The game started with a strong phase from the guests, who were able to take a 1-0 lead through Aleksi Käyrä in the sixth minute of the game. Goalie Martin Reder prevented anything worse from happening in this phase. The Steel Wings then found their way into the game and created chance after chance. Linz looked better until well into the second third, but had no luck in front of the goal. The South Tyroleans got the Linz team back under control towards the end of the middle section.
In the final third, the Linz team survived a difficult situation when they were outnumbered, but then failed to create a few chances. Coach Matej Hocevar called a time-out two minutes before the end of regular time and brought on the sixth field player. It paid off, as Mikael Saha scored the deserved equalizer 21 seconds before the end.
Linz had the better opportunities in overtime, but failed due to their own efficiency. In the shootout, Timo Sticha scored the decisive penalty in favor of Linz.
“It was a very fast game and both teams played very well for over 60 minutes. We never stopped believing that we could equalize. I really liked how we played 6 against 5 at the end and also how we started the second and third periods. This team showed character again and did so throughout the entire game. And although we were missing some players, those who replaced them today did their job well. It was a big team victory “, something to build on for the future,” said Matej Hocevar after the game.
Author
Markus Prinz
Online Editor
Markus Prinz
