Victory in the endless game: The Foxes live again!

It was the second-longest game in league history and an extremely memorable one for Italy's most successful ice hockey club: HCB Südtirol Alperia defeated Red Bull Salzburg 4-3 at the end of the third extra time and thus the final series of the ICE Hockey League at least until the sixth game extended. Matt Frattin scored the celebrated winning goal after a counterattack in the 116th minute.

Not only the 6800 fans in the sold-out Sparkasse Arena, who gave it their all for four and a half hours, showed staying power, but above all the cracks on the ice. They offered top-class ice hockey, passion until you dropped. At the end of this fight, the people of Bolzano, who were supported by the goddess of luck Fortuna for the first time in this series, celebrated, but also put in their best performance in weeks. This was also necessary to prevent the bulls from winning their eighth title.

HCB coach Glen Hanlon left Pascal Brunner and Leo Felicetti on the bench in this important game and trusted his proven regulars - and they didn't let him down. The eleven strikers caused more excitement than in any other of the four final games so far, the defenders threw themselves in the opponents' way and goalie Sam Harvey was - with one exception - an absolute bencher. Although the Foxes repeatedly made small mistakes during their committed performance, in the end it can be said: The Foxes are alive again! The key scenes Salzburg plays, Bolzano scores Mitch Hults penetrates the attacking third and crosses to Ryan Culkin, who was running along with him, who scores with a powerful shot to give Bolzano a 1-0 lead (10th). Immediately before that, Salzburg awarded three hundred percent. Now of all times Right in the middle of the strongest HCB phase, Thomas Raffl equalized with a powerful shot. Sam Harvey had a clear view of the Austrian's shot, but didn't react quickly enough to prevent the score being 1-1 (28'). Finally, a power play goal There it is, the first power play goal of the entire series: Dustin Gazley is spot on when Culkin finishes and directs the defender's shot into the net to make it 2-1 for Bozen (47'). Cheering lasts 30 seconds The Bolzano fans are still celebrating the 2-1 when Thomas Raffl breaks through the boards and serves Troy Bourke, who creates another stalemate with a well-placed shot - 2-2 (47th). Pure spectacle In the final phase, events came to a head: Mitch Hults delivered a dream pass to Matt Frattin, who single-handedly kept his nerve and scored to make it 3-2 (53'). Bolzano's lead lasted until 26 seconds before the end, when Benjamin Nissner, who was left criminally alone, was able to push in unhindered at the far corner and send both teams into overtime with the score 3-3 (60th). The redemption In extra time, Salzburg's Lucas Thaler first hits the bar, then Matt Frattin shoots past the empty goal. The former NHL crack was to become a big hero in the 116th minute: Scott Valentine counterattacked, crossed to Frattin and he scored to make it 4-3. This is followed by ecstatic cheering. Instead of the Salzburg championship party, there was a party in white and red at the end. The fans saw off the HCB cracks into the dressing room with thunderous applause and loud chants. There will be a reunion on Tuesday ( from 19.30 a.m. in SportNews -Ticker ), then the Foxes say again: A win is needed in order not to let their dream of a third ICE title collapse.

HCB Südtirol Alperia - EC Red Bull Salzburg 4:3 aet HSBC: Harvey (Bernard); Culkin-Miglioranzi, Cole Hults-Dalhuisen, Valentine-Di Perna, Ginnetti; Brunner-Hults-Thomas, Halmo-McClure-Gazley, Frigo-Mantenuto-Frank, Miceli-Alberga-Frattin, Felicetti. Coach: Hanlon

RBS: Tolvanen (Kickert); Heinrich-Lewington, MacWilliam-Genoway, Robertson-Stajnoch, Stapelfeldt-Heigl; Harnisch-Nissner-Schneider, Huber-Bourke-Thaler, Hochkofler-Wukovits-Huber, Raffl-Baltram-Meyer. Coach: McIlvane

Referee: Kristijan Nikolic, Christoph Sternat (David Nothegger, Elias Seewald)

Gates: 1:0 Ryan Culkin (9.46), 1:1 Thomas Raffl (27.56), 2:1 Dustin Gazley (46.13), 2:2 Troy Bourke (46.56), 3:2 Matt Frattin (52.16), 3:3 Benjamin Nissner (59.34), 4:3 Mattin Frattin (115.10)

Viewers: 6800 (sold out)

Best of 7 series: 2:3

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Graz99ers	5	17:8	15
2. EC Salzburg	5	23:16	12
3. HCB South Tyrol	5	18:12	12
4. EC Klagenfurt	7	22:20	12
5. Olimpija Ljubljana	5	11:10	11
6. Fehervar	5	17:10	9
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Victory in the endless game: The Foxes live again!

This game will go down in South Tyrolean ice hockey history: for 116 (!) minutes, HC Bozen fought against a Salzburg championship party in the Sparkasse Arena - until Matt Frattin caused 6800 spectators to freak out. So the final series continues.

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