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The Puster Valley Stars have reason to celebrate: They won the first semi-final. © Iwan Foppa / HCP
The next playoff party: Pustertal defeats Ljubljana
The fans in the lively and atmospheric Intercable Arena witnessed another exciting performance from HC Falkensteiner Pustertal on Sunday, who put Olimpija Ljubljana in their place in the first game of the semi-final in the ICE Hockey League (ICEHL).
March 29, 2026
From the Intercable Arena
From:
Leo Holzknecht
Five games, five wins: This year's playoff record for the Black and Yellows reads like a fairytale, but it's real. Captain Raphael Andergassen and his teammates wrote the next chapter on Sunday in Bruneck, when they defeated a tenacious Olimpija Ljubljana 3-0. Given the evenly matched nature of the game, both sets of fans should probably prepare for a long winning streak.
The nearly two-week break after the sweep against Red Bull Salzburg was welcomed by the HCP camp as a chance to recharge. However, the long interruption certainly disrupted the Wolves' rhythm, as they appeared lethargic, almost sleepy, in the first period. Through some physical play and a few scuffles, the Jaspers-coached team found their footing and, from the second period onward, played their usual fast-paced hockey – though initially without being rewarded.
Strong goalkeeping performances
The reason: Not only Pustertal can rely on a star goalie in Eddie Pasquale, but also Ljubljana. The 36-year-old Dustin Tokarski has played 91 NHL games in his career and already demonstrated his exceptional skill in the quarterfinals against HC Bolzano with an astonishing save percentage of 95,5 percent. That evening, he took center stage in the second period, making several crucial saves. However, he was finally beaten by Cole Bardreau's deflection that led to the 1-0 goal.
It was the game-deciding moment, as there was no getting past the Puster Valley defense. The home team impressively managed to keep the spaces tight, giving the Slovenian individual talents, including TJ Brennan, no room to breathe and closing down the shooting lines. At the same time, HCP clearly dominated on special teams. They capitalized on two power plays and successfully killed off all four penalty kills.
With this winning formula, the Wolves now travel to Slovenia, where the second game of the series will take place on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. The HCP team aims to continue their run with five consecutive playoff victories. In the other semifinal, the Graz 99ers celebrated a narrow 3-2 win against Fehervar in their opening game.
The highlights
| Lots of toughness, few chances | The first period was characterized by a lot of fighting and scrappy play. Organized attacking moves were rare, replaced by frequent scrambles. Mahkovec had the best chance to take a 1-0 lead, but his direct shot was brilliantly saved by Pasquale. |
| Tokarski is a wall | Pustertal came out of the locker room with much more energy and created chances every minute. However, Tokarski was alert to Osmanski's deflected shot, Lobi's rebound, and Lauridsen's powerful shot from the slot. |
| There it is | The Wolves' power play leaves much to be desired for a long time, but then it finally pays off: Almquist shoots from the blue line, Bardreau is in the slot and gives the puck the decisive change of direction. |
| Beautifully played | A sense of calm settled over the Intercable Arena when Ticar made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute. The pinpoint pass came from Bowlby, and the finish was a mere formality. Lauridsen then sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. |
HC Pustertal – Olimpija Ljubjana 3-0
HCP: Pasquale (Rabanser); Almquist-Blum, Lauridsen-DiTomaso, Zanatta-Osmanski, Glira; Bowlby-Ticar-Purdeller, Saracino-Bardreau-Rueschhoff, Lobis-Frycklund-Lipon, Mantinger-Andergassen-Deluca, Ierullocoach: Jasper
HKO: Tokarski (Kolin); McNeill-Brennan, Halbert-Kirichenko, MacWilliam-Gregorc, Crnovic; Meyer-Boychuk-Drozg, Sabolic-Petan-Mahkovec, Simsic-Quince-Kapel, Pance-Bericic-Bukovec, Mehle
coach: cooper
Gates: 1:0 Bardreau (34.22), 2:0 Ticar (51.58), 3:0 Lauridsen (57.26)
Viewers: 3104
Status in the series: 1:0
ICE Hockey League, semifinals:
Graz 99ers – AV Fehervar 3:2Goals: 1:0 Huber (3.15), 1:1 Cheek (15.13), 2:1 Swaney (21.15), 2:2 Gerlach (27.46), 3:2 Schiechl (54.56)
Audience: 4126
Score in the series: 1:0
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