Tomorrow, Friday, the Vienna Capitals continue with an away game at EC-KAC. The Viennese want to end their negative series against the red jackets. Since winning Game 7 of the quarter-final series of the 2022/23 season, the Caps have only won one competitive game against the KAC. Most recently, there were ten league defeats in a row against Klagenfurt. The game in the Heidi Horten Arena starts at 7:15 p.m. As usual, this match will be broadcast on sporteurope.tv.
The Vienna Capitals celebrated their first win under head coach Kevin Constantine last Saturday against HC TIWAG Innsbruck. The next day, despite an appealing performance, the Viennese suffered a narrow 2:3 defeat at the EC iDM Heat Pumps VSV. This means the Caps are still stuck in eleventh place with 21 points. Three points separate the Viennese from the previously placed Steinbach Black Wings Linz, FTC-Telekom and Hydro Fehérvár AV19. Compared to the Hungarian teams, the Capitals played one less game. Carter Souch was very noticeable in the matches under Constantine, in the last three games the Canadian scored three points (2 goals + 1 assist). The 24-year-old is the Vienna Capitals’ top scorer with a total of seven league goals.
With 13 points, Souch is in third place in the team’s internal top scorer ranking behind Linden Vey and Mitch Hults, who each had 16 goals. While the Caps power play has weakened somewhat in recent games, but is still in fifth place in the league comparison, the Viennese’s outnumbered game is still one of the best in the win2day ICE Hockey League. The success rate of 83.08 percent is only exceeded by the Moser Medical Graz99ers. The four long-term injured Senna Peeters, Marco Richter, Maximilian Theirich and Sebastian Wraneschitz are not available tomorrow. It is highly questionable whether Sam Antonitsch, who had to sit out injured against Villach last Sunday, will play. In any case, Benjamin Lanzinger will make his comeback tomorrow after recovering from illness.
The last competitive success in Klagenfurt was a long time ago
The EC-KAC is currently fourth in the table going into tomorrow’s duel. The Klagenfurt team got 35 points from 18 games. Last Sunday the KAC won 5-2 at Olimpija Ljubljana. Before that, the Red Jackets lost to VSV in the Carinthian derby, the only time in the last 13 games in which Kirk Furey’s team was unable to score. Klagenfurt’s top scorer is the Dane Mathias From, who recorded 20 points in 18 games (7 goals + 13 assists). The Carinthians’ top scorer is ex-Caps striker Simeon Schwinger, who has nine goals to his name. The EC-KAC responded to the long-term absence of defender Jordan Murray by signing ex-Bolzano defender Josh Teves. However, the Canadian will not meet the capital city team tomorrow. The latter want to take revenge for the 2-3 defeat suffered on October 17th. In Klagenfurt, the Caps were recently only successful against the KAC in test games; the Donaustadt team’s last competitive win in the Heidi Horten-Arena was on March 15, 2022 in game four of the playoff quarter-final series at the time.
Statement Evan Cowley, goalkeeper of the Vienna Capitals
I think we are getting used to the new system, the last few days have brought a lot of information and positive energy. Now it’s about implementing this as best as possible in the games. The rivalry between the two teams also plays a big role for us players. There is no better time than now to put an end to the series of defeats against Klagenfurt. I’ve always been used to playing a lot of games over the last eight or nine years. I can cope well with this situation. I feel good and am benefiting from the many games that I am currently playing.
vienna-capitals.at , Image: Martina Bednar
