Release from 01.04.2024

"Game Seven" last stop before finals

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On Tuesday evening, the final opponent of S.G. Cortina Hafro will be determined in the Alps Hockey League, as the Rittner Buam Sky Alps and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan will meet in their "best-of-7" semifinal series for"Game Seven". For the first time this season, a series will be played over the full distance. The game in the Ritten Arena starts at 8 pm and will be broadcast live on valcome.tv (PPV).

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While the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan are playing for their first ever final appearance, the Rittner Buam SkyAlps have already reached the final twice. In 2017 – the inaugural season of the multinational league – the South Tyroleans won the title, while in 2018 they lost to Asiago in the final.

This series of finals lasted seven games. In total, there have already been four "Game Seven" in the history of the Alps Hockey League and each time with different winners: Asiago prevailed in the 2018 final, Lustenau made it to the semifinals in 2019 and Ljubljana took the title in the last game of the season. The last "Game Seven" took place in the past season between Cortina and Salzburg, with the Italians coming out on top.

In total – in the league's past, postseason stages have also been played in a best-of-five format – there have been twelve showdowns (eight BO5): Of these, the home team has prevailed nine times. Ritten was in a "Game Seven" and "Game Five" twice and has a balanced record. The victory came in the “best-of-5” semifinal series against Cortina in 2022.

If you also take the pre-playoff series into account, the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan had a showdown against EC Bregenzerwald last season, which they also won 4-3. But it was a “best-of-3” series.

Ritten fended off the end of the season twice
The Rittner Buam SkyAlps have equalized the current "best-of-7" series with two wins in a row. In all six confrontations so far, the "Buam" have scored at least the opening goal, giving away a lead three times. They will line up completely apart from the suspended Ethan Szypula. Paul Eisendle is suspended for the Broncos.

Alps Hockey League | Semifinals | Game Seven | 02.04.2024:
Tue, 02.04.2024, 8.00 pm: Rittner Buam SkyAlps – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: LAZZERI, SCHAUER, De Zordo, Fleischmann. | >> valcome.tv (PPV) <<
“best-of-7” series: 3:3

Schmidt returns to Kitzbühel
Meanwhile, EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel has signed goalie Alexander Schmidt: The Austrian, who was under contract with EC Bregenzerwald (91.6%) in the current campaign, signed a one-year deal in Kitzbühel, for whom he played 13 games in the 22-23 campaign.

Fotocredit: Max Pattis