Leading trio ends year with wins

Referees: HOLZER, STRASSER, Terragni, Vignolo.

 

Important absences on both sides. Top-scorer Alex Frei and Kevin Fink were absent for the home team that will have to give up for the rest of the season the injured Aleksandr Jerofejevs. In Asiago there were missing four forwards: Josè Magnabosco, Simone Olivero, Federico Benetti and Matteo Tessari. The game was played open-face since the first faceoff with opportunities on both fronts. Then after 11 minutes came the goal of Ritten with Johan Eriksson well served on the occasion by Stefan Quinz. The visitors answered at the beginning of the second period after 53 seconds. Josef Foltin made a deflection after a shot from the blue of Marco Rosa. But the home team reorganized as they took the lead again with Johan Eriksson who, in solitary counterattack, overcame Cloutier (28.). Then the Rittner Buams scored two more goals in just 68 seconds, which in fact decided the game. In four on four Simon Kostner scored 3:1 (34.) and then Olegs Sislannikovs scored 4:1, a result that closed the second period. Asiago in the third period relied on the couple Bardaro (assist) and Rosa (goal): this goal remained the only mark of the yellow-red team that then in the final suffered the empty net goal of Markus Spinell. The Ritten won 5:2 as they confirmed the fifth position in the standings. Asiago slipped to seventh place.

 

Goals RIT: 1:0 Johan Eriksson (11:04/S.Kostner- S.Quinz); 2:1 Johan Eriksson (28:12/S.Kostner-S.Quinz); 3:1 Simon Kostner (34:52/J.Eriksson); 4:1 Olegs Sislannikovs (36:00/Tudin); 5:2 Markus Spinell (EN/58:49); 

Goals ASH: 1:1 Josef Foltin (20:53/Rosa-Miglioranzi); 4:2 Marco Rosa (45:51/Bardaro-Conci); 

 

Referees: LESNIAK, WALLNER, Huber, Markizeti.

 

The Juniors entered Olimpija's defensive zone ight from the beginning but did not get any dangerous shots goalwards. At the other end a shot from Gal Koren found the back of the net for a 1:0 Ljubljana lead. The hosts tried to find a quick answer but were stopped by a four-minute shorthanded play After killing the penalty Samuel Witting deflected Valtteri Meisaari's shot to tie the game. It remained an up and down game in the middle period with no team to score. In the third Zan Us was in the focus. The Olimpija netminder had some great saves and kept his team alive. This period as well as the extra session ended goalless again. Us saved all three shootout attempts while Zan Jezovsek scored for the guests. It was Olimpija's 8th successive league win.

Goal Juniors: Witting (15./Meisaari-Nordberg) 

Goals Olimpija: Koren (4./Zorko-Music), Jezovsek (65./deciding penalty)

 

Referees: LENDL, SUPPER, Legat, Marchardt.

 

Zell am See also lost the third season meeting with Jesenice. Both teams opened the game offensively-minded with Jesenice creating the better chances. After nine minutes the Slovenes just took the lead when Miha Brus fired a rebound home. It was not until the final minute of the first that the hosts had a good chance but Tobias Dinhopel could not beat Jesenice goalie Clarke Saunders. In the second Zell am See missed two good opportunities for an equalizer with the period ending goalless. In the third the visitors doubled the lead when Luka Basic scored during a power play. Jesenice did well defensively and made the game safe in the closing minutes. Eric Pance netted on power play and Tadej Cimzar rounded off the scoring.

Goals Jesenice: 0:1 9/EQ #16 Brus (#98 Tomazevic, #22 Svetina), 0:2 46/PP1 #89 Basic (#91 Cimzar, #32 Pance), 0:3 55/PP1 #32 Pance (#89 Basic, #91 Cimzar), 0:4 57/EQ #91 Cimzar (#89 Basic, #76 Pem)

Referees: PINIE, RUETZ, Cristeli, Weiss.

