After the Swiss had converted a short-handed penalty to take the lead in the 11th minute, the game was evenly poised.
Head coach Teemu Levijoki: “Now we know where we stand and what we need to work on.”
Course of the game
The first few minutes of the game were characterized by chances on both sides. It was only as time progressed that the Juniors increasingly set the tone. This included Paul Vinzens, who ran alone towards goalkeeper Santo Simmchen in the 9th minute, but was unable to beat him. A subsequent overtime spell presented further chances, but EV Zug managed to take a 1:0 lead with a goal from Moret Dorian in the 11th minute thanks to clever short-handed play. The Red Bull Hockey Juniors were also unable to capitalize on another spell of superior numbers. Towards the end of the first period, the home side increasingly controlled the game.
The second period started with another overtime opportunity for the oldest team in the Red Bull Ice Hockey Academy. The Juniors were much more active and more likely to score, but despite further penalties from EV Zug, they were unable to score the final goal. Salzburg looked for a solution against the compact defense of the home side, who always remained dangerous with their quick transition play. However, junior goalkeeper Valentin Ankirchner did a brilliant job of defusing the Swiss team's advances.
The final period got off to another even start. Both teams created good chances, but the score remained unchanged. Only a 2+2-minute penalty for Alexander Rebernig (49') gave the Swiss their first and long overtime opportunity. The Juniors played a compact game outnumbered and hardly allowed the Swiss to score. Both teams created further opportunities in the final minutes: A scramble in front of the Swiss goal ended just short of an equalizer (58') and defender Johnson Ludvig failed to beat Ankirchner after a strong stickhandling solo (59').