Jesenice gets victory in top match, favourites win in Qualification Round

Last match in the third round of Master round was played in Jesenice. Leading team Ritten had their plans but the home team Jesenice was well prepared. Two matches between these two teams were already played in the first part of the championship. Both times the visiting team  won after they were three goals behind. Steelers started very efficiently and in less than three minutes they took a 2:0 lead with goals of Aleksander Magovec and Žan Jezovšek. At five against three they could increase their lead, but there was no good shot on target. During the match the teams were equal and the fans saw a real fight as well as in the first and second third of the match. Guests were much more dangerous in the second period, but Žan Us was in a very good mood. On the attacks, also the home team showed their teeth, but the result remain unchanged. Last third decided about everything. There was no lacking of fighting spirit or opportunities. First the Steelers dangerously attacked with one player more, but they didn’t score. The guests were more successful at the same situation as Alex Frei was the one who made the match even more tense. But Jesenice’s answer came in the next attack, when Jaka Ankerst hit the goal. In the following minutes there was a lot of body to body play, fighting spirit and desire to win. In the last minutes, the guests had a power play and also tried it with an extra attacker. But the result did not change anymore and Jesenice celebrated a big victory. 

 

Early in the game both teams found the back of the net with Antti Kauppila surprising guest netminder Gianluca Vallini to open the scoring after eight minutes. Benjamin Kostner's tying goal also looked savable and after 13 minutes Diego Iori turned the game around. Later in the first period Philip Putnik scored the equalizer off a  Koczera pass. After the restart Gherdeina pressed for another lead but ECB goalie Misa Pietilä made some brilliant saves. Then the hosts got a power play and Marcel Wolf took advantage when he went top shelf. The joy was short-lived as Gabriel Vinatzer made it 3:3 and the story repeated itself late in the middle frame. Daniel Ban scored for Bregenzerwald and Daniel Costa had the right answer ready - 4:4 after 40 minutes. Early in the third the Vorarlberg side made pressure and the visitors were not able to get the puck out of their defensive end for long time. But then the "fury" scored a brace by Josef Straka and Ivan Demetz for the preliminary decision. The home team was shocked and Pietilä prevented them from some more goals against. With four minutes to go the guests added another brace for a 8:4 road win. It was their eighth win in a row.

 

The game in Klagenfurt was a mere 44 seconds old when Federico Cordin made the breakthrough off a pass by Christian Willeit. In further consequence the visitors were the dominant team and most parts of the period took place in Klagenfurt's zone. After missing some good chances the puck crossed goal line in 12th minute: The referee raised his hand for a penalty against the hosts when the puck entered the crease and landed in the net after two deflections. But the refs made a "no goal" call on that play. Ruben Zerbetto failed to score on the last attempt of the first because of KAC goalie Thomas Dechel who kept his side alive. The middle frame was more-balanced with Klagenfurt tying the match on power play: Daniel Obersteiner deflected a shot by Marco Richter. Not even two minutes later Neumarkt hit back when top scorer Linus Lundström restored the lead with a man advantage. The wild geese were out of luck on the next power play when Ondrej Nedved's blue liner only struck metalwork. After the midway point of the game Florian Kurath tied it at two from close range. Both teams had another good opportunity before the second break but the score remained 2:2. Neumarkt had the better of the play in the third again but Markus Simonazzi and Radovan Gabri failed to score from promising position. At the other end of the rink Rene Krumpl made a bad decision in a 2 on 1 break when he took the shot that went wide. In a final push Lundström, the best player on the ice, was out of luck and as a result the game went into overtime. On another pp the 25-year-old Swede lit the lamp for a 3:2 road win.

 

The Fassa showed this match without four players: Thomas Dantone, Martin Castlunger, Soel Costantin and Nik Trottner. The first goal was of guest: Lukas Kainz exceeded for the first time the goalkeeper Gianni Scola. But the reaction of the home team arrived after five minutes: Stefan Della Rovere realized the draw at the end of a personal action. Then the first time there were no others goals but the Falcons was a bit more enterprising. During the second period the home team sinked under the hit of the Red Bulls. Daniel Jakubitzka made the lead after just 26 seconds of the middle. Tobias Eder exceeded Scola with a strong diagonal shot after four minutes of the second half in shorthaned after a Falcons’s mistake. Red Bulls were still in evidence with the fourth goal of Victor Östling just before the end of the second period. In the third period the Falcons played much better. The protagonist was still Della Rovere that after just 55 seconds overcame Kevin Reich. The game was more balanced but again the Salzburg realized the fifth goal with Niklas Postel. The game seemed over but there was the last reaction of Fassa. Stefan Della Rovere made his hat-trick as he called into play the Falcons. The last minute is glowing. Paolo Bustreo realized the fourth goal of the Fassa. Then the home team played with extra attacker for the final assault because Jakubitzka took 2 minutes fo penalty. Kainz didn’t score into the empty net but not even the Fassa managed to score. The Red Bulls Junior Hockey won for 5: 4 and reached Cortina at the top of ranking of qualification round – group A. The Fassa was defeated for the eighth time in a row for the last place of the group.