HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana clinches playoffs as league’s first team

Ljubljana clinches playoffs after commanding victory
Alps Hockey League leader HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana continued its winning streak against EC Bregenzerwald. The clear 4:0 road win was already the seventh consecutive victory for the "dragons" - and the decisive one for the early playoff qualification. The reigning champions are secured postseason in every single season of league membership. Once again, the Slovenians' defensive performance - coupled with Paavo Holsa's fifth shutout of the season (14 saves) - was crucial for the success. On the offensive end, the leader again had different weapons, with Miha Logar (16.), Ales Music (30.), Ziga Pance (35./PP1) and Miha Stebih (45.) four different players scored. The advantage over chaser Jesenice is now six points after the 20th win of the season, although the leader has played two games more.


Pinelli’s brace gives Jesenice turnaround win in top clash
Francesco Pinelli has decided the top clash of Saturday's round in the Alps Hockey League for the second-placed HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice. The Slovenians balanced at home against fourth-placed Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey a 0:2 deficit after the first in the middle period: Zan Jezovsek (26.) and Pinelli (40.) equalized for the Slovenians. The 17-year-old Canadian became the match-winner in overtime, scoring the OT-game-winner after four minutes. It was his first brace in the ninth game and he scored for the third time in a row. Jesenice thus remains unbeaten on home ice this season. Asiago is only the third team - after Ljubljana and Bregenzerwald - to take a point from the second-place team.

Pustertal stays close to top duo
HC Pustertal Wölfe kept contact with the Slovenian top duo in the Alps Hockey League table with a hard-fought 4:2 road win at EC-KAC II. The South Tyroleans picked up their fifth win - and prevailed in their ninth consecutive duel with Klagenfurt too, which had to do without its three best scorers. Massimo Carozza's brace gave the visitors a 2-:0 lead after nine minutes. In the further course, two teams met on equal terms. The "Wolves" always had the right answer to the follow-up goals by Josef Schönett (18.) and Valentin Hammerle (56.). The EC-KAC II lost for the seventh time in a row and is now eleven points behind a place in the pre-playoff.


Strong final frame gives Cortina expected victory
S.G. Cortina Hafro claimed a must-win over Steel Wings Linz in the battle for the top four - and thus direct playoff qualification. With the fifth win in a row, the sixth-placed Italians again reduced the gap to fourth-placed Asiago. Cortina had to fight hard for the clear 6:1 road victory, but it was their top scorer Mike Cazzola who cleared it with a hat trick and three assists. Linz was fully in the game until the 54th minute, when Francesco Arcuri halved the two-goal deficit, then the home team took too many penalties - and Cortina's dominant powerplay gave the game its decisive direction.

Andreas Lutz hits OT game winner with six seconds left
With six seconds left in overtime, Andreas Lutz scored his second goal of the night to give the Rittner Buam the extra point in a tightly contested game with Red Bull Hockey Juniors. The South Tyroleans, which are in eighth place, thus won 3:2 after overtime and extended their advantage in the standings to thirteenth place to nine points. Twice the guests from Ritten were up by one goal – twice the young Salzburg side evened the score. Salzburg grabbed one point thanks to Philipp Wimmer, who scored the equalizer with one minute left in regulation. For Ritten it was already the twelfth victory in the 17 duel.

Gröden dominates Kitzbühel
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it cruised past EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel in a clear 4:0 shutout victory. With the fourth win in a row, the "Furie" recorded an important success in the fight for the pre-playoffs. These are already ten points away for the 14th-placed "Adler", who returned home from Wolkenstein without a win for the first time, after the fourth games. It was all the South Tyroleans, for whom AHL top scorer Brad McGowan recorded a goal and two assists. Jacob Smith recorded his first shutout of the season with 28 saves.

Lustenau fends off Fassa comeback
EHC Lustenau took revenge on SHC Fassa Falcons for the defeat in the first season encounter and won 3:2 in Fassa. The team from Vorarlberg now holds 46 points after 25 games and is seventh in the secured midfield. Fassa, which suffered its fifth defeat in the last six games, ranks 13th. The "Falcons" lack three points on the pre-playoffs after their 15th defeat in phase two. Chris D'Alvise (13.) had put the "Lions" in the lead in the first period. Two quick goals by Renars Krakls (45.) and Max Wilfan (47./ PP1) made it 3:0 from the visitors' point of view 14 minutes left – before Fassa picked up speed again: Daniel Tedesco scored a brace and single-handedly reduced the score to 2:3, but in the final three minutes the visitors from Austria finally held on for the win.

