Release from 16.01.2024
The Alps Hockey League Intermediate Round kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday with the Master Round match between the EC Bregenzerwald and the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. The remaining games from the Master Round will follow on Thursday, as well as the first round of the Qualification Round groups, in which two places per group for the Pre-Playoffs will be played. As usual, all games are available in the livestream on www.valcome.tv.
Master Round:
Wed, 17.01.2024, 19:30: EC Bregenzerwald - Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: HOLZER, SPIEGEL, Jäger, Rinker. | >> valcome.tv <<
The Master Round opens on Wednesday with the game between the EC Bregenzerwald and the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. Both teams faced each other last week in the semi-finals of the Austrian AHL Championship. The Juniors narrowly prevailed with an overall score of 6:5. They celebrated a 5:3 away win at Bregenzerwald and then lost 1:2 at home. The Juniors finished the Regular Season of the Alps Hockey League in third place, which means they start the Intermediate Round with two bonus points. The EC Bregenzerwald, in fifth place, did not receive any bonus points. In the two AHL season duels so far, the home team won.
Thu, 18.01.2024, 19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären - Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: LAZZERI, SCHAUER, Brondi, De Zordo. | >> valcome.tv <<
In addition to the Juniors, the EK Die Zeller Eisbären also reached the final of the Austrian AHL Championship. The team from Pinzgau prevailed against Lustenau in the shootout with a total score of 7:6/SO. The Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, on the other hand, lost in the semi-finals of the IHL Serie A. Vipiteno lost 0:2 to Cortina in the „best-of-3“ series. In second place after the Regular Season of the Alps Hockey League, the Polar Bears enter the Master Round with three bonus points. The Broncos finished fourth and therefore received one bonus point. Zell am See narrowly won both duels with Vipiteno in the Regular Season (3:2, 6:5).
Thu, 18.01.2024, 20:30: S.G. Cortina Hafro - Rittner Buam SkyAlps
Referees: LESNIAK, VIRTA, Murnik, Pace. | >> valcome.tv <<
The first round of the Master Round will be concluded with the game between the two finalists of the IHL Serie A, S.G Cortina Hafro and the Rittner Buam SkyAlps. Regular Season champion Ritten have the better starting position in the Alps Hockey League Master Round. The Buam start from the top with four bonus points. Cortina was the sixth and last team to qualify for the Master Round and received no bonus point. Ritten finished the Regular Season with 69 out of a possible 90 points. They only conceded seven defeats in total, five defeats were after regulation. In Cortina, the South Tyroleans were beaten 4:5/SO in the Regular Season. Ritten responded at home one day before Christmas with a clear 5:0 victory.
Qualification Round A:
Thu, 18.01.2024, 19:00: SIJ Acroni Jesenice - HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BULOVEC, OREL, Arlic, Bergant. | >> valcome.tv <<
Defending champion SIJ Acroni Jesenice missed out on the Master Round for the first time after finishing seventh in the Regular Season. The Slovenians will now start Qualification Round A as the top seeded team with six bonus points. The top two teams in both qualification groups will advance to the Pre-Playoffs, where the remaining two Playoff participants will be determined in cross-table matches. The HC Gherdeina valgardena.it starts in third place behind Merano, which is free from play, with two bonus points. In Jesenice, however, the South Tyroleans won in the Regular Season with 6:1. In their home game, however, they conceded a 2:5 defeat against the Slovenians.
Thu, 18.01.2024, 19:15: Steel Wings LINZ AG - HK RST Pellet Celje
Referees: LEHNER, WIDMANN, Moidl, Seewald J. | >> valcome.tv <<
In the second game of Qualification Round A, the Steel Wings LINZ AG and HK RST Pellet Celje will face each other. Both teams start the Intermediate Round without a bonus point and therefore have the worst starting position of all teams in Group A. The home team has prevailed in each of the two season duels so far. The current form favors the league newcomer from Slovenia, who celebrated a surprising 5:3 home win against Jesenice in the Slovenian Hokejska Liga last week. They have won two of their last four games in the AHL. The Steel Wings have been waiting six games for a win.
Qualification Round B:
Thu, 18.01.2024, 19:00: EC-KAC Future Team - SHC Fassa Falcons
Referees: HLAVATY, VOICAN, Kanyo, Telesklav. | >> valcome.tv <<
The EC-KAC Future Team will host the SHC Fassa Falcons in the first game of Qualification Round B. The Future Team finished the Regular Season in 16th and last place and, like Fassa, who finished thirteenth, did not receive a bonus point. Fassa have clearly prevailed in the two season duels so far (6:2, 9:0).
Thu, 18.01.2024, 20:00: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers - EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, RUETZ, Abeltino, Formaioni. | >> valcome.tv <<
With the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers and the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, the two top teams of Qualification Round B face each other right at the beginning. Kitzbühel finished the Regular Season in eighth place and became five bonus points, while the Cavaliers followed immediately behind in ninth place and received four bonus points. The two teams were separated by five points in the Regular Season. Kitzbühel won both head-to-head duels in the Regular Season. The Tyroleans were not in action last week, while Unterland narrowly missed out on reaching the final in the IHL Serie A. In the „best-of-3“ semi-final series against Ritten, the South Tyroleans were only beaten in overtime of the deciding game. In the Alps Hockey League, both teams have won their last three games. The EHC Lustenau is free from play at the start of Qualification Round B.