The Graz99ers and Fehervar started the pre-playoffs of the ICE Hockey League with victories. The Styrians won game one of the “best of three” series 4:2 (0:2,3:0,1:0) at the higher seeded Black Wings in Linz on Tuesday. Fehervar defeated Asiago 4-0 at home (1-0, 2-0, 1-0). The people of Graz can now secure the quarter-final ticket at home on Friday (7.30 p.m.), the Hungarians have to go to Italy. An eventual third game would take place on Sunday.
Shawn St-Amant gave the Black Wings, who had the right to pick and chose Graz, a deserved lead in the first third with a brace (10′, 18′). The choice of opponent could have backfired, however, because the Upper Austrians recklessly gambled away their two-goal lead in the middle section. Gustav Bouramman outnumbered (32′), Sam Antonitsch (38′) and Andrew Yogan 15 seconds before the siren (40′) turned the game within eight minutes in favor of the Styrians, who only got the last spot in the pre -Play-off had secured.
In the final third, Daniel Woger made everything clear with Graz’s fourth goal (47th). The 99ers left the Linzer Eis as winners for the fifth time in a row. The last competitive defeat in the steel city was more than two years ago. The 99ers have won four of five duels this season.
In Szekesfehervar, the hosts recorded an unchallenged home win. Brett Findlay (9th), Janos Hari (23rd), Istvan Bartalis (38th) and Akos Mihaly with an empty net hit (58th) shot the previous year’s ICE finalists to victory against Asiago.