Release from 28.03.2026

Gherdeina levels series with shutout win | Meran completes stunning comeback in final 10 minutes

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The semifinal debutants of the Alps Hockey League, HC Gherdeina valgardena.it and HC Meran/o Pircher, have both celebrated their first-ever semifinal victories. Gherdeina dominated defending champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären in front of their home crowd, winning 5–0 to even the series. Meran, meanwhile, pulled off a remarkable comeback: the South Tyroleans overturned a 0–2 deficit to win 4–2 in the final ten minutes of their opening semifinal game at KHL Sisak. Game two will take place tomorrow, Sunday, at 19:30 in Croatia.

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HC Gherdeina valgardena.it evened the series against defending champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären with a dominant 5–0 home win. It was the first semifinal victory in the club’s history, with goaltender Claes Endre once again standing out and recording his fourth shutout in 19 games. Against a relatively harmless Polar Bears offense, the Swede faced “only” 28 shots. Zell am See goalie Alexander Schmidt, meanwhile, stopped 33 of 37 shots. The scoring opened in the 17th minute when Sascha Giumond put Gherdeina ahead 1–0. Just over two minutes later, Dmitry Vozovik extended the lead to 2–0 with a power-play goal. Vozovik completed his brace in the 37th minute, sending the game into the third period with a 3–0 lead. In front of more than 1,200 fans, Gherdeina controlled the final period, and Hannes Kasslatter made it 4–0 with an empty-net goal in the 55th minute. Captain Simon Pitschieler sealed the 5–0 final score in the 56th minute. The third semifinal game will take place on Tuesday in Zell am See.

Meran completes dramatic comeback in Last 10 Minutes
HC Meran/o Pircher pulled off an incredible comeback in their semifinal opener at KHL Sisak. Up until the 50th minute, Sisak led 2–0, but the South Tyroleans completely turned the game around to win 4–2, marking their first-ever semifinal victory. Sisak had dominated the first two periods. In the opening frame, they outshot Meran 17–8, but no goals were scored. In the second period, 22-year-old Vito Idžan scored twice in the 28th and 33rd minutes to put Sisak ahead. By the end of the second period, the Croatians had fired 19 shots compared to just three by Meran.

In the final period, Sisak controlled the first ten minutes, but a major turnover while exiting their own zone allowed Pascal Brunner to score for Meran, cutting the deficit to 1–2. The game suddenly became thrilling again. Around 2,400 fans fell silent as Rasmus Nousiainen scored the equalizer just four minutes later. Sisak appeared rattled, and after another turnover, Daniel Gellon scored in the 58th minute to put Meran ahead 3–2, completing the turnaround within minutes. Fourteen seconds before the final buzzer, Gellon added an empty-net goal to complete his brace and seal the 4–2 victory. Sisak surrendered a seemingly certain win and now faces pressure in Game 2 of the doubleheader tomorrow at 19:30.

Alps Hockey League:
Sat, 28.03.2026
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - EK Die Zeller Eisbären 5:0 (2:0, 1:0, 2:0)
Referees: HUBER, RIVIS, Divis, Ilmer
Standings in the best of-7 series: 1:1
GHE: 1:0 Guimond S. (17.), 2:0 Vozovik D. (19./PP1), 3:0 Vozovik D. (37.), 4:0 Kasslatter H. (55.), 5:0 Pitschieler S. (56.)

KHL Sisak - HC Meran/o Pircher 2:4 (0:0, 2:0, 0:4)
Referees: HLAVATY, UNTERWEGER, Arlic, Markizeti
Standings in the best of-7 series: 0:1
Goals SIS: 1:0 Idzan V. (28.), 2:0 Idzan V. (33.)
Goal HCM: 2:1 Brunner P. (51.), 2:2 Nousiainen R. (55.), 2:3 Gellon D. (58.), 2:4 Gellon D. (60./EN)

Copyright: Matthäus Kostner