5 years ago today: Bolzano surprised the ice hockey world

It was on April 13, 2014, shortly before 21 p.m., when Ziga Pance scored HC Bozen's victory against Red Bull Salzburg after 71.27 minutes of play. His overtime goal crowned the blatant outsider the new champion in the fifth and all-important final game. (click here for the match report from back then)

This success was historic in every respect. Never before has a non-Austrian team been able to win the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga. What gave the success another special flavor? Bolzano contested its first EBEL championship that year. Before the start of the season, the competition didn't have the Foxes on the list at all, the people of Bolzano were, so to speak, blatant outsiders - also because the first EBEL year was not easy for the people of Bolzano financially and organizationally.

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The victory triggered ice hockey euphoria in South Tyrol, which reached a new peak last year: in 2018, Bolzano won its second EBEL title - even though they were still bottom of the table in January. When Bolzano becomes champions, it's always a bit like a fairytale. This year the Foxes had to give up in the quarter-finals. The EBEL champions of the past 20 years: 1997: VEU Feldkirch 1998: VEU Feldkirch 1999: EC Villacher SV 2000: EC Klagenfurter AC 2001: EC Klagenfurter AC 2002: EC Villacher SV 2003: EHC Black Wings Linz 2004: EC Klagenfurter AC 2005: EV Vienna Capitals 2006: EC Villacher SV 2007: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2008: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2009: EC Klagenfurter AC 2010: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2011: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2012: EHC Black Wings Linz 2013: EC Klagenfurter AC 2014: HC Bozen 2015: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2016: EC Red Bull Salzburg 2017: EV Vienna Capitals 2018: HC Bozen

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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5 years ago today: Bolzano surprised the ice hockey world

April 13th is burned into the memory of the white and red fans. It is the day when HCB captain Alexander Egger lifted the EBEL trophy for the first time in Salzburg's Volksgarten. Today marks the fifth anniversary of this historic moment.

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