HDD TILIA Olimpija Ljubljana performed what resembles a Usain-Bolt-type of start, scoring five goals within ten minutes. Ales Sila and the crossbar had saved the first attempts by Graz and then the avalanche started with one simple goal: Matej Hocevar tipped the puck in after a delicate pass by Egon Muric. Three minutes later, Matt Higgins doubled the lead, beating Fabian Weinhandl past his glove. The Famous Graz Defence was nowhere to be seen when Frank Banham let it rip form the blue line and surprised the netminder. You found that amazing? You ain’t seen nothing yet! Travis Briglley added a fourth and Ziga Pance slapped in the 5:0, using rebounds of the post and of Weinhandl for that goal. It was free-for-all on the Tivoli rink, Bostjan Golicic and Kevin Mitchell could have added two more in the period. Graz had to change things and they did. But it took them to long and the Dragons wouldn’t hear anything of loosing a 5:0-lead. Markus Peintner got a goal in at the halfway-mark, Rod Jarrett set un a goal by Herzog and scored another with seconds remaining but that was all there was for the Styrians, who were lifted of the the topspot in the league by Linz while Ljubljana won their first game after seven defeats.       

40 Minutes are never enough
EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz were down 0:2 after 40 Minutes in their own arena: After Lorenz Hirn and Michael Mayr both had saved shots by Jesenice the Red Steel city took the lead in a 4-on-4. Their play was focused, technically flawless and it found Andrei Markov standing there to score the go-ahead-goal. Linz where shellshocked, their only attack worth mentioning in the period was killed of by Dov Grumet-Morris. In the second period, Linz had gotten over the goal, pressurizing the Slovenian Defence. But Grumet-Morris saved and saved while Lorenz Hirns Glove grabbed only air when Toga Jeglic shot the Puck on the powerplay after 26 Minutes. Jesenice continued to save well and went into the final period with the two goal lead. Everything looked save up until Brad Purdie exploded, skated through the Defence and scored a lone goal. Greg Baumgartner got the equalizer ten minutes form time with a shot that bounced off the ice and somehow was deflected past Jesenices Netminder. Tempers flared in the last few minutes, proving costly for Jesenice. A match Penalty and a Game Miscoduct gave the hosts a two-men-advantage and Franklin McDonald won the game for Linz with his first goal, and a mighty blueliner it was indeed. The Penalties won’t pose direct consequences to Jesenice, as the Match Penalty way handed to the conditioning coach and the Game Misconduct to Alex Dück, who hadn’t committed any fault up to this point. Linz move top while Jesenice stay bottom.  

30.10.2009 | HDD TILIA Olimpija Ljubljana – Moser Medical Graz 99ers 5:3
(5:0, 0:1, 0:2).
Goals Ljubljana: Hocevar (6.), Higgins (9.), Banham (10.), Brigley (12.), Z. Pance (16.)
Goals Graz: Peintner (30.), Herzog (45.), Jarrett (60.)

EHC LIWEST Black Wings Linz – HK Acroni Jesenice 3:2
(0:1, 0:1, 3:0).
Goals Linz: Purdie (46.), Baumgartner (49.), MacDonald (60./pp2)
Goals Jesenice: Makrov (12.), Jeglic (26./pp)