Asiago leads for the first time

After a fairly balanced start the Cortina in just over three minutes took the lead of three goals. The decisive minute was the fifth of the first period when Derek Roehl and Riccardo Lacedelli scored two goals in just 36 seconds. The first goal was a shot in traffic while the second was at the end of a fast action. Then the Cortina realized with Riley Brace the 3: 0 on rebound. The visitors managed the time until the end of the period with the Gherdeina which appeared in attack but they didn’t score.  The things changed in the second period. The Cortina was hit by the penalties. The Gherdeina returned to the game scoring first in double powerplay with Gabriel Vinatzer (27.) and then in powerplay with David Roupec in just 40 seconds. Now the game was hard fought but the Cortina closed the second period in the lead of 3: 2. In the third period Gherdeina's efforts was rewarded with the well-deserved Linus Lundström's goal (46.). Cortina's reaction was immediate. Riley Brace scored after 14 seconds the new advantage of the visitors. The new goal of Cortina will not be recovered. The Cortina won 4: 3 as they remained at the ninth position of the standings one point behind the playoff spot.

 

The Asiago Hockey exceeded the Rittner Buam in Klobstein for 4:1 and for the first time in the Alps Hockey League the yellowread team was leader of the standings. The big-match of this round started immediately with a lot of emotions. The visitors took the lead after 36 seconds of play with Federico Pace -deflection after a shot by Alex Gellert - while after another minute exactly still guests starring. Matteo Tessari was fast and on rebound he realized 2: 0. With this double advantage the Asiago could control the game of Rittner Buam that put a lot of pressure on the sides of Frederic Cloutier but the goal didn’t arrive for saves of opponent goalkeeper. During the second half the Rittner Buam tried to reopen the game but the Asiago always played on fast action. This way of playing rewarded the Asiago team that after middle game found two other goals built in a very similar way. First great skating by Giulio Scandella who opened for Anthony Nigro who scored 3:0. Then another overwhelming action of Asiago with Nigro for Scandella for the 4: 0 of the yellowread team. Also worth mentioning was Victor Ahlstrom's post during the second half. In the third time the Ritten realized the only goal of the match: great shot by Dan Tudin and deflection of Alex Frei (47.). But the visitors were well determined and for the first time in the season the Ritten is beaten on the ice of the Ritten Arena. For Asiago was the 14th consecutive victory that equalized the number.

 

EC Bregenzerwald and HC Fassa Falcons were on Fire (45:37-shots). Maximilian Hohenegg opened the scoring already in minute 9, he poked the puck in. The Falcons had a quick answer; Rothstein equalized just 149 seconds later -1:1. After the re-start the Vorarlberger shot from everywhere (20:5-shots in period 2) and were rewarded with a 4:2-lead after 40 minutes. The guests did not give up and turned the game with three goals from Bustreo, Castlunger and Rothstein late in the third period – 5:4. The “Wälder” stayed unimpressed and answered quickly with goals from Simeon Schwinger and Christian Haidinger.

 

EK Zeller Eisbären were the chiefs on the ice from the start. The pressure paid of quickly, Petr Vala (4.) and Patrick Gaffal (6.) gave the "Polar Bears" a quick 2:0-lead. The Austrians dominated after the re-start as well: Widen and Aigner, who scored with a blueliner, extended the lead to 4:0. The Pinzgauer had the game always under control, Tobias Dinhopel even netted the 5:0 from a short distance. In the final seconds Wieser destroyed Dominik Franks Shut Out.

 

The fans in Lustenau had to wait 35 minutes for the first goal. Luka Kraigher opened the scoring moments after a Power Play. The Lions answered 85 seconds later: Philipp Koczera’s netted the 1:1. The Austians continued to make pressure, but failed to add another goal. The Slovenes were the more dangerous team in the third period. Markus Piispanen, Luka Kalan in a Power Play and Urban Sodia shorthanded gave their team a 4:1-lead. In the end the „Red Steelers“ won in Lustenau 5:2.

 

While EC-KAC missed some early chances from Jennes, Kraus and Kern, EC „Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel scored from their first opportunity: Henrik Eriksson finished a rebound after a Blueliner from Ebner in minute 13. Just moments later Orsagh came close to add the 2:0, but he just hit the post. In minute 20 Eriksson finished a 2-on-1-attack and gave his team a 2:0-lead. The Tyroleans played effective in period 2 as well and extended their lead with goals from Henrik Hochfilzer (21.) and Olegs Sislannikovs (22., 39.). The Red Jackets showed character in the last 20 minutes and were rewarded with their first goal from Philipp Kreuzer (60.). Just eight seconds later Gatis Sprukts netted the final 6:1. The Eagles earned their first road-win 2017/18 in Klagenfurt.

