Villach vs Starbulls Rosenheim

Rosenheim seized control late in the first period through a devastating special-teams sequence. After back-to-back penalties against Ryan Sproul and Strong gave the visitors a 5-on-3 advantage, Jordy Bellerive opened the scoring at 15:17 by finishing a Shane Hanna shot through traffic. Just 15 seconds later, while still on the power play, Sami Kharboutli doubled the lead from close range. Hanna made it 3-0 at 18:43 with a wrist shot past Joe Cannata, giving Rosenheim a commanding lead after 20 minutes.

Villach roared back in the second. Joël Teasdale redirected a Sproul point shot on the power play at 25:22, and Felix Maxa pounced on a Sproul rebound at 27:06 to make it 3-2. The hosts had momentum until Maxim Musin restored Rosenheim's two-goal cushion at 34:48, finishing a feed from Adam to make it 4-2.

When Hanna roofed his second of the night at 44:31 for a 5-2 lead, the game appeared settled. Villach had other ideas. Teasdale scored his second of the game 14 seconds later, burying his own rebound after a Strong feed. Just 49 seconds after that — at 45:34 — John Hughes converted a Kevin Hancock rebound from a tight angle to make it 5-4. The Stadthalle erupted, and Villach pushed for the equaliser.

Hanna crushed that momentum at 51:04, completing his hat-trick with a precise finish off a Giles feed to restore the two-goal cushion. Sean Giles added an empty-net goal at 57:21 for the 7-4 final.

• Shane Hanna (Rosenheim) — Player of the Match. Three goals, one assist. The offensively-gifted defenceman, who posted 52 points last DEL2 season, dominated at both ends, scoring from the point, the slot, and on the rush.
• Joël Teasdale (Villach) — Two goals (25:22, 44:45), consistently dangerous around the net and instrumental in the third-period surge.
• Sean Giles (Rosenheim) — One goal and two primary assists (on Hanna's first and second goals), plus the empty-netter. A constant threat on the breakout.
• Ryan Sproul (Villach) — Two primary assists on the power play. His vision from the blue line drove Villach's best offensive sequences.

Rosenheim scored on two of their six power-play opportunities, including the critical 5-on-3 that produced the opening two goals. Villach went 1-for-3 with the man advantage. The 49-second span in which Villach scored twice (44:45–45:34) highlighted their offensive potential but also their defensive fragility — all three third-period goals against came after they had conceded the opening goal of the period.

Both sides continue their pre-season build-up. Villach (EC VSV) — now 1-3 in pre-season after wins over Landshut (6-3) and losses to Kassel (4-7), Zell am See (1-4) and Dresden (0-3) — next face Black Wings Linz away on 2 September. Rosenheim improve to 1-1 in pre-season after their 3-4 loss to Kassel on 21 August. The DEL2 club's next test is at home against an opponent yet to be confirmed.

A genuinely entertaining pre-season friendly that swung on Rosenheim's special-teams ruthlessness and Hanna's individual brilliance. Villach's character in the third period was impressive, but their inability to defend the lead — combined with the early 5-on-3 damage — left them chasing the game from the first period onward.