Release from 23.02.2024

Champions Jesenice face premature end to the season

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The final matchday of the intermediate round of the Alps Hockey League will take place on Saturday. Reigning champions HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice are facing a premature end to their season: The Slovenians must win their match against Steel Wings LINZ AG and hope for some help from Val Gardena in their home game against Merano. In the Masterround, Red Bull Hockey Juniors and Hafro Cortina Hockey duel for second place.

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Masterround:
Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: Red Bull Hockey Juniors - S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: BROCK, VOICAN, Kanyo, Weiss | >> valcome.tv <<

In Salzburg there is a direct duel for second place. The Red Bull Hockey Juniors are currently two points behind Cortina, but can still overtake the Italians with a win after regulation time. Cortina have gained at least one point in their last five games and won at home against the Red Bulls at the beginning of February. Should Salzburg not win after 60 minutes, they will at least remain in third place.

Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - Rittner Buam SkyAlps
Referees: KAINBERGER, MOSCHEN, Eisl, J. Seewald | >> valcome.tv <<

With eight wins from nine games, the Rittner Buam are the measure of all things in the Masterround and go into the playoffs as the top seeded team. In their final game of the intermediate round, they travel to Sterzing. One point is enough for the Broncos to secure fourth place on their own and thus have home advantage in the quarter-finals - head coach Johan Sjöquist's team can no longer improve in the table. Ritten have won all three duels so far this season.

Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: EC Bregenzerwald - EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: HOLZER, LEHNER, Legat, Wendner | >> valcome.tv <<

EC Bregenzerwald is in sixth place ahead of the last matchday of the Masterround. The team from Vorarlberg could still overtake Zell am See with a win after regular time, but they will definitely be playing away from home in the quarter-finals opener. The Salzburg side, on the other hand, still have the chance to finish fourth: only if the polar bears win after regulation time and Sterzing remain without a point at the same time will they move up one place. Zell am See have lost four in a row recently, while Bregenzerwald have conceded two defeats. The home team has always won the three encounters so far this season (2:1 in favour of Zell am See)

Qualification Round A:
Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: EGGER, RUETZ, Brondi, Fleischmann | >> valcome.tv <<

With five wins in a row, Val Gardena recently secured first place in Qualification Round A. It is already certain that the "Fury" will face Unterland in the pre-playoffs. For HC Merano, a place in the pre-playoffs is also within reach. The eagles celebrated a shutout victory against direct rivals Jesenice on Thursday and need another win in their final game to defend second place on their own. Kitzbühel would then await them in the pre-play-offs. However, the three duels between Val Gardenan and Merano so far this season have gone to the team from Wolkenstein.

Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Steel Wings LINZ AG
Referees: BULOVEC, REZEK, Arlic, Bergant | >> valcome.tv <<

The qualifying round has not gone according to plan for Jesenice so far. The reigning champions have lost five of their seven games and are on the brink of an early end to the season. The Slovenians need two points more than Meran on the final matchday to make it into the pre-playoffs. The season of Linz will definitely be over after their visit to Slovenia. The Upper Austrians have performed well time and again recently, winning in Meran and also the last clash with Jesenice.

Qualification Round B:
Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers - EC-KAC Future Team
Referees: SPIEGEL, VIRTA, De Zordo, Jäger | >> valcome.tv <<

With two wins recently, Unterland secured their place in the pre-playoffs. For the Cavaliers, the game against the KAC is the dress rehearsal for the pre-playoffs against Gröden. The Carinthians want to prove themselves once again in the last game of the season; just three weeks ago, Klagenfurt even celebrated a 7:1 home win over the Cavaliers.

Sat, 24.02.2024, 19:30: EHC Lustenau - SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: OREL, PINIE, Puff, Wucherer | >> valcome.tv <<

After yesterday's defeat in Kitzbühel, Lustenau are four points behind second place, meaning the Vorarlberg side's season ends on Saturday. Fassa are at the bottom of the Qualification Round B table, having lost their last four games. Lustenau have won two of their three head-to-head encounters this season.