Luca Zanatta & Co. won by a narrow margin. © I. Foppa / HC Pustertal

Pusterer's hard work against the tenacious Linz team

They had to work hard, take hits, withstand periods of pressure, and put in a huge amount of running to emerge victorious on Friday evening. We're talking about the Wolves of HC Falkensteiner Pustertal, who defeated the tenacious Black Wings Linz.

16 January 2026

From the Intercable Arena

For the fourth and final time during the regular season, the Puster Valley and Linz teams crossed swords on Friday evening. One rule remained unchanged – namely, that the home team always prevailed in this duel. However, this streak hung by a thread on this particular evening, as the two clubs were evenly matched for the full 60 minutes. Ultimately, the smallest details tipped the scales in favor of the victorious Wolves – the final score was 3-1.

According to official figures, 2.578 fans passed through the turnstiles of the Intercable Arena on Friday. Those with a keen eye for aesthetics were left wanting, as beautifully executed plays were rare and the game was characterized by a lot of physical battles and scrappy play. Nevertheless, it developed into a captivating and thrilling match that certainly had the feel of playoff hockey. Both teams gave no quarter, played with grit (and fairness), and did many things right defensively. The fact that only four goals were scored was a result of this – although goaltenders Eddie Pasquale and Rasmus Tirronen also played their part.

The Wolves owe their victory in part to their strong character, as Linz took an early lead after just 65 seconds. Following this setback, the home team gradually took control of the game and turned it around thanks to the impressive performances of Alan Lobis and JC Lipon. And just as they had against champions Red Bull Salzburg almost a week earlier, Daniel Glira and his teammates managed this lead superbly – until Austin Rueschoff sealed the victory with an empty-net goal shortly before the final buzzer.

Pustertal is getting closer to the playoffs

With their victory against their direct rivals, the Black and Yellows took a significant step towards the playoffs. The gap to seventh-placed Fehervar is now ten points – and the Wolves have also played two fewer games than the Hungarian side. When Ferencvaros Budapest visits the Intercable Arena in 48 hours, they aim to take the next step towards securing direct playoff qualification.

HC Pustertal – Black Wings Linz 3:1

HCP: Pasquale (Rabanser); Zanatta-Blum, Lauridsen-Di Tomaso, Glira-Osmanski; Saracino-Andergassen-Bowlby, Mantinger-Bardreau-Lipon, Rueschoff-Ticar-Purdeller, Ierullo-Frycklund-Lobis, Deluca.
Trainer: Jasper

Business Administration: Tirronen (Höneckl); Roe-Würschl, Auvitu-Kragl, Söllinger-Moro, Lindner; Lebler-Collins-Ograjensek, Neubauer-Knott-St. Amant, Pusnik-Oschgan-Romig, Kristler-Maver-Gaffal.
Trainer: Lukas

Gates: 0:1 St-Amant (1.05), 1:1 Lobis (23.39), 2:1 Lipon (36.17), 3:1 Rueschhoff (59.31)

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