Petrik leads Askö Villach to the victory frenzy against Zehenthof!

Petrik leads Askö Villach to the victory frenzy against Zehenthof!

Villach, Österreich - On May 15, 2025, an exciting ball hockey game took place, in which the ASKÖ Villach celebrated an important victory over Carinthian Team Zehenthof. In a committed meeting, Nicolas Malli achieved early lead for the Villacher before Dominic Thalhammer equalized for the guests from Zehenthof to 1-1. In the final phase of the game, Benjamin Petrik secured the victory for the ASKÖ Villach with two goals in the 36th and 42nd minute, which was recognized by ASKÖ sports director Jürgen Kersche as an outstanding team performance. In another game, the HSC Eagles Poggersdorf made a remarkable comeback the day before after winning 0: 2 against the Ultras Spittal and ultimately 7: 3. Marco Kramer brought three goals for the Eagles. Spittal's trainer, Roland Schurian, attributed the defeat to carelessness and a decimated squad.

For everyone involved, the next round is now going. On Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Zehenthof and the Eagles meet in the Velden ice rink. Another important game for the Eagles on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the Alps Arena Villach against VAS.

The championship and its consequences

This year the HSC Eagles Poggersdorf recaptured the title of the Carinthian Ball hockey champion. After a year of absence, they were able to triumph 3: 2 victories in the final series against the ASKÖ Villach. Villach has to make do with the runner -up title for the second time in a row; Last year the team failed in the city derby on the VAS. In an exciting fourth game of the series, Villach achieved a 2-1 win after extra time, but the decisive fifth game, which took place in Poggersdorf, sealed the defeat for Villach with 1: 4, with Marco Ungeriche successful for the Eagles, while Benjamin Petrik for the ASKÖ was included in the meantime.

As part of these events, the Carinthian Ball Hockey Association initiated a cooperation with the Carinthian Ice Hockey Association. The aim is to increase the popularity of ball hockey in Carinthia in order to achieve a high priority for the sport, comparable to the situation in the Czech Republic. There are currently only four active ball hockey teams in Austria, all from Carinthia: Vas Villach, Askö Villach, Carinthian Team Zehenthof and HSC Eagles Poggersdorf. This is a clear decline compared to earlier times when there were still ten teams in the league.

initiatives to strengthen the sport

Gerald Stanossek, chairman of the Austrian ball hockey association, emphasizes the importance of ball hockey for ice hockey players in summer, and the first initiatives are already underway such as an image campaign. This is supplemented by day tournaments and Austria -wide championships. In addition to the useful aspects of ball hockey, such as fit, shooting and moves, Martin Schumnig from the Black Wings Linz emphasizes the advantages of the sport for professionals to train their skills outside of the regular season. It is also planned to expand the league and form a national team, while Learn-to-Play tournaments should particularly appeal to young people and women. Around 2,000 children are currently actively playing ice hockey in Carinthia.

The United World Games, which will take place in Klagenfurt from June 23 to 25, will also offer a platform for ball hockey sports. Interested parties can watch the new image video at www.ballhockey.at and contact the associations for more information about participation.