Jezovsek lifts Jesenice into playoffs

HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice has won its twelfth home game of the season and thus brought the decisive points in the fight for early playoff qualification, as the Slovenians are fixed for the Master Round and therefore qualified for the quarterfinals before their seven remaining games. Against HC Meran/o Pircher, the league leader won clearly 5-0 after two goalless periods. Zan Jezovsek was outstanding, scoring four goals and extending his lead in the Alps Hockey League goal scoring charts. Antti Karjalainen made 23 saves, his fifth shutout, four of them on home ice.

Salzburg, Unterland and Ritten take big wins each in fight for top-5
In the fight for the four other spots in the Master Round, the trio of Salzburg, Unterland and Ritten achieved important victories on Saturday: Red Bull Hockey Juniors prevailed 3-2 at home against SHC Fassa Falcons, winning their last game in the Regular Season. Salzburg now has a 15-point advantage over sixth-placed EK Die Zeller Eisbären. The duel against the Italians was decided by Daniel Assavolyuk with his 7th goal of the season in the 55th minute.

The Hockey Unterland Cavaliers temporarily consolidated their fourth place in standings with a 5-4 home win over EK Die Zeller Eisbären. In a high-scoring game, which offered seven goals already until the 27th minute, both teams were ahead twice with one goal each - before it was even going into the final period. Santeri Haarala was the hero with a game-winner 13 seconds left. He and Miro Markkula each recorded two goals and two assists each. The “Eisbären” were defeated for the fifth time in a row and lost ground in the fight for the Master Round.

In fifth place are now the Rittner Buam SkyAlps, which won 7-4 on the road at EHC Lustenau. The South Tyroleans celebrated a victory away from home again after three road defeats, while Lustenau remained without points at home for the first time since October 13th or six games in a row. Four goals between the 32nd and 48th minutes paved the way for the road victory for the visitors. Marco Insam recorded a hat trick for the "Baum", Jakob Cardwell (1G|3A) collected four points.

Another 5-point night for Mc Gowan
HC Gherdeina valgardena.it has again reduced its gap to the top-5, as the South Tyrolean team won 6-4 against the Steinbach Steel Wings Linz and thus also won the tenth duel against the Upper Austrians. Brad Mc Gowan put himself in the limelight once again: just like on Thursday against the EC-KAC Future Team, the former league MVP recorded five points (2G|3A). Kyle Gibbon scored a hat trick. With its eleventh win of the season, Val Gardena is currently only four points behind fifth place.

Bregenzerwald takes fourth straight home-win
The EC Bregenzerwald claimed its fourth home win in a row on Saturday with a 4-3 victory over EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, with the "Wälder" moving up to tenth place in the standings, while the "Adler" which lost their fourth consecutive meeting at ECB slipped to eighth place. Rene Tröthan provided the game winner in the 57th minute after the Vorarlberg side had twice come back from a deficit through Panu Hyyppä.

Alps Hockey League | 10.12.2022 | Results:
HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – HC Meran/o Pircher 5:0 (0:0, 0:0, 5:0)
Referees: BULOVEC, GIACOMOZZI F., Murnik, Pace. | Zuschauer: 311
Goals JES: Bohinc (43./Glavic-Planko), Jezovsek (46.PP1, 49./Sersen, 55./Galushkin-Ulamec, 60.PP1/Blomberg-Galushkin)

Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – EK Die Zeller Eisbären 5:4 (2:3, 2:1, 1:0)
Referees: SCHAUER, VIRTA, Bedana, Rinker. | Zuschauer: 325
Goals HCU: Haarala (9./Markkula-Brighenti, 60.PP1/Nyman-Markkula), Markkula (14./Haarala-DeNardin, 23./Haarala-Kaufmann), Sölva (27./Oberrauch)
Goals EKZ: Putnik (7.), Kittinger (18./Egger), Ban (19./WIlenius-Widen), Neubauer (40.PP1/Wilenius-Widen)

Red Bull Hockey Juniors – SHC Fassa Falcons 3:1 (0:0, 1:1, 2:1)
Referees: HLAVATY, MOSCHEN, Brondi, Voican. | Zuschauer: 70
Goals RBJ: Maier O. (21./Heigl T.), Heigl T. (41./Maier-Sinn), Assavolyuk (55./Jelavc)
Goals: Forte (28.PP1/Biondi-Sol), Pietroniro K. (60./Biondi-Sol)

Steinbach Steel Wings Linz – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 4:6 (0:0, 1:3, 3:3)
Referees: LEHNER, WIDMANN, Moidl, Puff. | Zuschauer: 114
Goals SWL: Haiböck (34./Dorion-Pirklbauer), Kitt (44.PP1/Dorion-Rappold), Noreika (50./Kitt), Lahoda (56./Bucenieks-Moser)
Goals GHE: Luisetti (31./Moroder-Oberrauch M.), Gibbon (35./Amorosa-Mc Gowan, 37./Mc Gowan-Amorosa, 55./Mc Gowan), Mc Gowan (42.SH1/Sullmann Pilser, 58.PP1/Luisetti-Amorosa)

EC Bregenzerwald – EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 4:3 (1:2, 2:1, 1:0)
Referees: BENVEGNU, LAZZERI, Huber J., Spiegel. | Zuschauer: 551
Goals ECB: Nyqvist (4./Ranftl-Hyyppä), Hyyppä (21./Nyqvist-Ranftl, 30./Nyqvist-Tröthan), Tröthan (57./Kandemir-Fässler)
Goals KEC: Niemelä (7.PP1/Kreuter-Lahnaviik), Szabad (12./Ortner), Lahnaviik (29./Hintermann-Niemelä)

EHC Lustenau – Rittner Buam SkyAlps 4:7 (2:1, 0:2, 2:4)
Referees: LEGA, PINIE, De Zordo, Eisl. | Zuschauer: 249
Goals EHC: Hayes (2./Puschnik-Lucenius), König (20.PP1/Kutzer J.-Pöschmann), Ratz (54.PP1/Lucenius-Koczera, 56./Lucenius-Hayes)
Goals RIT: Insam (5./Öhler R-Pechlaner, 45.PP1/Cardwell-Spinell, 48.PP1/Fink-Kostner S.), Cardwell (32./Kostner S.-Kostner J.), Spinell (37.SH1/Kostner S., 59./Kostner J.-Cardwell), Prast (60./Cardwell-Öhler)