Home victories in the semifinals opener

For the third time HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice and the Rittner Buam SkyAlps are facing each other in the semifinals of the Alps Hockey League and for the third time Jesenice started the series with a win. Last year's finalist prevailed with 3:1 on Thursday. In the ninth minute, Erik Svetina gave the Slovenians the lead in the power play. After that, the two teams largely neutralized each other, with the home side having a bit more of the play. It took until the 51st minute until Luka Scap increased the lead to 2:0 after an assist from Zan Jezovsek. Luka Ulamec ensured the final decision in the 55th minute in the power play. Only one and a half minutes later Janne Tavi, also in the powerplay, scored Ritten's consolation goal and prevented JES goaltender Antti Karjalainen's tenth shutout of the season, who in the end saved 22 of 23 shots on goal.

Red Bull Hockey Juniors wins overtime thriller
In the second semifinal, the opening game was decided in the overtime. In the end, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors prevailed 3:2 with a goal by Philipp Krening in the 73rd minute. The first goal of the series was scored by S.G. Cortina Hafro, which took the lead in the fifth minute through Diego Cuglietta. However, the lead of the guests lasted only for two and a half minutes before Philipp Krening equalized and thus provided an important goal already in the regular playing time. Two minutes before the end of the first period, Aljaz Predan even managed to turn the game around completely for the Juniors. After a goalless second period, it was finally Riccardo Lacedelli who equalized in the 46th minute to make it 2:2. Since nothing happened afterwards, the first game of the series went into overtime, in which the Juniors set the tone before scoring the game-winner in the 73rd minute.

Alps Hockey League | 23.03.2023 | Semifinals 1:
Red Bull Hockey Juniors – S.G. Cortina Hafro 3:2/OT (2:1, 0:0, 0:1, 1:0)
Referees: MOSCHEN, SCHAUER, Fleischmann, Puff | Spectators: 100
Standings in the „best-of-7“ series: 1:0
Goals RBJ: 1:1 Krening P. (8. Fischer S. – Sumpf J.), 2:1 Predan A. (18.), 3:2 Krening P. (73/OT)
Goals SGC: 0:1 Cuglietta D. (5. Zardini Lacedelli N. – Alvera T.), 2:2 Lacedelli R. (46. Traversa T. – Di Tomaso G.)

HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – Rittner Buam 3:1 (1:0, 0:0, 2:1)
Referees: PINIE, REZEK, Arlic, De Zordo | Spectators: 750
Standings in the „best-of-7“ series: 1:0
Goals JES: 1:0 Svetina E. (9./PP1 Polcs R. – Pance E.), 2:0 Scap L. (51. Jezovsek Z. – Urukalo Z.), 3:0 Ulamec L. (54./PP1 Glavic G. – Blomberg N.)
Goal RIT: 3:1 Tavi J. (55./PP1 Insam M. – Giacomuzzi A.)