Release from 17.02.2023
The fight for first place in the Master Round of the Alps Hockey League is exciting - and will remain so until the last game day, as three rounds before the end, the top three are tied with twelve points each, the fourth has ten points. On Saturday, it comes to the direct duels of the top-4.
In Qualification Round A, in the absence of leader Zell am See, HC Gherdeina valgardena, Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan and SHC Fassa Falcons (these two teams will meet on Sunday) will be fighting for important points in the race for the pre-playoffs. In the second qualification pool, EC Bregenzerwald can fix the last postseason ticket, with every point win or every point draw from HC Meran/o Pircher the "Wälder" clinch postseason.
Alps Hockey League | 18.02.2023 | Master Round | Schedule:
Sa, 18.02.2023, 6.00 pm: Rittner Buam SkyAlps – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Referees: BAJT, VIRTA, Mantovani, Murnik. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
In the middle of the fight for first place in the Master Round are the Rittner Buam SkyAlps (#1) and HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice (#3). Both teams currently hold twelve points and have two games left to play. The South Tyroleans are still without defeat at home in the Intermediate Round and have conceded only one goal in each of their three home games so far. In the first six games of the Master Round, Ritten's goalie tandem of Hayden Hawkey and Hannes Teibenreif conceded a total of just seven goals. Regular season champion Jesenice has already conceded 19 goals, but has won every match with Ritten so far this season.
Sa, 18.02.2023, 7.15 pm: Red Bull Hockey Juniors – S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: KAINBERGER, OREL, Reisinger, Seewald J. | >> Free Livestream <<
For the Red Bull Hockey Juniors, which lost the final of the Austrian championship in the Alps Hockey League against Zell am See last week, the league comeback will be against the newly crowned Italian champions S.G. Cortina Hafro. The Italians are second in the standings, two points ahead of Salzburg - both teams have three games left to play. Cortina is unbeaten for two games, Salzburg has always scored in the last four games. Cortina won the first Master Round meeting 4-3 in the end despite trailing 1:3. Won then for the first time against Salzburg after four losses in a row. The Hockey Juniors have won their last four home games.
Alps Hockey League | 18.02.2023 | Qualification Round A | Schedule:
Sa, 18.02.2023, 7.15 pm: Steinbach Steel Wings Linz – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BRUNNER, WUNTSCHEK, Voican, Weiss. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it plays its second-last game in the intermediate round at Steinbach Steel Wings Linz. In third place and with eleven points, Val Gardena, which had the full roster available last game, currently holds a place in the pre-playoff, but both Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan (12 points), who are directly in front of them, and SHC Fassa Falcons (10 points), who are in fourth place, still have one more game to play. Thus, the "Furie" needs points in Upper Austria. The self-confidence fits, on Thursday the South Tyroleans beat leader Zell am See. But Linz also has a broad chest, won its first intermediate round game (2:1 in Fassa). Gardena still has a clean sheet against the Steel Wings, has not lost any of the eleven games so far. If Gardena loses in Linz, EK Die Zeller Eisbären, which is not playing this time, is qualified for the pre-playoff.
Alps Hockey League | 18.02.2023 | Qualification Round B | Schedule:
Sa, 18.02.2023, 3.00 pm: EC-KAC Future Team – HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: FAJDIGA, WIDMANN, Bergant, Javornik. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
The AHL Saturday starts in Klagenfurt and HC Meran/o Pircher must win at EC-KAC Future Team to keep the minimal chance for the pre-playoffs alive. In general, the South Tyroleans must win all three remaining games after regulation and postseason rival EC Bregenzerwald must not pick up any point, even with three games left. A difficult task, especially since Meran is still without a win in the intermediate round. But also Klagenfurt has not yet won in the Qualification Round B. For the Carinthians it is the last home game of the season. In this duel, the home team has always prevailed so far.
Sa, 18.02.2023, 7.30 pm: EC Bregenzerwald – EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: HOLZER, LEHNER, Eisl, Matthey. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
EC Bregenzerwald is very close to reach pre-playoffs, with one point out of the remaining three games is enough for the Vorarlberg team to qualify. In addition, the "Wälder", which are still unbeaten in the intermediate round, also have the chance to win their qualifying pool. Three points is the gap to the upcoming opponent and table leader EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. The last duel, during the break, the Vorarlberg won, so the "Wälder" took points for the fifth time in a row against the "Adler", which lost four of these games outright. Kitzbühel's last victory at the ECB was almost three years ago (14.10.2020 with 4:2).
Alps Hockey League | 19.02.2023 | Qualification Round A | Schedule:
Sun, 19.02.2023, 6.00 pm: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: BULOVEC, LAZZERI, Rigoni, Telesklav. | >> PPV-Livestream <<
In Sunday’s lone game the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan and the SHC Fassa Falcons fight for important points for the participation in the Pre-Playoff. Currently, the two teams are separated by two points, Sterzing has twelve and is in second place. Both teams played a strong intermediate round: While the "Broncos" always scored in the last four games, the "Falcons" started with four wins in a row and only suffered their first defeat in the intermediate round on Thursday against Linz. The last two games of these teams were closely contested, Fassa won both after overtime. The "Broncos" have won the last five home games.
Fotocredit: Max Pattis