Release from 22.11.2019
On Saturday, a full round in the Alps Hockey League is scheduled. While the EHC Lustenau and the VEU Feldkirch meet in the Vorarlberg derby with the league’s top-scorer facing each other, only one clash of two top-6 teams will be played, as leader HC Pustertal Wolves hosts S.G. Cortina Hafro. Two more games on Sunday and the second season encounter between the Steel Wings Linz and the HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana – both meet on Saturday for the first time – will close an intense hockey weekend on Monday.
Sat, 23.11.2019, 6.00 pm: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – EC-KAC II
Referees: MOSCHEN, VIRTA, Miklic, Puff.
The HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice opens the upcoming weekend in the Alps Hockey League with a home game against EC-KAC II. While the Slovenian side booked a huge home-win against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan (8:5) past gameday, the Austrians hit the road after five consecutive losses. In away games the farm team of reigning Erste Bank Eishockey Liga champion lost six in a row. Klagenfurt struggled with the powerplay so far, converting only nine out of 66 occasions, having the weakest PP available of all teams. In the past, Jesenice won all meetings with the KAC on home ice – the last three with at least a five-goal difference.
- Losing-Streak KA2: 5
- H2H AHL: 9:1 (JES)
Sat, 23.11.2019, 7.00 pm: Steel Wings Linz – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: DURCHNER, REZEK, Markizeti, Weiss.
The Steel Wings Linz crosses sticks for the first time in franchise history with the HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana. While the Alps Hockey League newcomer is ranked last in standings, the reigning champion sits on second spot, having the chance to retake the lead on Saturday. In 15 games the Upper Austrians succeeded only once and are on a losing streak. They lost the past ten games, scoring only one goal in the last five battles. The “dragons” have an impressive streak available: After two losses after regulation in the first two season games, they gained points in all the past 14 games, losing only twice after shootout, despite having room to improve on PP (15,6% | #14).
Sat, 23.11.2019, 7.30 pm: EHC Lustenau – VEU Feldkirch
Referees: BAJT, PAHOR, Huber, Martin.
On Saturday, the Vorarlberg derby between the EHC Lustenau and the VEU Feldkirch will be hold in a fully packed Rheinhalle. It is the battle of two of the three best Austrian teams in Alps Hockey League. While Lustenau is placed sixth after four wins in a row, Feldkirch arrives after two consecutive victories and is currently ranked ninth, trailing six points. With Christopher D’Alvise (EHC) and Robin Soudek resp. Dylan Stanley (both VEU) the leading scores in the running AHL season face each other. While D’Alvise collected 32 points, Soudek and Stanley each posted 31 points.
- Winning-Streak EHC: 4
- Winning-Streak VEU: 2
- H2H AHL: 5:7 (VEU)
Sat, 23.11.2019, 7.30 pm: EC Bregenzerwald – Vienna Capitals Silver
Referees: GAMPER, HOLZER, Moidl, Reisinger.
In a duel of two bottom-placed teams the EC Bregenzerwald hosts the Vienna Capitals Silver, as the Vorarlberg side is ranked 17th (11 points) and the Viennese are placed 16th (15 points). Both teams achieved different results past gameday: The ECB had to take a harsh 1:15-defeat at Salzburg, while the Capitals snatched up a 6:4-win over Gherdeina in Thursday’s afternoon game. Both teams have a better performance available in home-games, with each of them gaining all points that season in front of their home crowd, whereby Vienna is still without a single point in away-games.
Sat, 23.11.2019, 7.30 pm: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: FAJDIGA, RUETZ, Eisl, Pace.
Despite Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan’s form-curve points downwards, as they lost four in a row, Sterzing won the past four duels against the HC Gherdeina valgardena.it, which suffered two road-defeats in the past. While the “Broncos” dropped to 11th place in standings, Gherdeina is placed seventh. Both teams have a strong powerplay available: WSV (33,3% | #3) and GHE (33,9% | #2), carried by strong import players, with each team having two players with more than 25 points in the running season.
- Losing-Streak WSV: 4
- Losing-Streak GHE: 2
- H2H AHL: 5:3 (WSV)
Sat, 23.11.2019, 8.00 pm: Rittner Buam – EC „Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: LEGA, STEFENELLI, Terragni, Vignolo.
