Release from 04.01.2024
The first phase of the 2023/24 Alps Hockey League season comes to a close on Friday. On the final matchday, four teams will battle it out for three remaining Masterround tickets, which mean direct qualification for the playoffs. AHL runners-up Cortina are currently in seventh place and therefore need some help.
Alps Hockey League:
Fri, 05.01.2024, 18:00: Rittner Buam SkyAlps - EC-KAC Future Team
Referees: KUMMER, PINIE, Fecchio, Wucherer | >> valcome.tv <<
On the last matchday of the regular season, the table toppers meet the team at the bottom. Ritten can no longer be displaced from the top position, so the South Tyroleans go into the Masterround with four bonus points. The KAC Future Team could still leave the bottom of the table, but the Carinthians will definitely enter the qualification round without bonus points. With three wins from their last five games, Klagenfurt have shown an upward trend. The first duel of the season clearly went to the first AHL champions from Klobenstein.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 18:00: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: LEHNER, VIRTA, De Zordo, Moidl | >> valcome.tv <<
Sterzing maintained their top 6 position on Wednesday with a 5-4 away win in Lustenau. James Livingston scored the decisive goal three minutes before the end. With a win in their final game, the Wipptalers would qualify for the Masterround on their own. EC Bregenzerwald have already secured their play-off ticket. The team from Vorarlberg can no longer be displaced from the top six, but they still have bonus points for the intermediate round at stake.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 19:00: HK RST Pellet Celje - HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BAJT, WIDMANN, Arlic, Puff | >> valcome.tv <<
Things have not been going according to plan for Celje in recent weeks, the league newcomers have won only one of their last seven games and are in second-last place. Val Gardena, on the other hand, have improved over the course of the championship, winning six of their last seven games and moving up to ninth place. The visit to Slovenia is all about bonus points for the "Furie" and the best possible starting position for the intermediate round. Val Gardena won the first game of the season 3:1.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären - Hockey Unterland Cavaliers
Referees: HLAVATY, VOICAN, Legat, Weiss | >> valcome.tv <<
Zell am See celebrated an overtime victory over Jesenice on Wednesday in front of an excellent crowd of 2,600 spectators. The team from Pinzgau will finish the regular season in second place and go into the Masterround with three bonus points. For the visitors from Neumarkt, the top six were out of reach quickly this time and they are now in the thick of the battle for bonus points for the second phase of the championship. Yesterday, the South Tyroleans celebrated a 1-0 win over league leaders Ritten, with goalie Tizian Giovanelli recording the first Cavaliers shutout of the season with 42 saves. Zell am See won 5:4 in the first season meeting.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 20:00: EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Referees: BULOVEC, HOLZER, Bergant, Seewald | >> valcome.tv <<
Kitzbühel have recently celebrated two wins and are in eighth place. The Tyroleans need at least one point to defend this position on their own. But there is also a lot at stake for Jesenice. The Slovenians maintained their top six position with a point in Zell am See and are one point ahead of the seventh-placed team from Cortina before the final matchday in the regular season. Kitzbühel celebrated a 1:0 overtime win at the reigning champions in the first duel of the season.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 20:30: S.G. Cortina Hafro - EHC Lustenau
Referees: LAZZERI, SCHAUER, Cristeli, Jäger | >> valcome.tv <<
Cortina had to admit defeat in a shootout at the bottom team in Klagenfurt on Wednesday and are in seventh place ahead of the last matchday in the regular season. The AHL runners-up are reliant on help in the race for the Masterround and also have to prove themselves at home against Lustenau. The team from Vorarlberg slipped to twelfth place after two defeats and will be looking for important bonus points for the qualification round when they visit Italy. The first duel of the season between the two teams went to a shootout, where Cortina came out on top.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 20:30: HC Meran/o Pircher - Steel Wings LINZ AG
Referees: LEGA, RUETZ, Cusin, Rinker | >> valcome.tv <<
Merano started the new year with a defeat in Salzburg, the South Tyroleans are currently in tenth place. For them, anything between ninth place (4 bonus points) and 13th place (0) is still possible. Linz, on the other hand, will finish the regular season in 14th place; the Upper Austrians have recently suffered five defeats in a row. The first duel of the season went to the Steel Wings, who have also won six of their seven AHL games with Meran.
Fri, 05.01.2024, 20:45: SHC Fassa Falcons - Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: BENVEGNU, STEFENELLI, Abeltino, Fleischmann | >> valcome.tv <<
The situation before the clash between Fassa and Salzburg is extremely exciting. The Italians are currently in 13th place and would go into the intermediate round without bonus points. Theoretically, they could even move up to ninth place on the final matchday. The Juniors, on the other hand, need at least one point to qualify for the Masterround on their own. The AHL record so far clearly favours Salzburg, who have won 15 of 17 encounters - including the first game of the season in mid-December.