Release from 21.01.2023
On Saturday, HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice suffered the second defeat in Masterround when the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers earned a 5:3 road win. With two late goals Hafro Cortina Hockey turned around the game against Red Bull Hockey Juniors, thus the Italians also took over the lead in the Alps Hockey League standings. In the two Qualification Round groups, EHC Lustenau and HC Gherdeina valgardena.it recorded narrow home victories.
Jesenice only on third place in Masterround
After the opening defeat against Cortina, Jesenice also lost the second game of the Masterround on Saturday. Although the Slovenians took the lead at home against Unterland through Rudolfs Polcs in the tenth minute, the visitors managed to equalize before the end of the period with a powerplay goal by Miro Markkula. In the middle period it went blow by blow, after 33 minutes the South Tyroleans led 4:3. Although Jesenice had good chances to equalize in the last period, Santeri Haarala managed to decide the game with his second goal of the evening. With the 5:3 away win Unterland is now one place ahead of Jesenice in second position.
Cortina took the lead in the standings, the Italians were also winning their second game of the intermediate round. But the Red Bull Hockey Juniors demanded everything from the home side. After a goalless first period, Cortina took the lead just a few seconds after the restart, but the visitors turned the game around thanks to a brace from Thomas Heigl and were ahead 3:2 after 40 minutes. This lead lasted until the 59th minute, when the Italians managed a brace within 30 seconds. First Mikael Saha scored, then Tommaso Traversa ensured Cortina's first win against Salzburg after four defeats recently.
Val Gardena celebrates comeback win against Sterzing
In Qualification Round A, Val Gardena recorded its first win in the second game. Christian Willeit put the "Furie" ahead with the only goal in the first period, but Sterzing scored three goals within four minutes in the middle period to lead 1:3. Brad McGowan equalized with two power play goals shortly before the break and in the final period the home side had the longer breath. In the 56th minute, Simon Pitschieler scored the game-winner for a 5:4 victory, which put Val Gardena in second place.
Lustenau defeats Kitzbühel in shootout
EHC Lustenau celebrated a hard-fought 3:2 victory in Qualification Round B against Kitzbühel. The Tyroleans took the lead in both the first and third period, but the hosts managed to equalize in each. After 60 minutes, the score was 2:2, and since there was no decision in overtime, the penalty shootout had to decide. In this, Kevin Puschnik kept a cool head. With the first win in the intermediate round, the EHC improved to third place.
Masterround:
Sat, 21.01.2023: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Hockey Unterland Cavaliers 3:5 (1:1,2:3,0:1)
Referees: FAJDIGA, WUNTSCHEK, Javornik, Murnik
Goals 1:0 JES Polcs R. (09:27 / unassisted / EQ), 1:1 HCU Markkula M. (18:38 / Nyman L. ,Kokoska F. / PP), 1:2 HCU Kokoska F. (20:26 / Egger A. / EQ), 2:2 JES Sersen G. (20:46 / unassisted / EQ), 3:2 JES Ulamec L. (25:31 / Jezovsek Z. / EQ), 3:3 HCU Haarala S. (31:37 / Markkula M. ,Kaufmann M. / EQ), 3:4 HCU Kaufmann M. (32:43 / Markkula M. ,Haarala S. / EQ), 3:5 HCU Haarala S. (45:26 / Tessadri N. ,Calovi F. / EQ)
Sat, 21.01.2023: S.G. Cortina Hafro - Red Bull Hockey Juniors 4:3 (0:0,2:3,2:0)
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, VIRTA, Eisl, Pace
Goals 1:0 SGC Cuglietta D. (20:34 / unassisted / EQ), 1:1 RBJ Heigl T. (25:55 / Maier O. ,Kirchebner M. / EQ), 1:2 RBJ Mackner M. (35:45 / Kirchebner M. ,Cernik D. / EQ), 1:3 RBJ Heigl T. (36:18 / Steffler D. ,Assavolyuk D. / EQ), 2:3 SGC Colli A. (39:57 / Saha M. ,Cuglietta D. / EQ), 3:3 SGC Saha M. (58:15 / Cuglietta D. ,DI TOMASO G. / EQ), 4:3 SGC Traversa T. (58:45 / Lacedelli R. ,ALVERA' T. / EQ)
Qualification Round A:
Sat, 21.01.2023: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 5:4 (1:0,2:3,2:1)
Referees: LEGA, STEFENELLI, Mantovani, Rigoni
Goals 1:0 GHE Willeit C. (18:39 / Kasslatter H. ,Cristellon Y. / EQ), 1:1 WSV Mizzi J. (29:33 / Giftopoulos R. ,Gschnitzer J. / EQ), 1:2 WSV McBride S. (32:50 / Giftopoulos R. ,Mizzi J. / EQ), 1:3 WSV Conci D. (33:23 / Gander M. / EQ), 2:3 GHE MC GOWAN B. (39:07 / Sullmann Pilser M. ,Gibbon K. / 5:3 PP), 3:3 GHE MC GOWAN B. (39:48 / Sullmann Pilser M. ,Oberrauch M. / PP), 4:3 GHE Sullmann Pilser M. (43:11 / MC GOWAN B. ,Kasslatter H. / EQ), 4:4 WSV McBride S. (51:34 / Mizzi J. ,Giftopoulos R. / PP), 5:4 GHE Pitschieler S. (55:04 / Gibbon K. ,Cristellon Y. / EQ)
Qualification Round B:
Sat, 21.01.2023: EHC Lustenau - EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 3:2 SO (1:1,0:0,1:1,0:0,1:0)
Referees: RUETZ, SCHAUER, Huber, Tschrepitsch
Goals 0:1 KEC Urbanek M. (02:30 / Bolterle P. ,Niemelä J. / EQ), 1:1 EHC Wilfan M. (11:36 / Hayes R. ,Puschnik K. / EQ), 1:2 KEC Lahnaviik R. (52:01 / Kuronen J. ,Niemelä J. / EQ), 2:2 EHC Pöschmann P. (55:17 / Wilfan M. ,D'Alvise C. / PP), 3:2 EHC Puschnik K. (65:00 / GWS)
Photo: Giovanni Castoldi