The explosiveness increases: Vienna strikes back against Bolzano

In the Semi-final start on Sunday in the Eiswelle The Foxes missed five power plays, but won 2-1. They even topped the negative score in the first away game, but not the result. On the contrary: This time the Capitals held their own with 2-1 - also because Bolzano's offensive bulwark was unable to convert one of six power plays into a goal. The thrilling showdown between the two teams will become even more exciting before the third meeting on Thursday.

It was already clear in advance that the series with the Viennese would be anything but a sure-fire success for Bozen. One reason is the failures at HCB. Greg Ireland had to make do on Tuesday without the ailing top scorer Dustin Gazley as well as Domenic Alberga and Ivan Tauferer. Long-term absence Karl Stollery also stayed at home. The Foxes' coach had only three centers play in Vienna, who took turns on the fourth line.

Leland Irving stopped 31 shots, but didn't look good when he conceded the first goal.

However, the Foxes never noticed the personnel shortage in the starting third, on the contrary: they pressed the accelerator continuously until the first break and forced their game on the Caps. In the 15th minute, Angelo Miceli narrowly missed the opening goal when his shot hit the inside of the post. It was the harbinger of the 1-0, in which Miceli once again played a decisive role. The national player let Mario Fischer escape elegantly in the 19th minute, went around the goal and played towards the opponent's goal. There Daniel Frank took the target, played around goalie Bernard Starkbaum and pushed in. A strong third is not enough With the first third break, the flow of the game was completely lost for the people of Bolzano - which was also due to the many penalties on both sides. The HCB showed once again that they have significantly improved their outnumbered game since the quarter-finals against Bratislava, but remained far too harmless in the power play. In the middle period alone, the guests let six minutes of the advantage pass unused. That should take revenge. A few seconds before the second break, Jarome Leduc made it 1-1. The former Dornbirn native, who had to pass in the first game, benefited from a blunder by the otherwise confident Leland Irving in the Bozen goal, who allowed the harmless shot from an acute angle to pass under his armpit. The action was preceded by an unpunished foul on Dan Catenacci behind the Vienna goal.

The well-deserved equalizer gave the Capitals such a boost that they no longer allowed Bolzano to gain any advantage in the final period. The scene that led to the Foxes' first semi-final defeat in the 50th minute was emblematic of the tilted balance of power: Matteo Pietroniro gave the puck in a duel behind his own goal to Caps top scorer Ty Loney, who fed the well-positioned Benjamin Nissner, who finally pushed the puck over the line from close range. In the final phase, Irving went off the ice for a skater, but although this temporarily created a double power situation, the guests were unable to save themselves into overtime.

After this once again exhausting duel, both teams can only take a short breather. Because not 48 hours remain before they face each other again in the ice wave, game four takes place just two more days later in Vienna. Spusu Vienna Capitals - HCB Südtirol Alperia 2:1 Caps: Starkbaum (Wraneschitz); Wall-Fischer, Hackl-Gauthier, Johnson-Peter, Preiser-Lakos; Besse-Nissner-Loney, Archibald-Wukovits-Hartl, Bauer-Vause-Rotter, Richter-Großlercher-Kittinger Coach: Cameron

HSBC: Irving (Fazio); Robertson-Youds, Pietroniro-Plastino, Fournier-Di Perna; Halmo-Catenacci-Bardaro, Frank-Findlay-Miceli, Frigo-Bernard-Insam, Giliati-Pitschieler-Deluca Coach: Ireland

Gates: 0:1 Daniel Frank (18.51), 1:1 Jerome Leduc (39.30), 2:1 Benjamin Nissner (49.07)

Standings in the best-of-7 series: 1:1

The other game dates: April 1st, 3rd, 5th, possibly April 7th, 9th The 2nd semi-final pairing: Red Bull Salzburg - Klagenfurter AC 2:3 aet

Gates: 0:1 Rok Ticar (13.11), 1:1 Alexander Rauchwald (27.59), 2:1 Dominique Heinrich (56.10), 2:2 Rok Ticar (59.34), 2:3 Clemens Unterweger (64.22)

Standings in the best-of-7 series: 0:2

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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The explosiveness increases: Vienna strikes back against Bolzano

Nothing came of HCB Südtirol Alperia's important away win; instead, the Vienna Capitals struck back impressively in the semi-final series. A shortcoming of the Bolzano team in the defeat in Vienna-Kagran was quickly identified.

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