After an impressive road-win at league’s newcomer Steel Wings Linz, fourth-placed Rittner Buam host EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. In the past five games the “Buam” lost only one game, at Gherdeina after overtime. Ritten picked it up on the defensive end, accepting only 1,2 goals on average in the past five games. In Alps Hockey League history the South Tyrolean, which are the second-best home team overall, lost only one to Kitzbühel on December 23rd, 2017 (5:6 OT). While Ritten has the best PP available among all teams (40,3%), the “eagles” struggled on scoring efficiency (8,62% | #13).
- Winning-Streak RIT:
- H2H AHL: 7:1 (RIT)
Sat, 23.11.2019, 8.00 pm: HC Pustertal Wolves – S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: SCHAUER, STOLC, Bedana, Piras.
Current Alps Hockey League leader HC Pustertal Wolves hosts S.G. Cortina Hafro in weekend’s lone game of two top-5 teams. Vice-champion Pustertal leads the standings after three consecutive wins – and because of the best defensive performance of all teams, they had to take only 25 goals against (1,56 goals per game on average). Behind the “wolves” Cortina is league’s second-best team on the road, winning seven out of nine so far. With Cortina’s first win since almost two years against Pustertal, the team of head coach Giorgio De Bettin can half the deficit in standings to the “wolves”. Cortina's Michael Angelo Zanatta is suspended after an incident deemend as Cross-Checking in the game against Ljubljana.
- Winning-Streak PUS: 3
- H2H AHL: 13:6 (PUS)
Sat, 23.11.2019, 8.30 pm: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: LAZZERI, PINIE, Mantovani, Slaviero.
On Saturday, Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey has the chance to come back on winning ways, after their eight-games-run was destroyed on Thursday, losing 1:2 at HC Pustertal, when the former champion welcomes EK Die Zeller Eisbären, which arrives after their first shutout-win this season (6:0 against Kitzbühel). Asiago won the past five meetings with the “polar bears”.
Sat, 23.11.2019, 8.30 pm: SHC Fassa Falcons – Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: OREL, WALLNER, Giacomozzi P., Schweighofer.
After the highest victory in Alps Hockey League ever, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors hit the road at SHC Fassa Falcons in this week’s lone game of two neighbors in standings. While the “Juniors” delivered a 15:1-win past gameday, the “falcons” won at Klagenfurt 3:1. In the last meeting of these two teams, Salzburg booked a 7:0-shutout – and won all past eight games against Fassa. While the Italians won four out of the last five home-games, RBJ celebrated only one road-win out of the past five away-games.
Sun, 24.11.2019, 6.00 pm: VEU Feldkirch – Vienna Capitals Silver
Referees: BAJT, PAHOR, Moidl, Reisinger.
The Vienna Capitals Silver quit their road-trip in Vorarlberg, facing VEU Feldkirch on Sunday. While the Viennese did not win a single point on the road, the VEU has four straight home-wins available and comes off after Saturday’s derby against the EHC Lustenau.
Sun, 24.11.2019, 6.30 pm: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it – EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: BENVEGNU, OREL, Cristeli, Schweighofer.
On their way back from Saturday’s game at Asiago, the EK Die Zeller Eisbären stop by at HC Gherdeina valgardena.it in both teams second game of the weekend. The South Tyrolean welcome the Austrian side after four consecutive home-wins, the past two after OT against Ritten and Feldkirch. In the previous six AHL meetings, GHE succeeded four times. Overall, Gherdeina has the second-best PP available among all teams (33,9%).
- Losing-Streak GHE: 2
- H2H AHL: 4:2 (GHE)
Mon, 25.11.2019, 7.15 pm: HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana – Steel Wings Linz
Referees: LESNIAK, PODLESNIK, Holzer, Javornik.
Two days after their first meeting against each other ever, the HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana faces the Steel Wings Linz at home. After the tight 0:1-loss in the season-home-opener against Klagenfurt, the reigning champion grabbed at least one point in any other home-game so far, while league’s newcomer lost all road-games this season.