Release from 10.03.2023

Dream debut: Wallenta with hat trick in first game for Kitzbühel

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With a hat trick Elias Wallenta shot the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel on Thursday almost single-handedly to a 4:1 home win against the Rittner Buam SkyAlps and that in his very first game for the Eagles. Wallenta was thus also named Top Performer of the second quarterfinal matchday. Actually, the Vorarlberg native is under contract with the EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV in the win2day ICE Hockey League, where he still played on Tuesday at the quarterfinal opener against local rival EC-KAC. Wallenta is again in the line-up for Villach this Friday. In the interview, the forward speaks how it came to the surprising engagement with Kitzbühel, how he experienced his hat trick and what he still expects for the Playoffs.

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After a long injury break, Elias Wallenta only made his comeback on Tuesday for his club EC iDM Wärmepumpen VSV in the quarterfinal opener of the win2day ICE Hockey League against the EC-KAC. Just one day later the last-minute order to travel to the cooperation club Kitzbühel came, to play in the Alps Hockey League quarterfinals against the Rittner Buam SkyAlps on Thursday: "It was all very short notice. Wednesday evening at 18:00 I became a call that I have to go to Kitzbühel. I then immediately got into the car and was finally in Kitzbühel at 01:00."

"It was a sensational evening"
For the experienced Alps Hockey League player, who played for Red Bull Hockey Juniors and EHC Lustenau between 2018 and 2022, it was the first game for the Eagles from Kitzbühel. He could not have imagined a better debut with a hat trick: "It was a sensational evening, of course, but the thanks go to my teammates, who did a super job the whole game. I myself didn't have to do much scoring the goals. But I'm very happy that I was able to help and played my part in the victory."

Historic evening for Kitzbühel and Wallenta
For Kitzbühel it was the first ever playoff win in the Alps Hockey League. It was also a historic evening for Wallenta himself. Never before the 24-year-old could score three goals in one game. Whether the forward will play in Kitzbühel again this playoffs, he does not yet know. In any case, Wallenta will be back in the EC-VSV squad on Friday, for whom he has only made eight appearances this season but has already scored two goals.

Wallenta sees Kitzbühel in advantage
Kitzbühel's "best-of-7" quarterfinal series continues on Saturday in Klobenstein at the Rittner Buam. The AHL premiere champion celebrated a 3:0 home win in the opening game. For Wallenta everything is now possible due to the series equalizer, he hopes for a series win and even flirts with more. "The chances of advancement are very good. If the team continues to perform like this, I am sure that the series can be won. But of course I hope for many more victories. The most beautiful victory is always the very last one," smiles the native of Vorarlberg.

However, Wallenta also has many words of praise for Ritten and knows that the two-time AHL finalist should never be underestimated: "Ritten is a very experienced team, with tall defensisve players and a very physical game. They are very good on the counterattack, but they only have three lines and that could be our advantage in the end."
Watch game three of the quarterfinal series live on valcome.tv on Saturday, March 11th at 8:00 p.m.

Highlights EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Rittner Buam SkyAlps: