Valley team played a strong game but came away empty-handed. © I. Foppa / HC Pustertal

Frustration reigned at HC Pustertal after the match. "Losing this game is incredibly bitter, of course. Bolzano is our arch-rival, and we desperately wanted to win there. But they capitalized on their chances, and we didn't," said Tommy Purdeller, who was among the best players on the ice on Saturday. His two goals kept Pustertal's hopes of victory alive for a long time. "Ultimately, though, what matters is whether you win, and we didn't manage that."

Frustration, but also confidence

Pustertal has now lost seven of its last ten games and has slipped to sixth place in the standings. "We need to get back to our game and rediscover the underdog mentality. Then we'll be a tough opponent for anyone. Nevertheless, I think today was a step in the right direction," said Purdeller. His coach, Jason Jaspers, echoed this sentiment. "Losing is always frustrating. But we played a good match today; many of our key players performed exceptionally well. Unfortunately, our special teams let us down a bit. Still, it was a step forward."

Pustertal and Bolzano have two big matches coming up. On Monday, the Wolves travel to league leaders Klagenfurt (7:15 pm), while Bolzano hosts Red Bull Salzburg at the Sparkasse Arena at 7:45 pm. The Bulls celebrated their 10th consecutive victory (!) on Saturday evening. This means two teams in absolutely top form will be facing off.