Game Summary
Salzburg was on fire, Feldkirch led 1-0 after the first period. That's how the first 20 minutes could be described. The Red Bulls had significantly more puck possession and largely established themselves in the offensive zone. Lucas Thaler with a one-timer (7th minute), Peter Schneider with a one-timer right in front of the net (12th minute), and Travis St. Denis on the power play (18th minute) – the opportunities were there, but Feldkirch's goalie David Madlener remained flawless. In the middle of a Salzburg offensive surge, the home team suddenly found themselves in front of the net, and Kevin Macierzynski converted a cross-ice pass right in front of goalie Atte Tolvanen to give Feldkirch the lead (16th minute).
In the second period, the Vorarlberg team suddenly gained the upper hand. Right at the start, Atte Tolvanen thwarted a great scoring chance from Collin Adams (21st minute), but on a 5-on-3 power play, Cole Gallant increased Feldkirch's lead to 2-0 (24th minute). The home team maintained the pressure, with Troy Bourke having Salzburg's first real chance from the slot in the 30th minute. But the Red Bulls consolidated their position, and Florian Baltram scored on his own rebound after a massive offensive surge to pull one back (32nd minute). Just over two minutes later, Dennis Robertson tied the game with a shot from mid-range after Feldkirch's David Madlener had already been beaten (35th minute). The Red Bulls continued to press forward and had another great opportunity with Travis St. Denis on a 3-on-1 break (38th minute). The score remained 2-2 after 40 minutes, but Salzburg were definitely back in the game after being down 0-2.
And they underlined that with the go-ahead goal shortly after the restart. Lucas Thaler had the right instinct in front of the net and put it in for a 3-2 lead (41st minute). But Feldkirch immediately attacked and managed to equalize, with Collin Adams firing a shot from mid-range into the top corner (44th minute). After that, the Red Bulls practically besieged the Pioneers' goal, creating several high-quality scoring chances. Salzburg played like they were on the power play, but the home team defended tightly and forced overtime. In overtime, the Red Bulls dominated, and Troy Bourke sealed the victory—deserved, especially after their superior final period—with a backhand lob under the crossbar.
