Leading duo pulls clear

Jesenice has won the first four derbies this season and they also were the favourites at home in front of 2.8000 fans on Saturday. It only took 28 seconds until Matic Kralj threw cold water on Jesenice's plans - 0:1. After scoring his first goal of the season on Thursday against the Juniors, defender Andraz Zibelnik doubled the lead after almost twelve minutes. Especially in the second period the hosts pressed hard for their first goal but Robert Kristan stopped all attempts. The Olimpija netminder kept a clean sheet after 40 minutes. With Nik Grahut (48 th minute) adding a third, it looked like a comfortable Ljubljana win but the steelers bounced back. With goalie Clarke Saunders being pulled, Adis Alagic and Jaka Sodja scored twice in the 59th minute. However, Miha Zajc made the game safe for Olimpija in the final seconds for a 4:2 road win.

The young Kristian Budinsky was the starting goalkeeper of the Neumarkt. The first half was fairly balanced. After a powerplay missed for both team, minute by minute the game became more intense. The Neumarkt made the first goal in powerplay thanks to the maneuver of Ondrej Nedved and Alex Sullmann. The latter served the puck to his brother Michael who scored free in front of the net. The Gherdeina answered when there were missing 39 seconds at the end of the first period: Derek Eastman shoted and the puck was not held by the goalkeeper of the home team. During the second period, Neumarkt earned the game thanks to a greater concreteness in attack zone. After 32 seconds of play Jason Muzik gave the lead for home team. Then the real break of the match came after 33 minutes of play when in 64 seconds the Wild Geese scored two goals in the same penalty killing. First Alex Sullmann and then Jason Muzik allowed the Egna to reach 4:1. Then Michael Sullmann completed the period for the 5th goal of Neumarkt in counterattack. In the third time Gherdeina tried to reopen the game but Ivan Demetz's goal (in the scrum) and still Derek Eastman (in powerplay) it were enough to tie the game. The Neumarkt returned to victory (5:3) while for Gherdeina it was the third consecutive defeat. 

The Juniors ahd the better of play early in the game but Lucas Birnbaum only hit the post in the first minute. Soon later it was Niklas Postel who could not beat KAC goalie Jakob Holzer. It took the hosts 17 minutes until Lukas Kainz broke the spell for a 1:0 lead. The second period was a mere 47 seconds old when Alex Lahoda doubled it on power play. It was all Red Bulls and Yannick Pilloni found the top of the net with a hard wrist shot for his first goal of the season - 3:0. Daniel Obersteiner got Klagenfurt on the scoreboard in a 4 on 4 situation in the third period but just a few moments later Maximilian Egger restored the three-goal lead. The Juniors earned a 4:1 home win and came closer to the palyoff spot once again.

Lustenau came out hard and were the dominating side in the opening period. A brace by Yan Stastny and Philipp Koczera gave the guests a 2:0 lead halfway through the first. As a result Patrick Machreich was repalced by backup Dominik Frank. In the middle frame it took the lions 17 more minutes to scored again when Koczera made his second of the night from close range. Then, the hosts came out offensively-minded for the third and Tobias Dinhopel got them on the scoreboard. However, David König restored the three-goal lead. Zell am See never surrendered and captain Franz Wilfan reduced the deficit to 2:4 after 48 minutes. Jason DeSantis added a fifth Lustenau goal on power play, though. In a final push Fabian Scholz lit the lamp with a man advantage and two more goals by Wilfan and once again Scholz sent the game into overtime. In the extra session it was Stastny who took the extra point for Lustenau.

Bregenzerwald played with high tempo in the opening period. As a result Maximilian Hohenegg opened the scoring after nine minutes off a Hyppä shot. In the final stage of the period the hosts pressed for the equalizer and with two seconds to go Henrik Hochfilzer tied it at one. Both teams missed some chances in the middle frame but 36 seconds before the second intermission the eagles turned the game around. Christopher Feix netted on a rebound after a great solo attempt by Olegs Sislannikovs. The hosts extended their lead when a puck bounced back from the boards and Martin Gran converted. The visitors could not come back this evening and Henrik Eriksson rounded off the scoring with an empty netter. A great defensive work brought the first win for new coach Tomas Martinec.

Very important game for both the AHL and the IHL Elite. In the first period Bruneck exercised a slight supremacy in a match, however, very fought and physical. Neither team managed to score a goal against goalkeeper Thomas Tragust and Marco De Filippo. Starting from the second period and with some extra penalties on the account of the visitors, Pustertal was more incisive. The first goal was made by Eric Pance in the traffic that found the right trajectory in powerplay action. But the Cortina was there and before the end of the second period they tied in powerplay action with the bomber Zachary Torquato. During the third period the Bruneck put a lot of pressure. The goal that was worth the meeting came after 45 minutes of play. Sean Ringrose served a gold puck for Eric Pance who didn’t mistakes in the front of the door for his double of the evening. The 2:1 in the favor of Pustertal will no longer be recovered from the Cortina. The Wolves maintained the fourth position in AHL and the first in their qualifying group for the Final Four Scudetto.

Dominik Steinmann was the starting goalkeeper of Sterzing. In a beautiful public setting, the game was a lot of fun with many opportunities on both sides of the rink. As often happened, it was the first penalty of the match (2 'to Michael Messner) to change the result. The Asiago managed the action and then Marco Rosa with a wrist shot made the first advantage. The reaction of Sterzing came immediately with Ben Duffy who exploited a defensive mistake of home team. Before the end of time, there was one goal for team. Enrico Miglioranzi scored from close range, then there was a delayed penalty. The Broncos left the goalkeeper as they scored 6 on 5 at the end of a good action with Matthias Mantinger. During the second period the Broncos hit immediately on the counterattack with the one-timer of Jure Sotlar. The yellow -read team reorganized as they, minute after minute, returned to pull for a draw that cam after 33 minutes thanks to the shot under the crossbar of Anthony Nigro. Before the end of the second period there was a new advantage of Asiago with Phil Pietroniro that overcame the opponents in speed and scored 4: 3. In the third time the game was always fought but Giulio Scandella and Anthony Nigro allowed to Asiago to win the match (6: 3). The Asiago confirmed in second place of the AHL standings and was in first place in his round of IHL ELITE.

