Jesenice extends lead in the table with derby win

The league leaders HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice go into the new year with a three-point lead. Head coach Niko Eronen's team won the derby at Celje 5:1 on Monday. Although the home side started the game well, Jesenice got the goals: Koblar and Sillanpää made it 2:0 within 65 seconds. After the restart, the league leaders even went 3:0 up, but Celje reduced the deficit before the second break through Grahut on the powerplay. In the third period, however, Jesenice were again superior, with Slibar and Lesnicar scoring for the final score. It was Jesenice's first win in the third derby of the season.

The Rittner Buam SkyAlps gave the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers no chance on Monday evening in front of almost 1,000 fans in the Ritten Arena with one of their best performances of the season to date. The Buam won 5:1 in the end with great commitment, resolute toughness and wonderful goals. Alan Lobis opened the scoring six seconds before the first period break and the hosts pulled away to 3:0 by the 26th minute. Unterland only had a brief glimmer of hope, but in the end Ritten also won their third duel of the season to defend third place.

Fourth-placed Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel also ended the year with a sense of achievement. The Tyroleans won 6:2 in Merano, with six different players getting on the scoresheet for the visitors. After Ketonen (17th/PP) scored the only goal in the first period, Kitzbühel briefly pulled away to 3:0 in the middle period. Meran reduced the deficit to 1:3 and later to 2:4, but the Austrians were not to be denied victory - they won for the second time this season in Meran.

Hafro Cortina Hockey extended their advantage to sixth place with a 2:0 home win over Bregenzerwald. After 35 goalless minutes, Riccardo Lacedelli gave the home side the lead on the powerplay. The game remained exciting in front of almost 1,000 fans until the final minute, when Leonardo Felicetti scored an empty netter to decide the game. Cortina goalie Hayden Hawkey recorded his third shutout of the season.

Over 1,500 spectators attended the derby between HC Val Gardena and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. The team bottom of the table took an early lead through Yuri Cristellon (4th). Emil Oksanen even increased it to 2:0 in the powerplay, but Adam Capannelli (18th/PP) scored for the visitors before the first break. Sterzing had the confidence of three consecutive victories and the Broncos equalised in the middle period. The score remained 3:3 after 60 minutes, with Simon Pitschieler scoring in overtime to secure the home win. Val Gardena thus ended a six-game losing streak.

Alps Hockey League:
Monday, 30.12.2024:
Rittner Buam SkyAlps – Hockey Unterland Cavaliers 5:1 (1:0,2:1,2:0)
Referees: BENVEGNU, MOSCHEN, Brondi, Weiss.
Goals 1:0 RIT Lobis A. (19:54 / Prast J. ,Kostner S. / EQ), 2:0 RIT Cuglietta D. (22:17 / Spinell M. ,Soracreppa S. / EQ), 3:0 RIT Hjorth E. (25:43 / Szypula E. ,Cuglietta D. / EQ), 3:1 CAV Remolato N. (36:44 / Murnieks D. ,Goldner L. / EQ), 4:1 RIT Soracreppa S. (41:46 / Graf T. ,Marzolini M. / EQ), 5:1 RIT Öhler R. (56:44 / Lang M. ,Lobis A. / EQ)

HK RST Pellet Celje – SIJ Acroni Jesenice 1:5 (0:2,1:1,0:2)
Referees: BULOVEC, HLAVATY, Legat, Telesklav.
Goals 0:1 JES Koblar G. (13:15 / Cimzar T. / EQ), 0:2 JES Sillanpaa S. (14:20 / Valtola O. ,Sturm J. / EQ), 0:3 JES Sturm J. (23:01 / Valtola O. ,Tursic Seckar M. / EQ), 1:3 HKC Grahut N. (39:04 / Mintautiskis M. ,Tsarkovskyi D. / PP), 1:4 JES Slibar O. (44:47 / Lesnicar T. / EQ), 1:5 JES Lesnicar T. (49:03 / Baloh D. ,Jenko J. / EQ)

HC Meran/o Pircher – Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 2:6 (0:1,2:3,0:2)
Referees: LAZZERI, STEFENELLI, Abeltino, Rivis.
Goals 0:1 KEC Ketonen N. (16:29 / Podlipnik M. / PP), 0:2 KEC Schutz C. (23:23 / Ketonen N. ,Fröwis J. / EQ), 0:3 KEC Podlipnik M. (28:35 / Ketonen N. / SH), 1:3 HCM Pietroniro C. (32:13 / Trivellato D. / EQ), 1:4 KEC Södergren L. (36:56 / Geifes T. ,Lippitsch J. / EQ), 2:4 HCM Nakajima T. (38:29 / Pietroniro C. / EQ), 2:5 KEC Fröwis J. (43:10 / Podlipnik M. / EQ), 2:6 KEC Engelhart J. (59:42 / Wetzl N. ,Ren J. / EQ)

Gherdeina valgardena.it – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 4:3 OT (2:1,1:2,0:0,1:0)
Referees: PIRAS, VIRTA, Fecchio, Grisenti.
Goals 1:0 GHE Cristellon Y. (03:42 / McGowan B. ,Prosofsky K. / EQ), 2:0 GHE Oksanen E. (16:39 / Schiavone D. ,McGowan B. / PP), 2:1 WSV Capannelli A. (18:08 / Sanvido C. ,Cianfrone B. / PP), 3:1 GHE Deluca S. (25:10 / unassisted / EQ), 3:2 WSV Sanvido C. (29:53 / De Lorenzo Meo L. ,Soraruf D. / EQ), 3:3 WSV Niccolai A. (38:36 / Hasler L. ,Capannelli A. / EQ), 4:3 GHE Pitschieler S. (64:10 / Mustonen H. ,Glück D. / EQ)

S.G. Cortina Hafro – EC Bregenzerwald 2:0 (0:0,1:0,1:0)
Referees: LEGA, PINIE, Cristeli, Cusin.
Goals 1:0 SGC Lacedelli R. (35:01 / Saha M. ,Pietroniro K. / PP), 2:0 SGC Felicetti L. (59:48 / Barnabo' L. ,Forte F. / EQ)