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Bolzano is firmly in the playoffs of the ICE Hockey League. © 2023,Vanna Antonello

After a bizarre match: Welcome to the playoffs, HC Bozen!

It was a regular season that demanded an enormous amount from the hearts of Bolzano fans. But since Wednesday evening it has been clear: the Foxes will be in the playoffs. They got their ticket to the postseason with a sweeping victory in an extremely strange match.

From fabulous triumphs to embarrassing defeats, from incredible comebacks to inexplicable series of bankruptcies: this regular season had it all for HC Bozen. It therefore fits into the picture that the last piece of the puzzle for the playoffs was not free of oddities. The Foxes won 99-7 at the Graz0ers and can no longer be pushed out of the top 6. The last regular season game on Friday at home against Klagenfurt will decide whether the HCB can defend its fourth place (and thus home advantage).


Meanwhile, bottom of the league Graz has long since finished with the championship. The 99ers have had a real sell-off in the past few weeks. In this season finale, the Styrians only have a skeleton squad whose motivation is limited. Because HC Bozen went to work energetically from the first second and absolutely wanted to bag the playoff ticket, a surreal match developed on the ice of the Merkur Stadium.

9 shots on goal in 60 minutes

The Foxes made Graz look like a sparring partner, shot on goal every 30 seconds and stayed in the 99ers' zone for almost the entire game. There must have been a number of training sessions in the past few weeks in which the Bolzano defenders around debutant Andreas Söderberg were significantly more challenged than they were this evening. In the end, Graz only had 9 (!) shots on goal - that's a record low number.

Gianluca Vallini celebrated a shutout. © 2023,Vanna Antonello


Coach Glen Hanlon's move paid off: he left his injured goalie Sam Harvey at home and instead took Fassa loanee Marco Felicetti with him, who acted as Gianluca Vallini's backup. The Bolzano goalkeeper continued to work on his impressive statistics on Wednesday and celebrated his sixth shutout of the season. On the other hand, the Bolzano attackers (they fired 40 shots) were allowed to let off steam as they pleased. Angelo Miceli and Luca Frigo were particularly in the mood for points, each earning three points.

The goals

3 in the first thirdGazley dances past goalie Wieser (10th), Miceli does the same (13th) and Mantenuto is spot on in the slot (20th) – 3-0.
2 in the second thirdAfter a fine combination, Frank hits the second post (21'), then Parlett sinks the disc into the top corner (38'). At that point, Graz had shot on goal six times.
2 in the third periodThe 6-0 is the strangest goal of the evening: Graz goalie Wieser wants to clear behind the goal, misses the target, Christian Thomas says thank you and plays to Frank, who fixes his double (41st). Mantenuto puts the lid on it (60th).

The mood at HC Pustertal is completely different: After the 3:4 defeat against Vorarlberg it is clear that the Wolves have to go into the pre-playoff.

Graz99ers – HCB Südtirol Alperia 0:7

Graz: Wieser (Mocher); Egger-Kernberger, Murg-Schira, Reiner; Krastenbergs-Schiechl-Ograjensek, Antonitsch-Wemmenborn-Viksten, Bauer-Krainz-Kittinger, Engelhart-Hanl-Matijevic, Woborsky.
Coach: Pennerborn

HSBC:
Vallini (Marco Felicetti); Valentine-Vandane, Teves-Di Perna, Miglioranzi-Parlett, Söderberg-Pietroniro; Halmo-Ford-Gazley, Frank-McClure-Thomas, Frigo-Mantenuto-Miceli, Digiacinto-Alberga-Leonardo Felicetti
Coach: Hanlon

Gates: 0:1 Dustin Gazley (9.26), 0:2 Angelo Miceli (12.14), 0:3 Daniel Mantenuto (19.20), 0:4 Daniel Frank (20.42), 0:5 Blake Parlett (37.49), 0:6 Daniel Frank (40.18), 0:7 Daniel Mantenuto (59.25)

Viewers: 1.234

The other games

Pioneers Vorarlberg – HC Pustertal 4:3
Goals: 0:1 Frycklund (13.41), 1:1 Kirichenko (15.36), 2:1 Kirichenko (36.02), 3:1 Owre (37.04), 3:2 Mantinger (41.38), 3:3 Atwal (44.46), 4:3 Owre (45.13)
Audience: 1.510

Red Bull Salzburg – Vienna Capitals 6:1
Goals: 1:0 Raffl (03.24), 2:0 Auer (15.22), 3:0 Meyer (27.57), 4:0 Baltram (32.55), 4:1 Franklin (47.22), 5:1 Murphy (48.58), 6:1 Nissner (52.27)
Audience: 2.931

Villacher SV – HC Innsbruck 1-0
Goal: 1-0 MacPherson (27.45)
Audience: 3.399

Asiago Hockey – Black Wings Linz 1:4
Goals: 1:0 Beaulieu (18.41), 1:1 St. Amant (48.33), 1:2 Gaffal (50.46), 1:3 St. Amant (53.48)
Audience: 2.021

Olimpija Ljubljana – Hydro Fehervar 3:6
Goals: 1:0 Cosic (06.38), 2:0 Gooch (12.26), 2:1 Bartalis (16.21), 3:1 Predan (17.24), 3:2 Leavens (22.37), 3:3 Laberge (38.19), 3:4 Robertson (39.13), 3:5 Leavens (46.01), 3:6 Atkinson (51.40)
Audience: 1.756

Table

SPGUVTVP
1. EC Klagenfurt4733014183:101102
2. Fehervar4730017152:12992
3. EC Salzburg4731016148:10890
4. HCB South Tyrol4728019144:12579
5. Linz4725022150:11778
6. EC Villach4726021156:13677
7. HC Innsbruck4725022134:13274
8. HC Pustertal4724023142:13772
9. Olimpija Ljubljana4722025145:15166
10. Vorarlberg4822026153:15765
11. Vienna Capitals4716031111:16948
12. Asiago Hockey4713034121:19243
13. Graz99ers471103688:17332

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