Release from 15.04.2018

Asiago wins Alps Hockey League after game 7 victory

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Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 1935 are 2018 Alps Hockey League champions! The team of head coach Tom Barrasso beat Rittner Buam 7:5 at home in game 7 to dethrone the league's first champion.

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Both teams entered the deciding game offensively-minded with Oscar Ahlström getting the first shot goalwards but Frederic Cloutier made the save. At the other end the fans at Stadio Odegar celebrated a first time when Michele Stevan opened the scoring after only 74 seconds off a pass from Jose Antonio Magnabosco. The hosts piled the pressure and still had the better chances in an open exchange of blows. Davide Conci came close to add a second but he was stopped by Ritten netminder Patrick Killeen on a breakaway. In a first power play Alexander Gellet only hit the post but with both teams palyng at full strength, Anthony nigro (12') doubled the lead after a great solo attempt. However, just a few moments later the visitors struck back by Simon Kostner. Now both sides focused a it more on their defense but one goal was yet scored before the first intermission: Being behind the Ritten goal, Giulio Scandella got the puck in the slot and with great stick handling Marco Rosa finished it in style. 
 
After the restart Asiago had the better of the play but Ritten scored first when Edoardo Caletti (25') deflected a shot by Andreas Lutz successfully. The home team had an answer again with Magnabosco restoring the two-goal lead. Ritten never wuit in this game and midway to the second they even tied the game with two goal within 90 seconds: First Thomas Spinell lit the lamp on power play, then Simon Kostner tied it at four. Some minutes later the momentum changed again when Magnabosco finished a solo attempt for his second of the game. With Tommaso being in the sin bin for four minutes, Stevan put Asiago 6:4 up on the rebound. 
 
Early in the third Ritten killed a penalty and then they tried everything to come back once again. They spent a lot of time in the offensive zone but the final touch was often missing. With fur minutes to go Thomas Spinell made it a one-goal game again, it was a "good goal" call by the referees. However, ten seconds later Conci went top shelf for a 7:5 lead. It was the last goal of the season. After sweeping Sterzing and Pustertal in the first rounds, No. 1 seed Asiago dethroned Ritten in seven games to be crowned Alps Hockey League champion 2018.

Alps Hockey League, final 7 (best of seven):
Sun, 15.04.2018: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 1935 (1) vs. Rittner Buam (2) – 7:5 (3:1; 3:3; 1:1)
Referees: BULOVEC, A. LAZZERI, F. Giacomozzi, Tschrepitsch. 
Goals ASH: 1:0 Stevan (1./Magnabosco-P.Pietroniro); 2:0 Nigro (11); 3:1 Rosa (17./Scandella); 4:2 Magnabosco (26./Conci-Stevan); 5:4 Magnabosco (33./Conci); 6:4 Stevan (37./PP1/Conci-Pietroniro); 7:5 Conci (56./Magnabosco-Stevan); 
Goals Rit: 2:1 S.Kostner (12./Borgatello); 3:2 Caletti (24./I.Tauferer); 4:3 T.Spinell (27./PP1/Borgatello-Tudin); 4:4 S.Kostner (29./Cole-V.Ahlstrom); 6:5 T.Spinell (56.) 
Final score "best of seven" series, ASH – RIT: 4:3

Photo: David S. Wassagruba