Cortina suffers bitter home defeat

HK SZ Olimpija recorded another three points in from of their fans downing KAC2 8:2. The dragons were heavy favorites going into the game and they made good on that on the ice as well. After missing out on their first power play the hosts took the lead at the end of 5th minute thanks to Andrej Hebar. That ended up being a lone goal for the period. Early in the 2nd Andraz Zibelnik made a slashing foul. But with a man advantage Carinthians made a mistake and quickly Miha Pesjak made them pay. Still 39 seconds later Kevin Schettina made good on the power play. Ljubljana continued to press forward and it payed off for them. Maks Selan twice, Crt Snoj and Andraz Zibelnik made sure the lead increased to +5. After conceding four times in six minutes Ryan Foster opted for a goalie change. Instead of Florian Vorauer Fabian Holm stepped in between the pipes. Despite a hefty lead Olimpija didn’t slow down in the final 20 minutes. Aljaz Chvatal made it 7:1 before Miha Pesjak netted his 2nd goal of the night. The last word however went to KAC2. Assisted by Florian Kurath defender Michael Kernberger scored for the first time this season.

 

It was a tough fight from the first faceoff with both sides trying to get some shots goalwards. Jesenice goalie Clarke Saunders and his colleague at the other end, Daniel Fießinger, both kept a clean sheet after the first, though. Early in the middle frame Jesenice piled the pressure but the steelers could not score on good chances. After the midway point of the game David Planko broke the spell and early in the third Urban Sodja doubled Jesenice's lead. The Red Bulls were not able to generate and with two minutes to go they pulled their goalie. Tadej Cimzar rouned off the scoring for a 3:0 road win.

 

The fans at Sportpark saw an interesting derby right from the beginning with chances on both sides. Zell am See, without injured Martin Oraze and Fabian Scholz, had the better of the play and late in the opening period Tobias Dinhopel took the lead for the visitors. Kitzbühel came back in the second with a Martin Gran goal but in the 37th minute Dinhopel restored Tell am See's lead with his second of the night. The hosts came out hard for the third but the polar bears defended well. With Kitzbühel coach Martinec pulling his goalie for aother skater, it was Christoph Herzog who made the game safe for Zell am See - 1:3.

Kristian Budinsky (Under 17) was again the starting goalkeeper for home team. Daniel Morandell, Phillip Davanzo and Andrea Maino were absent for the Neumarkt. Daniel Erlacher and Danny Deanesi were absent for the Broncos. The start of the match was in favor of the home team as they put a lot of pressure on the opposing defense. The first goal of Wild Geese arrived in the first powerplay of the match with the shot of Tobias Brighenti. But after just 57 seconds the Broncos built a draw with a diagonal shot by Jure Sotlar. Then during the rest part of the period, despite the greater pressure from the hosts, the Sterzing went ahead thanks to the powerplay goal by Fabian Hackhofer who deflected a pass/shot by Hannes Oberdorfer. The beginning of the second period was always very lively. The Broncos scored the 3:1 at the end of a fast action ended with the touch on the net of Matthias Mantinger. The home team answered immediate and after 58 seconds there was a goal by Kamil Brebanec. Then the game was very fought. After middle game Matthias Mantinger took a double penalty. The Neumarkt believed in the victory as they realized two goals in the two poweplay with Harcharik (one-timer) and Michael Sullmann (a front net touch). But after 64 the Broncos tied with Sotlar. In the third time the Broncos went ahead again thanks to an action by Tobias Kofler who first turned the back of the net and then he shot repeatedly for the fifth goal of Sterzing. This goal will allow the visiting team to manage the third time. The home team put a lot of pressure but they didin’t manage to equalize. During the final second the Broncos team scored the last goal of the match with Mark Lee. Sterzing won 6:4 as they qualified for the Final Four Scudetto of IHL Elite. Thanks to this success, Sterzing also reached the seventh place of AHL standings.

 

Phil Pietroniro was suspended after the last match of the Asiago. The first period was quite balanced. There were occasions on both sides of the rink. Giulio Scandella made one of the most important actions in counterattacks but Martin Rabanser saved. On the other side Frederic Cloutier saved a shot after a scrum and then a subsequent shot by Ivan Demetz. The first period was without goals. In the second period the story didn’t change in the first minutes with a game always balanced. Federico Benetti scored the first goal of the evening by resuming the puck after his previous shot saved by Rabanser. But soon after Asiago lost the puck in the neutral zone. Linus Lundström was quick as he finalized the action with a good goal. The second period ended in a tie (1: 1). In the third time the Asiago returned to the lead with a wrist shot of Josè Magnabosco but not much time after there was the new draw of Lundström. But for the third time in the match , Asiago was still ahead with Anthony Bardaro who rushed on a rebound after an action by Marco Rosa. This time the goal was decisive and remained until the end of the final whistle of the match. The Asiago won  3: 2 and remained in the wake of the leaders Renon. With this success the Asiago mathematically earned the first place in its Group B for the qualification to the Final Four Scudetto of IHL Elite.

