Sparks flew in the duel between the Bulls and the Foxes. © EC RBS/Heiko Mandl

Fierce struggle: Salzburg knocks out Bolzano

When Red Bull Salzburg meets HC Bozen, all hell breaks loose! That was certainly the case this Sunday, when the two rivals engaged in a fierce battle – and scored eleven goals simultaneously.

18 January 2026

From: fop

Not only do the players of these two teams dislike each other, they can't stand each other. The deep animosity between the Salzburg Bulls and the Bolzano Foxes was impressively displayed for over three hours in the Volksgarten. In the end, however, there was a clear winner: Red Bull Salzburg defeated HCB Südtirol Alperia 7-4.

The two long-time rivals took to the ice at 4 p.m. on Sunday, tied for third place in the standings. When the final buzzer sounded at 7:05 p.m., Bolzano suffered a crushing defeat. The top spots and Champions League qualification (where the top two teams automatically advance) are now a distant prospect.

Everything that happened during those three hours resembled an ice hockey battle more than an ice hockey game. While both teams initially combined at high speed, scoring goals every minute – some of them spectacular – players from both sides repeatedly clashed. There were frequent physical altercations, vicious checks, and acts of revenge. Emotions ran high.

From 3:1 to 4:7

The problem for the Foxes? They let themselves get needlessly provoked, completely lost their composure in the heated atmosphere – and ultimately the game. After a very strong 25 minutes, the Foxes deservedly led 3-1. But then they focused more on tough tackles than on skillful play. Salzburg countered physically and subsequently dismantled Bolzano piece by piece – until the final knockout blow.

Salzburg celebrated a resounding victory in front of a packed stadium. © Heiko Mandl - EC Red Bull Salzburg

In the end, both teams fired almost the same number of shots on the opposing goal, but HCB goalie Christopher Gibson (number one Sam Harvey had to watch alongside Matteo Gennaro) had to let seven of the 32 shots on his goal pass, three more than his counterpart Atte Tolvanen.

This defeat means Bolzano has to let Salzburg pull ahead in the standings – at the same time, their lead over fifth-placed HC Pustertal is shrinking. who clearly defeated Ferencváros on SundayThe Foxes' next match is on Wednesday in Innsbruck, while Bruneck will host Klagenfurt.

EC Red Bull Salzburg – HCB Südtirol Alperia 7-4

RBS: Tolvanen (Kickert); Robertson-Corcoran, Nienhuis-Lewington, Stephens-Hörl, Wimmer; Thomas Raffl-Nissner-Schneider, Michael Raffl-St. Denis-Coe, Huber-Baltram-Bourke, Kraus-Thaler-Schreier, Auer.
Coach: Viveiros

HSBC: Gibson (Gamper); Valentine-Samuelsson, Gildon-Cairns, Miglioranzi-DiPerna, Larcher; Polock-Gersich-Gazley, Schneider-Bradley-McClure, Frigo-Mantenuto-DiGiacinto, Frank-Misley-Brunner, Marchetti.
Coach: Shedden

Gates: 0:1 Brett Pollock (1.22), 1:1 Thomas Raffl (5.11), 1:2 Brunner (22.21), 1:3 Shane Gersich (24.40), 2:3 Mario Huber (26.48), 3:3 Baltram (31.34), 4:3 Benjamin Nissner (36.09), 5:3 Lukas Thaler (38.54), 5:4 Brad McClure (54.24), 6:4 Michael Raffl (56.04), 7:4 Michael Raffl (59.55)

Viewers: 3.284

The other Sunday games:

HC Pustertal – Ferencváros TC 5:1 (click here for the report)
Goals: 1:0 Mantinger (12.48), 2:0 Frycklund (25.59), 2:1 Kestila (28.19), 3:1 Bowlby (51.39), 4:1 Ierullo (53.26), 5:1 Frycklund (57.39)
Audience: 3.104

Black Wings Linz – Klagenfurter AC 3:5
Goals: 1-0 Ograjensek (8:30), 2-0 Knott (23:38), 2-1 Unterweger (25:19), 2-2 Fraser (26:04), 3-2 Roe (35:31), 3-3 Herburger (38:43), 3-4 Petersen (46:20), 3-5 Mursak (59:30)
Audience: 4448