Bolzano beat Vienna Capitals 3:2 in the Ice Hockey League on Thursday evening, a result that gives the hosts their first points of the campaign. The match finished at 17:45 local time and proved to be a tight contest from start to finish.
And here's the thing — this is exactly what we tipped before kickoff. The home side had 63 per cent confidence behind a home win, and they delivered when it mattered. Vienna Capitals had looked comfortable in their last outing, a 3:2 win over Fehérvár AV19, but Bolzano's familiarity with their own ice made the difference.
Both clubs arrive with nothing in the league table — zero games, zero points — yet the recent form tells a story. Bolzano's three wins in their last four games, including that 4:0 demolition of Starbulls Rosenheim, suggested momentum. Vienna Capitals, meanwhile, had mixed results: a clean sheet against Trenčín followed by a narrow defeat to Milano. To be fair, the away side's 5:6 loss to Bratislava showed they could score, even if defence was sometimes loose.
The match itself was decided by fine margins. Bolzano held their nerve in the final period, weathering the storm as Vienna Capitals pushed for an equaliser. By then, the home side had already shifted their shape, bringing bodies back when it counted. The old head in the Bolzano dressing room settled them down — you could see it in the way they cleared their lines.
That victory puts Bolzano top of the standings, however temporarily, with two points from their first game. Vienna Capitals remain in eighth, though the table is still empty enough that these positions mean little. The goal difference is level at zero for both sides. A fourth straight win for Bolzano would be nice, but they'll need this foundation to build on.