Release from 08.12.2017
With six games Alps Hockey League continues on Saturday. Four times Austrian and Italian teams face each other and there are also two derbies: For Bregenzerwald the game against Lustenau is the first Vorarlberg derby this season, while Ritten and Sterzing will meet for the 101st time. In addition, Cortina’s Diego Iori was suspended for three games.
Alps Hockey League, 09.12.2017, Round 24
HC Neumarkt Riwega - EC KAC II
EC 'Die Adler' Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
EHC Alge Elastic Lustenau - EC Bregenzerwald
EK Zeller Eisbären - HC Fassa Falcons
HC Pustertal Wölfe - FBI VEU Feldkirch
Rittner Buam - WSV Sterzing Broncos Weihenstephan
09.12.2017, 19:00: HC Neumarkt Riwega - EC KAC II
Referees: LESNIAK, MOSCHEN, Miklic, Stefenelli.
Both teams had a bad start into the season but Neumarkt has really improved lately. After only four points out of the first eleven games, the Wild Geese gained 14 points in the last ten. On Thursday they beat Lustenau at home to overcome Fassa in the standings for 15th place. KAC will miss some players when they hit the road for Neumarkt: Jakob Holzer, Thimo Nickl, Kele Steffler, Simon Hammerle, Daniel Obersteiner und Dennis Sticha (all at the under 20 world championships) and Philipp Kreuzer (EBEL team) are out, while Florian Kurath is doubtful. In the first season meeting KAC earned one of their two points.
09.12.2017, 19:30: EC 'Die Adler' Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey
Referees: LENDL, SUPPER, Legat, Rinker.
After a shutout home win against EK Zeller Eisbären, Asiago also beat Sterzing 4:2 during the week and is now equal on points with second-placed Jesenice. Asiago's special teams did really well against the Broncos with scoring two powerplay goals and killing all five penalties. Tom Barrasso will miss Alex Gellert when they face Kitzbühel. Win and loss has always alternated for the Tirolese in the last five games with suffering a clear-cut defeat at Cortina lately. In their first season meeting KEC came short in Asiago, losing 5:3. With Henrik Eriksoon (28 points) and Marco Rosa (31) one player of each side ranks among the top 5 of the scoring charts. Asiago.tv shows the game as live stream.
09.12.2017, 19:30: EHC Alge Elastic Lustenau - EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: HÖLLER, STRASSER, Kalb, Martin.
On Saturday Bregenzerwald plays their first Vorarlberg derby this season. The meeting with Lustenau is also important for the playoff race. The hosts want to stay in reach with the playoff spots while ECB tries to keep their localrivals on distance, at the moment they have a five-point advantage. After some roster adaptions Lustenau won four games in a row but then the lions lost two again. EHC coach Malgin will miss Julian Mandlburger, Fabian Glanznig, Johannes Lins and Jürgen Tschernutter as well as talent David König, who plays at the under 20 WC. Ninth-placed ECB is three points behind a playoff spot but has lost three out of their last four games.
09.12.2017, 19:30: EK Zeller Eisbären - HC Fassa Falcons
Referees: KUCHER, OFNER, Kainberger, Reisinger.
Both, EK Zeller Eisbären and HC Fassa Falcons, had problems in the past weeks. The Austrians lost six from their last seven games in Alps Hockey League and fall down in the ranking to place 11. The Italians even got only one win in the last twelve rounds! But the Falcons travel with good memories to Zell: The Italians won the first season-clash at home with 4:3 and they were successful last season at Pinzgau 4:3 after Overtime. Besides the Italians annoyed Leader Rittner Buam last round, lost by just one goal 3:4.
09.12.2017, 20:00: HC Pustertal Wolves - FBI VEU Feldkirch
Referees: KUMMER, WIDMANN, Egger, P. Giacomozzi.
HC Pustertal Wolves and FBI VEU Feldkirh will fight for place 4 on Saturday at Bruneck! Both clubs had a good run lately, collected even the most points from all 17 Alps Hockey League-clubs in the last ten rounds. The Italians got 23 points, the Austrians collected 22 points. Now the Wolves try to overtake place 4 on Saturday. So far the Italians were successful in all five meetings in Alps Hockey League with FBI VEU Feldkrich. The first season-clash Bruneck won at Feldkirch 4:2, Raphael Andergassen and Sean Ringrose both scored twice. The VEU will play the next three games on the road, starting at Bruneck. There the Austrians will miss Marcel Witting. On the road the Vorarlberger got five wins from their last six games.
09.12.2017, 20:00: Rittner Buam - WSV Sterzing Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: FAJDIGA, VIRTA, Arlic, Markizeti.
The Rittner Buam are the number 1 in the Alps Hockey League! On Wednesday the Champion won at Fassa 4:3 and celebrated their third win in a row or their 18th victory of the season! Sterzing on the other side lost their last two games and fall down to place 7. But take attention: The „Broncos“ convinced so far on the road, won seven from their ten road-games 2017/18. The first season-clash was a close game. In the end the Rittner Buam won in Shoot Out 2:1. The two Italian clubs will face for the 101st time: So far the Rittner Buam won 55 times, while Sterzing was successful 41 times. The Rittner Buam miss Andreas Alber, Max Ploner and the U20-Nationalteam players Philipp Pechlaner and Kevin Fink. Dan Tudin and Andreas Lutz are questionmarks. Sterzing will arrive without Daniel Erlacher. Denny Deanesi and Giffen Nyren are questionmarks.
Three-game suspension for Cortina’s Diego Iori
Diego Iori was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for slashing late in the third period in Hafro Cortina Hockey's 3:0 road win at EK Zeller Eisbären on Wednesday night. With receiving two games for slashing and an additional one-game suspension for being a repeat offender, the forward will miss the next three.
Picture: Max Pattis