Pustertal celebrated a victory in front of a sold-out crowd. © I. Foppa / HC Pustertal

The rust is gone: "What counts is the result."

With a rock-solid performance, HC Falkensteiner Pustertal secured their first victory in the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL) semifinals on Sunday evening. However, the Wolves said there is still room for improvement after their 3-0 win against Olimpija Ljubljana.

March 30, 2026

From: leo

It started cautiously, then escalated dramatically, and finally was defended with composure: that's how the Puster Valley's fifth playoff victory To summarize the series briefly and concisely: "What happened in the quarter-final against Red Bull Salzburg is irrelevant. But of course we are delighted with this success," said Wolves coach Jason Jaspers afterwards.

The Canadian spoke about some rust that had set in during the twelve-day break between the quarterfinals and semifinals. "We weren't quite at our best at the beginning, but we found our rhythm from the second period onward. It definitely wasn't our best game, but the only thing that matters right now is the result."

Ticar scores against their arch-rival

It's a special series for Pustertal's Rok Ticar. The 36-year-old received his training at Ljubljana's arch-rivals Jesenice and – unlike most of the Slovenian players – never played for the Green Dragons. The center forward's jubilation was all the greater when he scored the decisive 2-0 goal midway through the third period.


His conclusion was similar to Jaspers'. "Our legs initially didn't want to do what we wanted. From the second period onward, we played more simply, spent more time in the offensive zone, and took more shots. The special teams were crucial; they made the decisive difference today," summarized Ticar, who nevertheless issued a warning. "Ljubljana is playing very well and is in the semifinals for a reason. It's a good start, but things could still get exciting."

The Wolves' focus now is on recovery, as the second game of the series takes place on Tuesday in the Slovenian capital. The first puck drop is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.