Pustertal loses exciting New Year's game after penalty shootout!

Pustertal loses exciting New Year's game after penalty shootout!

In the new year, HC Pustertal delivered an exciting blast. On January 1, 2026, the team played against the Pioneers Vorarlberg in the fully occupied Intercable Arena in Bruneck. The viewership of 3,104 underlines the great interest in ice hockey and the passionate commitment of the fans. But despite a close and exciting game, Pustertal had to admit defeat 5:6 after a penalty shootout Sportnews.bz reported.

The game started promisingly for the home team, who immediately took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from JC Lipon and Henry Bowlby. But the Pioneers didn't let it get them down. In the second third they turned the game around and led 3-2 at one point, while HC Pustertal was able to equalize several times - first through Mikael Frycklund, then again through JC Lipon and finally through Tommy Purdeller. The atmosphere was palpable.

A dramatic ending

In the last third it was back and forth. First, Bukarts gave Vorarlberg the lead, followed by Adams, who made it 5:4. But just when the Pioneers thought they were safe, Purdeller equalized shortly before the end. However, there were no goals in an exciting overtime, so the penalty shootout had to decide. Here Kevin Macierzynski had the better end for Vorarlberg and converted the decisive shot. Pustertal has lost three times in the last four games, but is still in 6th place in the league.

“This game shows that we still have a lot of potential that we have to use,” commented a HC Pustertal player after the game. The next challenges are already around the corner: on January 3rd we face HC Bozen, followed by Klagenfurt on January 5th and Salzburg on January 11th. Pustertal is hoping for a positive turnaround, while the Pioneers now have to fight for second-to-last place. It is also interesting that Bolzano also won in overtime against Klagenfurt on New Year's Day (2:1), as the statistics show hcpustertal.com show.

Ice hockey in Austria

Ice hockey is also very popular in Austria. Current statistics show that around 4.87 million people in Germany are particularly interested in the sport, which underlines the popularity of ice hockey in the DACH countries. For example, the German Ice Hockey League (DEL) recorded an average of 5,965 spectators per game in the 2022/23 season. These numbers make it clear that ice hockey is more than just a game - it is an experience that brings people together.

In summary, the game between HC Pustertal and Pioneers Vorarlberg shows that every point in the league counts and the race for the top 6 remains exciting. What will happen next for Pustertal will be seen in the coming days!