VEU wins in shootout despite clear lead
The VEU Feldkirch put an end to their negative streak on foreign ice - and celebrated a 7:6 win after penalty shootout against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. The Vorarlberg side was on course for three points in Brixen for a long time - Michael Lampert's team scored six goals till the midway point of the game and led 6:2 after 30 minutes. A goal by Paul Eisendle (35./PP2) on a two-man advantage gave the South Tyroleans hope again and they delivered a strong comeback with three more goals, which finally earned them a point. The extra point was secured by Kevin Puschnik for the Vorarlberg team, which was successful in the decisive shootout.

Alps Hockey League | Saturday, February 27th 2021:
EC KAC II - HC Pustertal Wölfe 2:4 (1:2, 0:0, 1:2)
Referees: LOICHT, PODLESNIK, Schonaklener, Voican.
Goals KA2: Schönett (18./Klassek-Sunitsch), Hammerle V. (56./Würschl-Hammerle S.)
Goals PUS: Carozza (5./De Lorenzo Meo-Elliscasis, 9./Perlini-De Lorenzo Meo), Glira (52./Lee-Traversa), De Lorenzo Meo (57./Traversa-Andergassen)

HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 3:2 OT (0:2, 2:0, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: GROZNIK, REZEK, Miklic, Snoj.
Goals JES: Jezovsek (26./Tomazevic), Pinelli (40./Jezovsek, 64.PP1/Jezovsek-Masic)
Goals ASH: Dal Sasso (4./Olivero-Miglioranzi), Gellert (17.PP1/Rosa-Mantenuto)

HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 4:0 (2:0, 2:0, 0:0)
Referees: LAZZERI, LOTTAROLI, Da Pian, Mantovani.
Goals GHE: Nedved (7./McGowan-Wilkins), Niemelä (13.PP1/McGowan-Willeit), McGowan (34./Wilkins-Sullmann Pilser), Messner (36./Sölva-Galassiti)

Steel Wings Linz - S.G. Cortina Hafro 1:6 (0:0, 0:1, 1:5)
Referees: LEHNER, OREL, Moidl, Reisinger.
Goal SWL: Arcuri (54./Supryka-Pohl)
Goal SGC: Cazzola (51./Pietroniro P.-Cordiano, 57.PP2/Giftopoulos-Pietroniro P., 59.SH1), Giftopolous (21./Cazzola, 56.PP2/Cazzola-Pietroniro C.), Pietroniro P. (58.PP1/Giftopoulos-Cazzola)

Red Bull Hockey Juniors - Rittner Buam 2:3 OT (1:1, 0:0, 1:1, 0:1)
Referees: HUBER, SCHAUER, Kainberger, Wimmler.
Goal RBJ: Lutz J. (16.PP1/Stapelfeldt-Leonhardt), Wimmer (60./Stapelfeldt-Leonhardt)
Goal RIT: Lutz A. (7./Kostner J.-Quinz, 65./Spinell-Kostner J.), Giacomuzzi (52./Eisatz-Lutz A.)

EC Bregenzerwald - HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 0:4 (0:1, 0:2, 0:1)
Referees: WIDMANN, WUNTSCHEK, Puff, Spiegel.
Goals HKO: Logar (16./Simsic-Ulamec), Music (30./Zibelnik-Pance), Pance (35.PP1/Vallerand-Ropret), Stebih (45./Music-Pulli)

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - VEU Feldkirch 6:7 SO (2:4, 2:2, 2:0, 0:0)
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, MOSCHEN, Bedana, De Zordo.
Goals WSV: Gschnitzer (4./Niccolai), Kofler (16./Mantinger), Eisendle (35.PP2/Valentini-Gander), Gooch (39./Hannoun-Hackhofer), Panatscher (54./Eisendle-Hackhofer), Hannoun (56./Valentini-Oberdorfer)
Goals VEU: Stanley (6./Koczera-Birnstill), Lebeda (13./Stanley-Birnstill), Lundström (14./Puschnik-Birnstill), Korecky (17./Müller-Lundström), Puschnik (21.PP1/Lundström-Stanley, 65.PS), Samarzic (30.SH1/Kaider)

SHC Fassa Falcons - EHC Lustenau 2:3 (0:1, 0:0, 2:2)
Referees: BENVEGNU, PINIE, Carrito, Cristeli.
Goals EHC: D’Alvise (13./Ozolins-Karkls), Krakls (45./Wilfan-Ozolins), Wilfan (47.PP1/D’Alvise- Ozolins)
Goals FAS: Tedesco (54./Caletti-Hofer R., 57.PP1/Castlunger-Iori)

Fotocredit: Eva Brili Grebenar