 

The young Sebastiano Soracreppa, Ivan Lauton, Davide Schiavone, Nik Trottner and Massimo Zanet were absent for the home team. Andreas Alber, Max Ploner, Kevin Fink and Philipp Pechlaner were absent for the guests. The pressure of the AHL leaders was very strong towards the Gianni Scola door. The Ritten dominated the first period but they couldn’t find the goals thanks to the stubborn defense of the Falcons. Fassa could score on a couple of occasions but Samuel Rothstein hit the post. Already as in the last game against Brunico, Fassa played his game as they resisted until the 27th minute when Alexi Frei overcame the defense of the Falcons for the only goal of the second period. During the third period Thomas Spinell scored in the scrum after just 59 seconds of play as he directed the game towards Collalbo. The third goal was signed by Victor Ahlström who closed the accounts against Fassa. The Ritten won 3:0. Patrick Killeen earned his third shutout of the season. 

 

Referees: LENDL, WIDMANN, Bizalj, Legat.

Goals Jesenice: Alagic (59.), Sodja (59./Piispanen-Kalan)

Goals Ljubljana: Kralj (1./Hebar-Selan), Zibelnik (12./C. Snoj-Cepon), Grahut (48./Orehek-Chvatal), Zajc (59./en)

 

Referees: LAZZERI, LEGA, DeZordo, Egger.

Goals HCN: 1:0 M. Sullmann (10./PP1/A.Sullmann-O.Nedved); 2:1 Muzik (20./Brabenec – T.Brighenti); 3:1 A.Sullmann (33./SH1/Muzik-Wieser); 4:1 Muzik (34./SH1/Brabenec-Brighenti); 5:1 M.Sullmann (34./F.Wieser-Nedved);

Goals GHE: 1:1 Eastman (19./PP1/G.Vinatzer-D.Roupec); 5:2 I.Demetz (50./Nocker-Eatsman); 5:3 Eastman (58./PP1/Lundstrom-F.Kostner);

 

Referees: HOLZER, STRASSER, Kalb, Oberhuber

Goals Salzburg: Kainz (31./Postel-Lahoda)), Lahoda (21./PP-Kainz-Eder), Pilloni (32./Kittinger-Zimmermann), Egger (45./Wappis-Östling) 

Goal Klagenfurt: Obersteiner (45./Steffler-Sticha)

 

Referees: DURCHNER, PODLESNIK, Bedynek, Kainberger

Goals Zell am See: 1:3 44/EQ #27 Dinhopel Tobias (#6 Dinhopel F.; #60 Fazokas A.), 2:4 48/PP1 #57 Wilfan Franz (#44 Scholz F.; #16 Vala P.), 3:5 56/PP1 #44 Scholz Fabian (#57 Wilfan F.; #97 Widen F.), 4:5 57/EQ #57 Wilfan Franz (#44 Scholz F.; #16 Vala P.), 5:5 58/EQ #44 Scholz Fabian (#26 Herzog Chr.) 

Goals Lustenau: 0:1 09/EQ #27 Stastny Yan (#93 Koczera P.; #44 Ulmer J.), 0:2 11/EQ #93 Koczera Philipp (#44 Ulmer J.; #27 Stastny Y.), 0:3 38/EQ #93 Koczera Philipp (#77 DeSantis J.; #27 Stastny Y.), 1:4 46/EQ #91 König David (#49 Tschernutter J.), 2:5 53/PP1 #77 DeSantis Jason (#27 Stastny Y.), 5:6 62/EQ #27 Stastny Yan

 

Referees: BAJT, RUETZ, Markizeti, Rezek.

Goals KEC: Hochfilzer (20./Gran-Erikssson), Feix (40./Sislannikovs-Sprukts), Gran (48./Nußbaumer-Schröder), Eriksson (59./en)

Goal ECB: Hohenegg (9./Hyyppä-Schwinger)

 

Referees: PIANEZZE, VIRTA, Ch. Cristeli, P. Giacomozzi.

Goals PUS: 1:0 Pance (27./PP1/Di Casmirro-Ringrose); 2:0 Pance (45./Ringrose);

Goal COR: 1:1 Torquato (38./PP1/Brace-Caletti);

 

Referees: FAJDIGA, KAMSEK, Bedana, F. Giacomozzi.

Goals ASH: 1:0 Rosa (10./PP1/Nigro-Gellert); 2:1 Miglioranzi (16./Scandella – M.Sullivan); 3:3 Nigro (33./Scandella-Casetti); 4:3 P. Pietroniro (38./Bardaro-Rosa); 5:3 Scandella (45./Nigro); 6:3 Nigro (48./PP1/Gellert-Scandella); 

Goals WSV: 1:1 Duffy (12./Nyren-Sotlar); 2:2 Mantinger (18./Nyren-Sotlar); 2:3 Sotlar (20./Duffy-Mantinger); 

 

Referees: OFNER, WALLNER, Holzer, Rinker

Goals RIT: 0:1 Frei (27./PP1/Tudin-Traversa); 0:2 T.Spinell (40./Tudin); 0:3 V. Ahlström (48./Cole-Kostner);

Photo: David S. Wassagruba