Sunday, 04. October 2026 |
Red Bulls vs. Milano HC
Although the Red Bulls fell behind early, they remained undeterred and delivered what was arguably their best performance of the season so far. The Italians managed to take a 2-1 lead, but by that stage, Salzburg had already created significantly more chances in a fast-paced, spirited match. After equalizing at 2-2, they capitalized on their opportunities by scoring three more goals, courtesy of Mario Huber, Peter Schneider, Peter Hochkofler, Nash Nienhuis, and Adam Brooks.
Next Home Game | Champions Hockey League
On 7 October vs. Eisbären Berlin | 8.20 p.m.
Match Summary
For their first meeting with the Milan side, the Red Bulls were missing four players—Florian Baltram, Thomas Raffl, Maximilian Wurzer, and Florian Lanzinger—who were all recovering from injuries. On the positive side, 20-year-old academy forward Benedikt Krainer celebrated his professional debut with the Red Bulls.
The first chance fell to Michael Raffl, who hit the post after a solo run starting from the blue line (2nd minute). Almost immediately at the other end, Diego Cuglietta fired a shot from the left face-off circle; unsighted, Salzburg goalie Atte Tolvanen couldn't stop the puck as it found the top corner (3rd minute). Salzburg then began to apply more pressure—first during a strong power play, and then through Mario Huber, who failed to put the puck past Jacob Smith from right beside the post (6th minute). Luca Auer had the next opportunity following a brief solo run through the defense (8th minute), followed by another strong power play for Salzburg. The game then became end-to-end, with both teams showing great drive toward the net. A mid-range shot from Scott Valentine nearly bounced over Atte Tolvanen’s glove, but the Finn made a last-second save (16th minute). Salzburg threatened again: Mario Huber was denied on a backhand attempt right in front of goal (17th minute), but later, during a power play, he deflected a shot from Michael Raffl to tie the game at 1–1 heading into the break (20th minute).
After the intermission, the visitors took the lead again. Diego Kostner scored on the rebound (25th minute), shortly after a Milan power-play goal had been disallowed for offside. Peter Schneider leveled the score again during a power play with a skillful mid-air shot, set up by a deft pass from Benjamin Nissner (29th minute). The match became increasingly intense, featuring many hard-fought plays in front of both nets. Salzburg’s long-range shots lacked bite or sufficient traffic in front of the net, while the Italians stretched the play. On one such occasion, Dante Hannoun fired over the bar (36th minute). However, a deflection right in front of the net did the trick: Peter Hochkofler scored off an Ali Wukovits shot to give the Red Bulls their first lead of the game (37th minute). Salzburg led 3–2 after 40 minutes.
The back-and-forth action continued seamlessly into the final period, spiced up by some heavy body checks. Dangerous shots alternated with frantic scenes in front of the nets as both teams pushed the pace. Benjamin Nissner shot just wide (49th minute), followed by a 2-on-1 opportunity for Nick Poisson (50th minute). While shorthanded, Michael Raffl tried his luck on a 2-on-1 counterattack (53rd minute). Milan pressed hard into the offensive zone during the closing stages, but the Red Bulls repeatedly disrupted their build-up play. Nash Nienhuis then scored from the blue line—threading the puck through a crowd of players—to effectively seal the win (57th minute). Finally, Adam Brooks iced the game with an empty-net goal after two nerve-wracking minutes against six Milan skaters (60th minute). The Red Bulls secured a well-deserved 5–2 victory, celebrating their first home win of the current win2day ICE Hockey League season.
Statement Nash Nienhuis
Statement from Mario Huber
"Today’s game felt really good. The team fought hard for one another; we executed our game plan better and are happy to have secured a home win. It helps that we’re keeping things simple again. All in all, it was a well-deserved victory today."
win2day ICE Hockey League
EC Red Bull Salzburg – Milano Hockey Club 5:2 (1:1, 2:1, 2:0)
Goals:
0:1 | 02:27 | Diego Cuglietta
1:1 | 19:11 | Mario Huber | PP
1:2 | 24:40 | Diego Kostner
2:2 | 28:25 | Peter Schneider | PP
3:2 | 36:09 | Peter Hochkofler
4:2 | 56:20 | Nash Nienhuis
5:2 | 59:32 | Adam Brooks | EN
Attendance: 2,612
Next Home Game of the Red Bulls
Champions Hockey League
On 7 October vs. Eisbären Berlin
Eisarena Salzburg | 8.20 p.m.
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