Game Day 3 of the Champions Hockey League Season saw losses for both the Belfast Giants and HC Bolzano who were on the road. Belfast managed a razor-close game against Austrian side HC Innsbruck where they went down 2-1 in regular time. The statistics were relatively even, although Innsbruck were better on faceoffs. 

Canadian forward Matt McLeod was the sole goal scorer for the Giants, while teammate and netminder Tyler Beskorowany made 23 saves on the night. Beskorowany has been the go-to netminder for Belfast and sits on a tally of 73 saves and 10 goals against after three games. He's currently averaging a little over three goals per game. Despite this being Belfast’s third straight loss, it’s the closest game result they’ve managed to date. 

After such a tight game, Head Coach Adam Keefe will look to the next game in the hunt for Regular Season points, but he’s not expecting an easy match: “HC Bolzano are a proud club, remaining the most successful team in the history of top-tier Italian ice hockey with 19 championships. Their roster is full of top-quality players with a lot of experience and we look forward to facing off right here in Belfast.” 

HC Bolzano have endured a similarly trying start to their season with three losses over three games. Their Game Day 1 opener against German team Adler Mannheim was a close 4-2 loss, however, the next two were brutal defeats - a 7-1 loss to Ilves Tampere and a 6-1 loss to reigning Swiss champions Genève-Servette.  

American forward Connor Ford, who is in his first season with the Italian side, picked up Bolzano’s only goal in the third period, while netminder Niklas Svedberg had a tough night allowing six goals from 37 shots. Svedberg has clocked all the minutes to date, making 94 saves and averaging a little over 5 goals per game.

This game will be the first time the two teams have faced off against each other in CHL history, so for Head Coach Niklas Sundblad the Belfast Giants are murky and untested waters: “I don’t know them well yet, but we will study them. The EIHL has been growing and developing over recent years, and the game they play is similar to the North American style.”