 

Sterzing was complete for this game. Some important news for the Slovenian team. The goalkeeper was Tilen Spreitzer (fifth game of the season) while there was the first match of the Slovenian forward Saso Rajsar who started the season in Zagreb in EBEL. Were Absent goalkeeper Robert Kristan and forward Matjic Kralj while Aljaz Uduc returned. In the first minutes of the game the home team was more concrete in attack zone. After five minutes of play, the guest striker Uros Batic had to leave the match as was hit by a puck in his throat. The score was unlocked during the first powerplay of the evening in favor of Vipiteno: Mark Lee shooted from distance and deflection of Luca Felicetti for the first goal of the Broncos (8.). Then from the middle of the period the Ljubljana tried to equalize but the actions of the Slovenians didn’t lead to any goal. In the second half the Sterzing controlled the game well and they built good chances but Jure Soltar (twice) and Mark Lee didn’t find the doubling because the goalkeeper Spreitzer was in great shape. The home tem at the beginning of the third time beat down the opponents. Giffen Nyren scored 2: 0 after just 19 seconds of play. Then the Broncos found another powerplay goal with Tobias Kofler (46.). But before the middle of the third half Luka Zorko scored the first goal of Ljubljana but this will remain the only one for the Slovenian team. Matthias Mantinger fixed the final result for 4:1 in double powerplay action. Sterzing remained in seventh place of the standings while Ljubljana in sixth place with four more points.

 

Sat, 20.01.2018:WSV Sterzing Broncos Weihenstephan - HK SZ Olimpija 4:1 (1:0; 0:0; 3:1)
Referees: HOLZER, RUETZ, Cristeli, STEFENELLI
Goals WSV: 1:0 Felicetti (8./PP1/Lee-Nyren); 2:0 Nyren (40.); 3:0 Kofler (46./PP1/Felicetti-Oberdorfer); 4:1 Mantinger (56./PP2/Lee-Duffy);
Goal HKO: 3:1 Zorko (49./Hebar-Zajc)

Sat, 20.01.2018: EC-KAC II – EC „Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 1:6 (0:2,0:3,1:1)
Referees: KUMMER, WIDMANN; spctators: 65
Goal KAC: Kreuzer (60. – Svete)
Goals KEC: Eriksson (13. – Gran, Ebner; 20. – Gran, Hochfilzer), Hochfilzer (21. – Gran, Eriksson), Sislannikovs (22. – Sprukts; 39. - Sprukts, Orsagh), Sprukts (60. - Sislannikovs, Ebner)

Referees: PODLESNIK, STRASSER; spectators: 1.351
Goals ECB: Hohenegg (9. – Schwinger, Vallant), D. Ban (25. – Mörsky, Vallant), C. Ban (30. – Haidinger, Waldhauser), Neubauer (39. – Mörsky, Egger), Schwinger (56. – Vallant, Pöschmann), Haidinger (57. – Fussenegger, Waldhauser)
Goals FAS: Rothstein (11. – Monferone; 56. - Monferone), Heikkinen (38. – Rothstein, Bustreo), Bustreo (51. – Klimicek, Rothstein), Castlunger (53. – Rothstein)

Referees: MOSCHEN, VIRTA; spectators: 651
Goals EHC: Koczera (37. – Stastny, DeSantis), Putnik (57./pp – Koczera, DeSantis)
Goals JES: Alagic (36. – Kraigher, Planko), Piispanen (44. – Logar, Stojan), Kalan (49./pp2 – Piispanen, Urukalo). Sodja (55./sh – Alagic), Tomazevic (60. – Sodja, Planko)

Referees: FICHTNER, LENDL; spectators: 1.036
Goals EKZ: Vala (4. – Scholz, Herzig), Gaffal (6. – Koblar, Wilfan), Widen (27. – Schwab, Scholz), Aigner (34. – Rosenlechner, Fazokas), Dinhopel (57. – Koblar, Scholz)
Goal HCN: Wieser (60./pp – Sullmann, Muzik)

Sat, 20.01.2018: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - S.G. Cortina Hafro 3:4 (0:3; 2:0; 1:1)
Referees: DURCHNER, SUPPER, Giacomozzi, Reisinger
Goals GHE: 1:3 G.Vinzter (27./PP2/Eastman-Demetz); 2:3 Roupec (28./PP1/G.Vinatzer-Eastman); 3:3 Lundström (46./I.Demetz-Roupec);
Goals Cortina: 0:1 Roehl (5./Iori-M.Cordiano); 0:2 R.Lacedelli (5./Torquato-Brace); 0:3 Brace (8./Torquato-R.Lacedelli); 3:4 Brace (46./Torquato-Lacedelli);
Sat, 20.01.2018: Rittner Buam - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 1:4 (0:2; 0:2; 1:0)
Referees: KUCHER, OFNER, Egger, Piras
Goal Rit: 1:4 Frei (47./Tudin);
Goal ASH: 0:1 Pace (1./Gellert-Rosa); 0:2 M.Tessari (1./Olivero-Stevan); 0:3 Nigro (33./Scandella-Benetti); 0:4 Scandella (35./Nigro-Casetti);
Picture: David S. Wassagruba