High excitement before the second final in the Austrian Ice Hockey League: The KSV Kängurus will meet EHC Lustenau on Saturday in the Kapfenberg town hall. After the 4-2 home win, the Vorarlbergers lead 1-0 in the best-of-three series and have the first match puck on the title away from home. The Styrians can only extend the final series with a home win. If the series is tied, the all-important game will take place again in Lustenau on Saturday, March 21st. The winner of the final series is the Austrian champion of the Austrian Ice Hockey League – season 2025/2026.
Showdown for the championship in the Austrian Ice Hockey League, Part II: The KSV Kangaroos will meet in the second final game on Saturday in the Kapfenberg town hall EHC Lustenau. While the Vorarlbergers can secure their first ÖEL championship title with an away win after the 4-2 win in their own Rheinhalle and the 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, the following applies to the Styrians in the home game: “No losing!” The first meeting last weekend delivered everything that this duel between the two best teams had promised after the regular round and the previous playoff series.
Both teams fought a fast-paced fight that became increasingly intense as the game progressed, with many good attacking sequences and good chances on both sides. In the first section, the Vorarlbergers initially set the tone, before the Mürztalers were able to make the game much more open. With every minute the tension increased in the Lustenau Rheinhalle, which was very well filled with almost 1,900 fans. For a long time, the two goalkeepers – Felix Beck at Lustenauer and Felix Nußbacher at Kapfenberg – were the focus and kept their respective boxes clean for a long time. The late 1-0 for the Lions was symbolic of the match up to that point: Riku Tiainen brought the puck over the line five seconds before the second period break with his last effort while falling. The knot on both sides was thus solved, the two opponents ensured a goal-scoring final act in the last section. After the quick 2-0 by Martin Grabher Meier, Kapfenberger quickly shortened the score to 1:2 through Pierre Graf. The Lustenau team once again found the right answer through Riku Tiainen. After Jonas Kutzer’s power-hit goal to make it 4-1, the game seemed to be decided, but the Kangaroos were able to shorten the score again through Christoph Draschkowitz and make the final phase exciting. In a power play that even gave them a 5-3 advantage for a while, the guests pushed for the next goal. In the end, the Styrians also pulled keeper Nußbacher, but the Lustenauers successfully defended themselves against another goal in the last minutes and secured their first match puck after a top-class game.
Kapfenberg player-coach Kristof Reinthaler now knows how the lions act and wants to fight back with his team on Saturday: “I think it took us a while in the first third to get used to Lustenau’s speed and style of play. But as the game progressed we also found our chances and it was ultimately a game of equals. We have to put the defeat behind us and look forward. On Saturday it will be important that we are just harder in front of the goal and convert our chances into goals!”
Lustenau’s coach Dániel Fekete wants to close the bag with his team away in Kapfenberg and bring the championship trophy to the country: “The KSV Kängurus team really challenged us in the first game. The Styrians definitely want to win in front of their home crowd, extend the series and force a third game. We expect an active and aggressive Kapfenberg team that wants to put us under pressure from the start. We are ready for this second final game and have enough routine and quality as well as the unconditional will in the team, to win this game and bring the championship trophy to Lustenau!”
Ö Ice Hockey League 2025/2026 – Playoff – Final
Game 2:
KSV Kangaroos vs. EHC Lustenau
Sat., March 14, 2026, 6:30 p.m., Kapfenberg town hall – >> to the live stream
Standings in the best-of-three series: 0:1
Game 3 (If necessary):
EHC Lustenau vs. KSV Kangaroos
Sat., March 21, 2026, 5:30 p.m., Rheinhalle Lustenau – >> to the live stream
Game 1:
EHC Lustenau vs. KSV Kangaroos 4:2 (0:0.1:0.3:2)
Sat., March 7, 2026, 5:30 p.m., Rheinhalle Lustenau
Goal scorers EHC Lustenau: Riku Tiainen (39:55 mins, 47:06 mins), Martin Grabher Meier (41:32 mins), Jonas Kutzer (53:43 mins/PP1)
Goal scorers KSV Kangaroos: Pierre Graf (45:23 mins), Christoph Draschkowitz (54:23 mins)
www.eishockey.at, Pic: KSV/Randeu
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