The EC iDM Heat Pumps VSV also had to admit defeat in the third encounter this season of the win2day ICE Hockey League. The “Adlers” lost the pack derby in Graz against the 99ers 4:6 and are currently in 12th place in the table with 0 points.
1st third
The “Adler”, who went into the away game in the “Bunker” in Graz as clear outsiders, started the third with a lot of pressure and were rewarded – after a foul by Holzer on Hughes – with a power play, which hardly produced any significant chances. When the penalty expired, Graz took the reins, played the VSV dizzy and made it 0-1 in the 7th minute with a long-range shot from Nico Brunner. The Villach team was unable to gain access to the game in the early stages and were trapped in their own half for long stretches and had to accept the 0-2 defeat by Rok Ticar in the 10th minute of the game. After this period of pressure from Graz, the third then developed into an open exchange of blows and the “Adlers” were again unable to take advantage of some good opportunities.
2nd third
The VSV had to accept a penalty after just 16 seconds in the second third, but it ended without any scoring opportunities for the Graz team. As a result, an absolutely open game developed with a slight superiority for the 99ers, who were able to benefit several times from the “Eagles”’ countless inaccuracies and losses of targets. Overall, the first half of the second period offered few highlights and scoring opportunities. The Graz team mostly only had mini-chances from the outer areas of the attacking third and were unable to put JP Lamoureux in trouble. Villach, on the other hand, stepped up a gear and had two top opportunities via Pearson and Coatta, which they were unable to capitalize on. It was John Hughes who rescued VSV eight minutes before the end of the third and scored the 1-2 goal straight from the face-off circle – he caught goalkeeper Gunnarsson completely unprepared. The “Eagles” were now inspired in the truest sense of the word and got the deserved 2-2 equalizer thanks to a “one-timer” from Scherbak – the Russian scored from the right face-off circle after the Graz goalkeeper was hindered by his own man.
3rd third
The “Adlers” came out of the locker room unfocused, lost the pass in the center circle, Hancock was unable to get into a duel in the defensive zone and the Graz veteran Schiechl scored unchallenged to take the lead 2-3. The VSV was by no means out of the game, but remained aggressive in the forecheck and was rewarded with another equalizer after van Nes and Pearson co-produced the goal. Pearson then beat the Graz goalkeeper with a quick finish – again through the braces. The Styrians’ response didn’t take long to arrive, as just 39 seconds after the equalizer, Roy completed a dream combination for the 99ers. The fact that the VSV defense was too careless that evening was shown again with Graz’s fifth goal, when defender Holzer was able to calmly use his own rebound. But when everything seemed lost again, the VSV surprised the Graz team with a counterattack, which Max Coatta impressively used to make it 4:5 – so Villach was back in the game. After the 99ers, led by Michael Schiechl, scored 4:6 in the empty net, the defeat of the “Adler” in the “Bunker” in Graz was sealed. The “rebellion” of the “Blue and Whites” once again went unrewarded.
Moser Medical Graz 99ers – EC iDM heat pumps VSV 6:4 (2:0 | 0:2 | 4:2)
1:0 Brunner (7.), 2:0 Ticar (10.), 2:1 Hughes (33.), 2:2 Scherbak (37.), 3:2 Schiechl (41.), 3:3 Pearson (46.), 4:3 Roy (46.), 5:3 Holzer (56.), 5:4 Coatta (58.), 6:4 Schiechl (59. EN)
Copy URL
URL Copied
