Cortina gives Unterland first defeat of the season

S.G. Cortina Hafro continued its winning streak in the Alps Hockey League and gave the first defeat of the season on the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers. The 3-2 road win was Cortina's sixth consecutive victory. The Italians had to come back from a deficit twice at the league newcomer before Diego Cuglietta scored the game-winner with just four seconds left in regulation. It was the Canadian's fourth goal of the season.

Jesenice sole leader of the league
The sole leader in the Alps Hockey League is HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice, which won 7-0 at Steel Wings Linz. The superior Slovenians remained without conceding a goal for the fourth time this season, the first time on the road, with goalie Antti Karjalainen making 19 saves. Offensively, Zan Jezovsek recorded his fourth multiple-goal game of the season with a hat trick. Jesenice successfully completed four of six power play occasions. For Linz, it was the second game in a row without a goal, the third overall.

Clear-cut wins also for Zell am See and Salzburg
In addition to Jesenice, the two Salzburg Alps Hockey League teams also recorded clear victories on Saturday, as EK Die Zeller Eisbären returned impressively to winning ways with a 9-1 home victory over HC Meran/o Pircher, which are now seven games without a win. Already after 23 minutes the "Eisbären" were leading 4-0. Eight different players scored. Aleksi Hämäläinen recorded a 4-point game (2G|2A).

The Red Bull Eishockey Akademie prevailed against EHC Lustenau with 6-1. A brilliant final frame with four goals brought the decision in favor of the home team. For the Salzburg side, Nikolaus Heigl (1G|3A), Quirin Bader (4A) and Thomas Heigl (2G|2A) each showed a strong game. The young "Bullen" thus inflicted their fourth defeat in a row on the Vorarlberg side.

Kitzbühel wins after strong final frame too
EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel also had a brilliant final third to help them to a home win. Against the Rittner Buam SkyAlps, which had been on break lately, the Tyroleans were trailing 1-3 after two periods before Marco Pewal's team started a turnaround and scored five goals to make it 6-3. Joonas Niemelä was involved in four of the goals in the final period, finishing with a brace and three assists. For Kitzbühel it was the second win in a row, the AHL premiere champion from South Tyrol lost its third game in a row.

Gherdeina moves up to fourth place
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it has prolonged its winning streak. The 5-2 road win at EC-KAC Future Team was Gardena's fourth success in a row, which puts the South Tyroleans temporarily in fourth place in the table. Klagenfurt, on the other hand, suffered its fourth defeat in a row, against Val Gardena the young "Rotjacken" are now without a win for seven games. The fourth-placed team, for whom Matteo Luisetti scored a brace, won the game with three goals in the middle period.

Thanks to a brace from Shawn McBride, who also collected an assist, the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan remained successful at home against EC Bregenzerwald, winning 4-3 after an early two-goal deficit. For the South Tyroleans, it was the second win in a row, while the Vorarlberg side had to admit defeat again after two recent victories.

Alps Hockey League | 08.10.2022 | Results:
Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – S.G. Cortina Hafro 2:3 (1:0, 1:2, 0:1)
Referees: EGGER, LEGA, Fleischmann, Pace. | Spectators: 450
Goals HCU: Haarala (10./Egger-Brighenti, 31.PP1/Nyman-Markkula)
Goals SGC: Adami (21.PP1/Saha-Zanatta), Alvera (40.SH1/Zanatta-Di Tomaso), Cuglietta (60./Traversa-Seed)

EC-KAC Future Team – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 2:5 (1:0, 0:3, 1:2)
Referees: DURCHNER, MEIXNER, Bergant, Kanyo. | Spectators: 117
Goals KFT: Witting S. (13.PP2/Gomboc-Sablattnig), Witting M. (53.PP1/Witting S.-Gomboc)
Goals GHE: Luisetti (32.PP1/Willeit-Amorosa, 59.EN/Moroder), Mc Gowan (33./Sullmann Pilser), Messner (38./Cristellon-Moroder), Gibbon (59.EN/Amorosa, Sullmann Pilser)

Red Bull Hockey Juniors – EHC Lustenau 6:1 (1:0, 1:1, 4:0)
Referees: LEGAT, LEHNER, Seewald, Voican. | Spectators: 90
Goals RBJ: Maier (16./Lexer), Weber (32./Bader-Heigl T.), Jelavic (48./Heigl N.-Heigl T.), Heigl T. (52./Heigl N.-Bader ,59./Bader-Heigl N.), Heigl N. (55./Bader-Weber)
Goal EHC: D'Alvise (26.PP1/Koczera-Wilfan)

Steinbach Steel Wings Linz – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 0:7 (0:1, 0:1, 0:5)
Referees: KAINBERGER, WUNTSCHEK, Schweighofer, Wimmler. | Spectators: 131
Goals JES: Jezovsek (11.PP1/Blomberg-Ulamec, 51.PP1/Ulamec-Svetina, 53./Blomberg-Sersen), Pance (40.SH1/Polcs, 56.PP1/Logar-Galushkin), Polcs (50.PP1/Jenko-Pance, 59-SH1/Pance-Rep),

EK Die Zeller Eisbären – HC Meran/o Pircher 9:1 (2:0, 4:1, 3:0)
Referees: BULOVEC, WIDMANN, Murnik, Wucherer. | Spectators: 1.109
Goals EKZ: Artner (2./Putnik-Kittinger), Neubauer (7./Widen-Kittinger), Hämäläinen (21.SH1, 51./Wilenius), Ban (24./ Hämäläinen-Wilenius), Putnik (39./Kittinger-Rattensberger), Maurer (31./Jennes-Dinhopel), Berger (56.PP1/Neubauer-Widen), Wilenius (57./ Hämäläinen-Ban)
Goal HCM: Brunner (29.)

EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel – Rittner Buam SkyAlps 6:3 (0:0, 1:3, 5:0)
Referees: HOLZER, SCHAUER, Huber, Spiegel. | Spectators: 402
Goals KEC: Niemelä (28./Ludin-Wetzl, 44.PP1/Kurnen-Szabad), Wetzl (49./Lahnaviik-Niemelä), Urbanek (49./Hochfilzer-Jevdokimovs, 59.EN/Schröder-Niemelä), Pallierer (57./Raspotnig-Niemelä)
Goals RIT: Kostner S. (29./Fink-Hofer), Kostner J. (31./Insam), Cardwell (39./Quinz-Prast)

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – EC Bregenzerwald 4:3 (1:2, 2:1, 1:0)
Referees: SORAPERRA, VIRTA, Bedana, Brondi. | Spectators: 302
Goals WSV: Conci (15./Mizzi-McBride), McBride (33./Niccolai-Mizzi, 42.PP1/Hackhoer-Giftopoulos), Niccolai (35.PP1/Giftopoulos-Hackhofer)
Goals ECB: Zwerger (11./Nyqvist-Metzler), Nyqvist (15./Lipsbergs-Lehtonen), Fässler (39.PP1/Nyqvist-Lehtonen)