The HCI wrestles down the Zeller Eisbären 1-0. The ruling Alps champion provides the sharks of a sacrificing struggle.
Both teams start extremely nervous, in the first ten minutes the game was torn down, without much opportunities. After that, the sharks, which are again supported by a loud fan delegation, gradually take on command, and also develop a opportunities in the first section. In minute 14, Marcel Witting briefly (after a nice pass from Steven Owre), Kilian Rappold fails two minutes later from a promising position on Zeller goalie and Lorenz Klingler (for Jonas Dobnig in the contingent) forces the Zeller goalkeeper to go to a big save shortly before the end of the third. After twenty minutes it is still goalless 0-0.
In the middle third, the hosts are outnumbered early and press 1-0 in this phase. However, the sharks can keep themselves harmless and then take the booklet back in hand. In the middle of the third, the Tyroleans cannot use a 4-minute power play. Although the sharks exert massive pressure in majority, the disc does not want to go online. The polar bears deliver a fight on bending and breaking the HCI, are motivated to the tips of the hair, keep the game more or less balanced, and after two thirds the zero. The sharks are after two thirds, all in all, the 1-0 closer.
The picture changes in the first ten minutes of the final third. The polar bears are now braver, are increasingly looking for their salvation on the offensive, and have one or the other good opportunity for the first goal of the evening. In this phase, the sharks can also thank Goalie Matt Vernon that they have not yet fallen behind. The decision in this narrow game is then made in a power play in the sharks. Steven Owre pulls off the blue line, Matt Wilkins fells to 1-0 for the HCI (54.). After that, it gets tight for the sharks. First outnumbered when the polar bears are very close to the equalization several times, and then shortly before the end when the home side with six field players press again to 1: 1. The Tyroleans bring the result, thanks to a megablock by Marcel Witting in the last minute of the game over time. “It was a hard piece of work. But we already knew that before, Zell has a really good troop. In the end it was a power play, luckily we scored this one goal,” said Witting after the game.
EK Zeller Eisbären-HC Tiwag Innsbruck-Die Haie 0: 1 (0: 0.0: 0.0: 1)
Torf older: 0: 1 Wilkins (54./PP1/GWG);
hcinnsbruck.at, Image: EK Zeller Eisbären
