Release from 05.03.2024
The Alps Hockey League quarter-finals kicked off with four home wins on Tuesday. While the Rittner Buam SkyAlps and Hafro Cortina Hockey clearly had the upper hand, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors and Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan won after over time - both teams only managed to equalise shortly before the end of regulation time. The best-of-seven series will continue on Thursday.
The Rittner Buam SkyAlps started the Alps Hockey League playoffs with a strong performance. In the first game of the quarter-final series against EC Bregenzerwald, the Blue & Reds won 4:1 on Tuesday evening in the Ritten Arena. Even without Kevin Fink and Stefan Quinz, who had to withdraw at short notice, the Buam got off to a strong start in front of the home crowd and were already 3:0 up after ten minutes thanks to goals from Giacomuzzi, Spinell and Valentini. The visitors slowly got into the game in the middle frame. Ritten added a goal during the visitors' best phase when Prast finished off a two-on-one for the fourth goal. Bregenzerwald fought hard against the opening defeat in the first AHL play-off game in the club's history. Roberts Lipsbergs finally scored the consolation goal in the 54th minute, but that was as good as it got for the Vorarlberg side. Ritten goalie Colin Furlong recorded 30 saves.
Hafro Cortina Hockey also lived up to its role as favourites in the first game of the quarter-final series against Merano. The efficient home side took the lead in the fourth minute through Riccardo Lacedelli. After Calder Anderson equalised in between, Jason Seed scored shortly before the first break to make it 2:1. After the restart, the visitors conceded two penalties and Tommaso Traversa increased their lead in double numerical superiority. The forward made it 4:1 with his second goal in the third period, Tommaso Alvera then fixed the 5:1 final score.
Juniors and Sterzing celebrate comeback victories
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors secured their first win in the play-off quarter-finals of the Alps Hockey League against the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers 3:2 after overtime. In the first period, the Juniors were able to set the pace and take control of the game, but failed to score. Unterland came out of the locker room better and took the lead with goals from Aleksi Käyrä and David Galassiti, while the Juniors reduced the deficit through Paul Vinzens. In the final period, Red Bull Hockey Juniors equalised 11 seconds before the end of the third. In the ensuing overtime, the young Salzburgers survived a 3-on-5 shorthanded situation and were able to win the game through Vinzens in the 73rd minute.
Sterzing also came from behind at home against Zell am See. It didn't look like it after 30 seconds as James Livingston put the home side ahead. However, the visitors turned the game in their favour within a few minutes. Early in the middle period, new signing Niki Hartl even increased the lead to 3:1 for Zell am See with his second goal of the night. In the final period, the Broncos initially closed the gap to one goal, but Jacob Pfeffer restored the two-goal lead. Sterzing forced over time through Connor Sanvido and Derek Topatigh, in which the home side were initially unable to capitalise on a powerplay. When Zell am See had a PP opportunity, Davide Conci scored while short-handed to decide the game.
Alps Hockey League | Viertelfinale 1:
Tue, 05.03.2024: Red Bull Hockey Juniors – Hockey Unterland Cavaliers 3:2 OT (0:0,1:2,1:0,1:0)
Referees: KAINBERGER, LAZZERI, De Zordo, Eisl.
Goals 0:1 HCU Käyrä A. (20:33 / Nyman L. ,Markkula M. / EQ), 0:2 HCU Galassiti D. (27:00 / Wieser F. ,Sullmann M. / EQ), 1:2 RBJ Vinzens P. (34:36 / Wurzer M. ,Bosecker L. / EQ), 2:2 RBJ Ramoser J. (59:49 / Myllymaa K. / EQ), 3:2 RBJ Vinzens P. (72:28 / Noll P. ,Steffler D. / EQ)
Standing in the „best-of-seven“ series 1:0
Tue, 05.03.2024: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – EK Die Zeller Eisbären 5:4 OT (1:2,0:1,3:1,1:0)
Referees: HLAVATY, VOICAN, Moidl, Weiss.
Goals 1:0 WSV Livingston J. (00:30 / Cianfrone B. / EQ), 1:1 EKZ Putnik P. (00:46 / Alagic A. ,Lahoda A. / EQ), 1:2 EKZ Hartl N. (05:01 / Böhm M. ,Artner F. / EQ), 1:3 EKZ Hartl N. (20:35 / Widen F. ,Artner F. / PP), 2:3 WSV Eisendle P. (41:58 / Sanvido C. ,Maylan J. / EQ), 2:4 EKZ Pfeffer J. (43:38 / Hartl N. ,Artner F. / EQ), 3:4 WSV Sanvido C. (55:53 / Gschliesser F. ,Conci D. / EQ), 4:4 WSV Topatigh D. (57:08 / Capannelli A. ,Livingston J. / EQ), 5:4 WSV Conci D. (62:37 / Cianfrone B. ,Niccolai A. / SH)
Standing in the „best-of-seven“ series 1:0
Tue, 05.03.2024: Rittner Buam SkyAlps – EC Bregenzerwald 4:1 (3:0,1:0,0:1)
Referees: BAJT, SCHAUER, Jeram, Seewald J.
Goals 1:0 RIT Giacomuzzi A. (03:01 / Ginnetti C. ,Kostner S. / PP), 2:0 RIT Spinell M. (07:13 / Kostner S. / EQ), 3:0 RIT Valentini E. (08:20 / Lang M. ,Amorosa T. / EQ), 4:0 RIT Prast J. (34:45 / Kostner J. ,Kostner S. / EQ), 4:1 ECB Lipsbergs R. (53:15 / Embrich E. / EQ)
Standing in the „best-of-seven“ series 1:0
Tue, 05.03.2024, 20:30 Uhr: S.G. Cortina Hafro – HC Meran/o Pircher 5:1 (2:1,1:0,2:0)
Referees: BULOVEC, REZEK, Bergant, Cristeli.
Goals 1:0 SGC Lacedelli R. (03:55 / Adami F. / EQ), 1:1 HCM Anderson C. (13:39 / Gellon D. ,Ritchie N. / EQ), 2:1 SGC Seed J. (19:10 / Zardini Lacedelli N. ,Alvera' T. / EQ), 3:1 SGC Traversa T. (21:41 / Cuglietta D. ,Di Tomaso G. / 5:3 PP), 4:1 SGC Traversa T. (50:51 / Juhola J. ,Zanatta L. / EQ), 5:1 SGC Alvera' T. (51:28 / Zardini Lacedelli N. ,Colli A. / EQ)
Standing in the „best-of-seven“ series 1:0
Credit: BK Photo