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Doug Shedden (center) celebrated a successful return to Bolzano. © All photos: Vanna Antonello
Cast off: HC Bozen seems liberated.
HCB Südtirol Alperia secured a clear home victory over the Black Wings Linz in Doug Shedden's coaching debut. However, the game was still a rollercoaster of emotions.
17 December 2025
From the Sparkasse Arena
From:
David Lechthaler
“I’m convinced that the Bolzano team has a lot of offensive potential,” Bolzano’s new coach Doug Shedden said upon his return to the provincial capital. And at least the opening match seems to prove the 64-year-old right: On Wednesday evening, the Foxes beat Linz 7-4 at home.
After Kurt Kleinendorst lost his connection with the team, club boss Dieter Knoll was forced to act and signed the experienced Shedden, who has been working as a coach since 1992 and had already played for Bolzano towards the end of his illustrious playing career. He was greeted with enthusiastic applause at his debut on the HCB bench in the Sparkasse Arena and coached the team to a steady home victory.
Sam Harvey was only shocked in the first third.
Shedden must have noticed something else, though: despite their formidable offensive power, HC Bolzano wasn't yet consistent. After taking a 2-0 lead, Linz suddenly found themselves trailing 2-3 at the first intermission. HCB conceded the final goals before the break far too easily. A top team simply can't afford to make those mistakes. But Shedden seems to have found the right words in the locker room, because Bolzano showed their true colors again in the second and third periods.
The highlights
| Wild opening third | After just over seven minutes, HCB was already leading 2-0. Frank converted a rebound, and less than two minutes later, McClure added another goal after a scramble. But the visitors then turned the game around and swung the tide before the end of the first period: Linz tied the game with 25 seconds left in the period. The ensuing forecheck put the Foxes under pressure, and they promptly turned the puck over. Ograjensek passed the puck to Lebler, who displayed his sniping skills and put Linz ahead with 3,3 seconds remaining in the first period. |
| HCB turns up the heat | Midway through the second period, HC Bozen equalized when Gazley stole the puck and perfectly set up Pollock. Six minutes later, the 37-year-old mid-game wonderkid put HCB in the lead himself, with Gazley perfectly positioned at the far post to make it 3-3. A minute before the final intermission, Schneider extended the lead to 5-3. Was this the decisive moment? |
| Die Entscheidung | Breakaway! McClure breaks through after 48 minutes and scores the decisive 6-3! The man of the match confuses goalie Tirronen with a quick switch between forehand and backhand shots, then fires a powerful shot into the net. Five minutes later, DiGiacinto places the puck precisely into the far corner to make it 7-3. After that, the game loses its momentum, and Linz manages to close the gap to 4-7. |
Captain Daniel Frank finally scored his first goal of the season in his 26th game. The 31-year-old, like his teammates, appeared highly motivated and liberated during the offensive spectacle. But it wasn't just HC Bozen who secured a clear home victory on Wednesday; HC Pustertal did as well. The Wolves even won against Innsbruck with a score of 7:2. and thus remain just ahead of their arch-rival in the standings.
HC Bozen – Black Wings Linz 7:4
HSBC: Harvey (Foppa); Gildon-Seed, Valentine-Samuelsson, Miglioranzi-DiPerna, Marchetti; Schneider-Bradley-McClure; Gazley-Gersich-Pollock, DiGiacinto-Mantenuto-Frigo, Frank-Misley-Brunner.Coach: Shedden
Linz: Tirronen (Höneckl); Roe-Würschl, Auvitu-Söllinger, Lindner-Tialler, Eder; Womig-Knott-St. Amant, Lebler-Barron-Ograjensek-Neubauer-Collins-Gaffal, Kristler-Geifes.
Coach: Luke
Gates: 1:0 Frank (05.55), 2:0 McClure (07.26), 2:1 St. Amant (10.29), 2:2 Kristler (19.35), 2:3 Lebler (19.57), 3:3 Pollock (29.14), 4:3 Gazley (36.09), 5:3 Schneider (38.53), 6:3 McClure (48.21), 7:3 DiGiacinto (52.21), 7:4 Barron (57.40)
Viewers: 2.340
The other Wednesday games
Graz99ers – Olimpija Ljubljana 2:3 nP0:1 Drozg (08.02), 1:1 Huber (45.47), 2:1 Bailen (55.47), 2:2 Meyer (58.03), 2:3 decisive penalty: Mahkovec
Audience: 3.000
Vienna Capitals – FTC Telekom 4:3
1:0 Vey (07.46), 2:0 Hults (39.57), 3:0 Souch (44.58), 3:1 Green (47.49), 4:1 Nogier (54.11), 4:2 Tammela (57.30), 4:3 Coulter (58.47)
Audience: 4.380
Red Bull Salzburg – Pioneers Vorarlberg 7-0
1:0 Raffl (04.14), 2:0 Baltram (07.27), 3:0 St. Denis (16.15), 4:0 Robertson (33.17), 5:0 Raffl (35.29), 6:0 Bourke (36.27), 7:0 Bourke (39.33)
Audience: 2.526
Fehervar AV19 – EC KAC 3:6
1:0 Kuralt (02.21), 1:1 Kempe (03.17), 1:2 Fraser (11.40), 2:2 Hari (15.40), 3:2 Kuralt (20.39), 3:3 From (28.00), 3:4 Hochegger (28.29), 3:5 van Ee (51.00), 3:6 From (56.55)
Audience: 3.358
HC Pustertal – HC Innsbruck 7:2
1:0 Almquist (01.43), 2:0 Lobis (06.01), 3:0 Deluca (09.52), 4:0 Ierullo (29.30), 4:1 Rappold (29.46), 5:1 Bardreau (33.46), 6:1 Ierullo (38.22), 6:2 Sproule (48.36), 7:2 Purdeller (51.51)
Audience: 2.117
| SP | G | U | V | TV | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. EC Klagenfurt | 27 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 95:70 | 55 |
| 2. Graz99ers | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 86:59 | 53 |
| 3. Olimpija Ljubljana | 28 | 19 | 0 | 9 | 115:79 | 53 |
| 4. HC Pustertal | 27 | 17 | 0 | 10 | 94:73 | 50 |
| 5. HCB South Tyrol | 26 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 96:67 | 49 |
| 6. EC Salzburg | 27 | 15 | 0 | 12 | 83:62 | 44 |
| 7. EC Villach | 25 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 83:80 | 39 |
| 8. Ferencvarosi | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 74:86 | 37 |
| 9. Fehervar | 27 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 61:83 | 36 |
| 10. Linz | 27 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 88:95 | 34 |
| 11. Vienna Capitals | 26 | 10 | 0 | 16 | 65:80 | 31 |
| 12. Vorarlberg | 27 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 56:110 | 22 |
| 13. HC Innsbruck | 28 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 70:122 | 19 |
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