 

For the big -match of this evening, the Cortina foud the captain Luca Zandonella after a month of absence while Francesco Adami was always absent. Andreas Alber, Max Ploner and Kevin Fink were absent for the visitors, but there was the come back of Patrick Killeen and the young Philipp Pechlaner. The start of the game was in favor of the visiting team that pulled more thanks to an initial powerplay. Then the Cortina reorganized itself but the two teams skate a lot but didn’t produce great actions. The balance broke after 17 minutes for what will be the only and decisive goal of all meeting. The Cortina lost a puck. There was a fast shot from the distance: Marco De Filippo saved but dind’t hold. The rebound was of Oscar Ahlströhm who scored a crucial goal. In the second period the game didn’t take off. The Cortina tried in an untidy way to equalize while the Renon didn’t find another winning idea. During the third time, minute after minute, the Cortina grew but they found on its way a great Patrick Killen that stopped Brace and Torquato. The Rittner Buam won 1:0 as they mathematically qualified for the Final Four Scudetto of IHL Elite. The Cortina slipped into the AHL standings where now was ninth position and was also out definitively for the run of the Italian Scudetto. Excellent proof once again of Patrick Killeen not even tonight was overcome, thus celebrating his second consecutive shutout, the fourth in the season.

 

Referees: FAJDIGA, KAMSEK, Holzer, Snoj.

Goals Olimpija: Hebar (5./Koren), Pesjak (23./sh-Cepon-Koren, 52./Chvatal-Snoj), Selan (29./Hebar, 32./Koren-Hebar), Snoj (32./Uduc-Groznik), Zibelnik (35./pp-Snoj-Cepon), Chvatal (48./Cepon-Snoj)

Goals Klagenfurt: Schettina (24./pp-Kraus), Kernberger (56./Kurath-Obersteiner)

 

Referees: HÖLLER, LENDL, Reisinger, Rinker.

Goals Jesenice: Planko (33./Sodja-Glavic), Sodja (42./Glavic-Kalan)), Cimzar (60./EN-basic-Alagic)

 

Referees: BAJT, STRASSER, Martin, Rezek.

Goal KEC: 1:1 26/EQ #9 Gran Martin (#81 Eriksson H.) 

Goals EKZ: 0:1 20/EQ #27 Dinhopel Tobias (#57 Wilfan F.; #20 Koblar G.), 1:2 37/PP1 #27 Dinhopel Tobias (#24 Schernthaner J.), 1:3 60/EQ #26 Herzog Christoph (#16 Vala P.; #57 Wilfan F.)

 

Referees: LAZZERI, PIANEZZE, P. Giacomozzi, Stefenelli.

Goals HCN: 1:0 Brighenti (3./PP1/Harcharik-Brabenec); 2:3 Brabenec (22./Harcharik-Muzik); 3:3 Harcharik (32./PP1/Brabenec-Muzik); 4:3 M.Sullmann (34./PP1/A.Sullmann-Nedved); 

Goals WSV: 1:1 Sotlar (4./Duffy-Nyren); 1:2 Hackhofer (16./PP1/Felicetti-Oberdorfer); 1:3 Mantinger (21./Felicetti-Hackhofer); 4:4 Sotlar (35./Duffy-Messner); 4:5 Kofler (42./Maffia); 4:6 Lee (59.); 

 

Referees: KUCHER, OFNER, DeZordo, Piras.

Goal ASH: 1:0 Benetti (8./Scandella-M.Sullivan); 2:1 Magnabosco (47./Stevan-Miglioranzi); 3:2 Bardaro (52./Rosa-M.Sullivan); 

Goal GHE: 1:1 Lundström (27./A.Vinatzer-G.Vinatzer); 2:2 Lundström (50./ A.Vinatzer-G.Vinatzer);

 

Referees: BENVEGNU, VIRTA, Basso, Terragni; 

Goal RIT: 0:1 0.Ahlströhm (17./S.Kostner-R.Hofer)