Release from 09.10.2024

Derbies in Austria, Italy and Slovenia on Thursday

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Exciting derbies in Austria, Italy and Slovenia are scheduled in the Alps Hockey League on Thursday. In the Salzburg derby, the EK Die Zeller Eisbären will host the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. In South Tyrol, the HC Meran/o Pircher meets the HC Gherdeina valgardena, while in Slovenia, HK RST Pellet Celje takes on SIJ Acroni Jesenice. There are also two international duels: league leader Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel will play at the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan and last season's finalist S.G. Cortina Hafro welcomes league newcomer KHL Sisak.

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In the Salzburg derby, eleventh-placed EK Die Zeller Eisbären will face second-placed Red Bull Hockey Juniors, who missed out on the top of the table with a defeat in Val Gardena on Tuesday. With twelve points, the Juniors already have seven points more than Zell am See, although they have already played seven games. Zell am See has only been in action five times. The “Polar Bears” have been challenged twice at home so far this season and won both games. The Juniors have been victorious in three of their four away games. In the head-2-head, the Young Bulls have won the last three encounters.

In South Tyrol, the HC Meran/o Pircher and HC Gherdeina valgardena.it will face in a local duel. The two teams are close together in the table. Merano is seventh with seven points, followed by Val Gardena with six points. On Tuesday, the “Furie” from Val Gardena celebrated their second win of the season against the Juniors. Merano has so far only been beaten by the Juniors, winning the other three games, twice after overtime. In the Head-2-Head, Val Gardena won in six of ten AHL games.

The two local rivals also face each other in Slovenia. In the first duel of the season between HK RST Pellet Celje and SIJ Acroni Jesenice, the team at the bottom of the table from Celje has home advantage. In Jesenice, they host the only unbeaten team in the Alps Hockey League. The 2023 AHL champions are nevertheless “only” third in the table, having had to go to overtime or shootout in three of their four games. Jure Sotlar, who has been involved in nine of Celje's thirteen goals this season, has been particularly impressive in this still young season. Maks Selan is currently Jesenice's top scorer with six points. The two teams have already faced each other in preseason. Celje won this match with 4:3. In the Alps Hockey League, Jesenice won in three out of four duels last season.

League leader Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel has to travel to the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan on Thursday. The Tyroleans suffered their first defeat against bottom-of-the-table Celje last Saturday, but remain top of the table with twelve points ahead of Red Bull Hockey Juniors, who are level on points. Sterzing have five points after five games and are tenth in the table. The South Tyroleans won their first two games of the season, but were then beaten three times in a row. With just ten goals scored, the Broncos currently have the weakest offense in the league. Kitzbühel, by comparison, have already scored 25 goals and have only conceded nine. The two teams have already faced each other twice this summer during the preseason. Kitzbühel won both duels (4:2, 5:2). Last season, the home team was always victorious 5:2.

In the fifth and final game on Thursday, last season's finalist S.G. Cortina Hafro will face league newcomer KHL Sisak. The Croatians have made a furious start to their Alps Hockey League adventure. After three games, they are in sixth place with seven points. At the start of the season, Sisak were narrowly beaten 2:3 away to Jesenice, followed by two commanding home victories against Val Gardena (7:1) and Zell am See (10:2). Cortina have one more point than Sisak after four games and are fifth in the table. Most recently, the Italians were beaten 4:5/OT by Unterland, and Cortina also lost 1:2/OT to the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. They won the other two games after regulation.

Alps Hockey League:
Thursday, 10.10.2024:
19:00: HK RST Pellet Celje – SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Referees: BULOVEC, MEIXNER, Miklic, Telesklav. | >> valcome.tv <<

19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären – Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: KAINBERGER, VOICAN, Legat, Moidl. | >> valcome.tv <<

20:00: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: PIRAS, SORAPERRA, Brondi, Cusin. | >> valcome.tv <<

20:30: HC Meran/o Pircher – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: LAZZERI, SNOJ, Jeram, Wucherer. | >> valcome.tv <<

20:30: S.G. Cortina Hafro – KHL Sisak
Referees: PINIE, VIRTA, Fecchio, Formaioni. | >> valcome.tv <<