Release from 31.03.2025

Jesenice and Zell am See have first chance to reach the final

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On Tuesday, the EK Zeller Eisbären and HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice can already advance to the final of the 2024/25 Alps Hockey League season. The Pinzgau side, who is still unbeaten in the current playoffs, will travel to Sterzing. The Slovenians, on the other hand, can dethrone the reigning champions Ritten in front of their home crowd.

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The Rittner Buam SkyAlps and Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan play on Tuesday against the premature end of the season. This could mean the first final in AHL history without Italian participation.

The EK Zeller Eisbären, on the other hand, could be the first Austrian team to reach the final. The Pinzgau side, who is still unbeaten in the current playoffs, leads the semi-final series against Sterzing 3-0, winning 4-1 in front of over 2,500 spectators in Zell am See on Saturday. The Austrians have taken at least a 2-0 lead in all three games so far. To extend their season, the Broncos will have to step up in offence and convert their chances. With 81 points, Adam Capanelli is the second-best scorer in the league, having gained at least one point in the last eight games. Sterzing's season came to an end in the semi-finals last year, when the Sjöquist team were only beaten by Ritten in the seventh game.

In the second semi-final series, HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice leads 3-0 against the Rittner Buam SkyAlps. The Slovenians always had the upper hand in the three close games, which were each decided by just one goal difference. On Saturday, Jesenice forced over time with two late goals and finally prevailed 4:3 in Klobenstein. In this game, however, a Ritten player had a league milestone: Ethan Szypula became the first player to break the 100-point mark in an Alps Hockey League season. The next task on Tuesday will be extremely difficult for the South Tyroleans, as Jesenice have won all four playoff home games so far. The Slovenians could reach the final for the third time after 2022 and 2023 (they were champions that year).

Alps Hockey League, Semi-finals 4
Tue, 01.04.2025:
19:00: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Rittner Buam SkyAlps
Referees: KAINBERGER, VOICAN, Rinker, Weiss | >> valcome.tv <<
Standings in the “best-of-7” series 3:0

20:00: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: HOLZER, SNOJ, Fleischmann, Jeram | >> valcome.tv <<
Standings in the “best-of-7” series 0:3