HC Pustertal Defeats EC Red Bull Salzburg in Playoff Upset

The HC Pustertal secured a stunning 2-1 victory over EC Red Bull Salzburg in the second game of the win2day ICE Hockey League quarterfinals, leveling the series at 0-2. This comes after Pustertal already won the first game in overtime on March 10, 2026.

Game Recap

Salzburg initially took the lead in the second quarterfinal game with a goal from Travis St. Denis at the 12th minute, capitalizing on a rebound. However, HC Pustertal quickly responded. Henry Bowlby scored a shorthanded goal, tying the game 1-1 at the 14th minute.

The momentum continued to shift in favor of the visitors as Daniel Glira scored for Pustertal, giving them a 2-1 lead in the 23rd minute. Despite Salzburg’s efforts to equalize, including a near miss by Tyler Lewington in the 27th minute, HC Pustertal maintained their lead and secured the win.

Series Outlook

With a 0-2 series deficit, EC Red Bull Salzburg faces significant pressure heading into Game 3 on March 14th at the Volksgarten.

Key Players

• Travis St. Denis (EC Red Bull Salzburg): Scored Salzburg’s only goal in Game 2. Elite Prospects
• Henry Bowlby (HC Pustertal): Scored the equalizing goal for Pustertal.
• Daniel Glira (HC Pustertal): Scored the game-winning goal for Pustertal.

Game Details

Date: March 10, 2026 (Game 1) / March 12, 2026 (Game 2)
Location: Salzburg, Austria (Game 1) / Bruneck, Italy (Game 2)
Final Score (Game 1): EC Red Bull Salzburg 2 – 3 HC Falkensteiner Pustertal (OT)
Final Score (Game 2): EC Red Bull Salzburg 1 – 2 HC Falkensteiner Pustertal

Source: EC Red Bull Salzburg, italien.news