ICE Hockey League: Milano Stuns KAC as Pustertal and Bozen Secure Away Wins
Table leader KAC suffered a 4-2 defeat against second-placed Milano in a win2day ICE Hockey League encounter at the Heidi-Horten-Arena in Klagenfurt. Despite recording 64 shots on goal, the Carinthian side struggled with offensive efficiency as the Italian visitors capitalized on defensive compactness and clinical finishing.
Milano Capitalizes on Early Opportunities in Klagenfurt
The visiting Milanese squad set the tone early in the match, frustrating the KAC attack while making the most of their scoring chances. Greg McKegg opened the scoring for the guests just three minutes into the contest during a power-play opportunity. Nick Caamano extended the lead to 2-0 at the 13-minute mark of the first period.
Kärnten’s struggles persisted into the middle frame. Sablattnig came close for the hosts early in the second period, but his shot struck only the goalpost at 22 minutes. Milano punished that missed opportunity minutes later when Blake McLaughlin struck at the 30-minute mark to build a 3-0 advantage for the visitors.
Late KAC Surge Falls Short Despite Power-Play Push
Faced with a heavy deficit in the final section, KAC threw everything forward. The tactical shift paid immediate dividends when Nick Petersen scored during a power play at 48 minutes, followed swiftly by Daniel Obersteiner narrowing the gap to 2-3 at 54 minutes to ignite hopes of a late comeback in Klagenfurt.
However, the momentum stalled when the “Red Jackets” failed to capitalize on a 5-3 power-play advantage. Caamano sealed the match in the final minute, netting his second goal of the evening into an empty Klagenfurter net at 59 minutes to secure a 4-2 victory. The win marks Milano’s fifth triumph in six away matches.
Reflecting on the missed opportunities, KAC assistant coach Christoph Brandner pointed directly to the team’s lack of execution. “That was the expected difficult task, which we didn’t necessarily make easier for ourselves,” Brandner stated. “We lacked efficiency today, 64 shots on goal and two goals, that’s naturally not enough.” Brandner added that Milano played smartly from the start and converted their chances, noting it served as a valuable lesson that matches do not always run as smoothly as previous fixtures.
Broader ICE Hockey League Results Across the Region
Elsewhere in the league, the Pustertal Wolves exacted a measure of revenge in Graz, defeating the champions 4-1. JC Lipon secured the match for the visitors with goals at 52 and 55 minutes, handing the champions their third defeat of the season and second in a row.
In Budapest, the Linz Black Wings surrendered an early 3-0 lead against Ferencvaros before recovering to claim a 5-3 victory, propelled by two goals and an assist from Brady Shaw. Meanwhile, Red Bull Salzburg’s struggles continued with a 1-4 home loss to third-placed Bozen, leaving Salzburg with just one win from six matches and sitting in twelfth place. VSV fell 0-1 away to Fehervar, and Innsbruck edged Pioneers Vorarlberg 5-4 to climb to eighth in the standings.