A liberation for the Vienna Capitals: On the debut of the new coaching duo Fabian Scholz and Rafi Rotter, the Viennese achieved an important success with a 4-3 home win after a penalty shootout against the Pioneers Vorarlberg. This not only ended the series of four games without a win, but also the long negative run against Vorarlberg, against whom they had recently lost six times in a row.
After head coach Gerry Fleming’s leave of absence during the week, Scholz and Rotter were behind the board together for the first time. Scholz, who has been an assistant coach for two years and is now the main person in charge on an interim basis, told the “Kronen Zeitung” after the successful start that he was relieved but realistic: “I have experienced a lot in the last two years – nothing can really shock me anymore,” said the 35-year-old after the game.
Together with Rotter, who joined the coaching team in the summer, Scholz only had a few days to prepare the team for the game. “It was almost like a short training camp – intense, focused, everyone had to switch quickly,” said Scholz. The plan worked: The Caps showed fighting spirit, kept the game open and, thanks to strong nerves, secured the extra point in the penalty shootout.
Image: HCI / PAPA Productions
