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The KAC is in the final, the HCP season is over. © HC Pustertal/I. Foppa
The conciliatory end to the fairytale HCP season
HC Pustertal has reached unimagined heights in this year's ICE Hockey League season, sent its own fans into ecstasy and made the step to become the top team. In the semi-final against the overpowering EC KAC, the Wolves had to raise the white flag. The fourth game of the best-of-seven series was also lost on Tuesday.
March 26, 2024
From the Intercable Arena
From:
Leo Holzknecht
What kind of season was that for HC Pustertal? It started with successes en masse and the interim lead in the table. Then the black and yellow entered a downward spiral, the result of which was the separation from coach Tomek Valtonen. The intended goal, i.e. making it into the top 6, was denied, but Raphael Andergassen & Co. fought their way through the pre-playoffs against Olimpija Ljubljana and even eliminated Fehervar in the quarter-finals. The outstanding red jackets from Klagenfurt then proved to be an insurmountable hurdle in the semi-finals. On Tuesday, however, the HCP ensured a conciliatory end to the 3:5 defeat, as they were already hopelessly behind by 0:4. HC Bozen, on the other hand, can continue to dream of the final after a hard-fought home win against Salzburg.
3104 fans came to the sold-out Intercable Arena one last time to loudly cheer on their team. Despite the home advantage, it wasn't enough to move the series to Klagenfurt again. The reason: On the other side was a team that was simply better. Who is the big favorite for the title this year. Who had the perfect answer in all phases, appeared extremely compact and therefore deserved the sweep. Whoever the final opponent will be will have to dress warmly against Kirk Furey's team.
Cheered on by the numerous fans who had traveled with them, the Carinthians immediately demonstrated their ambitions. They quickly took a 1-0 lead and extended the lead to 4-0 in the middle third. Anyone who thought that the wolves would now come to terms with their fate was mistaken - and how. The home team showed a brutal reaction, came back close thanks not least to the first line of storms and got a taste of the miracle of Bruneck. But this didn't happen - the Austrians appeared too callous in the final phase.
The highlights
| Ice cold red jackets | The KAC takes the lead against the run of play: Clemens Unterweger makes Ryan Stanton look old, storms alone towards Jake Smith and defeats him between the leg pads. |
| Two times Kraus | With almost identical goals, the guests increase to 2-0. Nikolaus Kraus is successful with direct shots after passes from Manuel Ganahl and Lukas Haudum. |
| That's it? | van Ee penetrates the opponent's zone all by himself, is not attacked, moves to the middle and catches Smith between the braces again. |
| glimmer of hope | Before the end of the middle third, Jason Akeson breathed life into the Wolves when he placed a pinpoint shot into the top corner from the slot. |
| Now it's getting exciting | Again it is the first HCP series that swirls – and hits. Akeson plays to the middle where Rick Schofield chokes the hard rubber over the line. The Canadian is there again a little later in the power play and makes the arena shake. |
| Petersen decides | The Wolves throw everything forward, apply a lot of pressure, but in the end the Red Jackets celebrate. Nick Petersen makes everything clear with an empty net goal. |
HC Pustertal – EC KAC 3:5
HCP: Smith (Bernard); Stanton-Messner, Kasastul-Ege, Glira-Atwal, Althuber; Morley-Schofield-Akeson, Deluca-Sill-Mantinger, Hannoun-Frycklund-Petan, Catenacci-Andergassen-Hasler, Öhler.coach: Mountainous
KAC: Dahm (Vorauer); Unterweger-Jensen Aabo, Strong-Postma, Vallant-Maier, Preiml; Ganahl-Mursak-Petersen, Haudum-Herburger-Kraus, Schwinger-van Ee-Fraser, Witting-Obersteiner-Hochegger, Gomboc.
coach: Furey
Gates: 0:1 Unterweger (3.23), 0:2 Kraus (27.40), 0:3 Kraus (29.36), 0:4 van Ee (34.17), 1:4 Akeson (38.31), 2:4 Schofield (42.29), 3 :4 Schofield (49.52), 3:5 Petersen (58.05)
Viewers: 3104
Final standings in the series: 0:4
ICE Hockey League, Game 4:
HC Bozen – Red Bull Salzburg 3:2 ( Click here for the report)Goals: 1:0 Ford (18.15), 2:0 Gazley (27.41), 3:0 Frigo (39.55), 3:1 Mario Huber (45.46), 3:2 Paul Huber (52.44)
Audience: 5012
Score in the series: 2:2
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