 

The Sterzing was in full strength for the challenge against Hockey Milano Rossblu. The guests immediately took the lead: there was a gap for Marcello Borghi who then overcame Gianluca Vallini with a touch of backhand. Milan could double with Petrov but he didn’t succeed. Then, at the first powerplay, the home team equalized the result: Fabian Hackhofer achieved with a shot from the blue. The Broncos pushed and deservedly took the lead shortly after with Tommy Kruselburger who supported the puck in the net. The Sterzing made the difference in the final minutes of the first period: Michael Messner realized 3:1 with a close range shot in shorthanded and 4:1 with Tobias Kofler. In the second period the Broncos created a lot but they didn't collect anything. Milan, on the other hand scored in powerplay with Petrov for the only lone goal of the middle. In the third period, after many occasions, the Broncos returned to goal with Matthias Mantinger on rebound. Then, in the final, Milan removed the goalkeeper well in advance: top-scorer Brendon McNally fixed the score at 6:2 for the Broncos as they returned to victory after four defeats in a row. 

Goals WSV: 1:1 Fabian Hackhofer (7:31/PP1/Felicetti-Mantinger); 2:1 Tommy Kruselburger (09:20/Felicetti-Bustreo); 3:1 Michael Messner (12:32/SH1/Bustreo-Felicetti); 4:1 Tobias Kofler (19:09/PP1/Oberdorfer-Hackhofer); 5:2 Matthias Mantinger (48:17/Kofler-Erlacher); 6:2 Brandon McNally (57:10/EN)

Goals MIL: 0:1 Marcello Borghi (01:31/Caletti); 4:2 Aleksander Petrov (38:40/PP1/Radin-Caletti);

 

Referees: PODLESNIK, WIDMANN, Bedynek, Holzer.

 

The game in Kitzbühel was a mere ten seconds old when Lustenau forward Chris D'Alvise opened the scoring with the season's fastest goal. The Canadian even doubled the lead in the 8th minute on power play. The hosts had the chance to bounce back when D'Alvise and David König had to go into the penalty box and Peter Lenes took advantage - 1:2. Joy was short-lived for the hosts as Philipp Koczera (14') restored Lustenau's two-goal lead soon later. It looked a bit like the preliminary decision when Martin Grabher-Meier added a fourth early in the middle frame. Kitzbühel came back once again, though, with Adam Havlik and Kevin Wirl making it a one-goal game. With three minutes to go the Eagles pulled their goalie and when they did it a second time, Grabher-Meier made the game safe for Lustenau, who also won the 8th AHL meeting with Kitzbühel.

Goals Kitzbühel: Lenes (11./PP2/Lidström-Havlik), Havlik (48.), Wirl (57./Ebner)

Goals Lustenau: D’Alvise (1./König-Slivnik, 8./PP/Stefan-Grabher-Meier), Koczera (14./Oberscheider-Slivnik), Grabher-Meier (21./D’Alvise-Kreuter, 59./EN/Putnik-D’Alvise)

 

Referees:  F. GIACOMOZZI, S. LEGA, Basso, Piras.

 

Bruneck, the leader of the AHL, returned almost completely in the challenge against the Cortina. Teemu Virtala was back on the ice. The only one missing was Felix Brunner. The Cortina recovered the absences of the last matches. Marco De Filippo returned to the net. The only absence was that of Andrea Moser. The first ten minutes of the game are quiet. Neither team found a common thread in the match. Then in the second part of the period the Wolves acted as the first in the standings. The line of players of the Italian National Team (Andergassen-Gander-Traversa) unlocked the result with the goal of Tommaso Traversa validated only after the video replay (13.).  After three minutes the difference was the young line of Wolves with the goal of Lukas De Lorenzo Meo. In the second period the start was in slow motion as in the first. Then the Cortina returned decisively in the game with the goal of Tuomas Vanttinen in powerplay with a rebound for a game that rised in tone and rhythm for a second half final very hard-fought and fun. In the third period the Cortina played well in defense as they tried to draw. The match remained balanced. Bruneck only solved the situation with an empty net goal of Markus Gander (3:1). The Pustertal retained 13 points of advantage over Lustenau while the Cortina found its first defeat after four victories.

Goals PUS: 1:0 Tommaso Traversa (13:43/Gander-Andergassen); 2:0 Lukas De Lorenzo Meo (16:12/I.Althuber-A. De Lorenzo Meo); 3:1 Markus Gander (59:46/EN/Hofer-Traversa);

Goal COR: 2:1 Tuomas Vanttinen (26:03/PP1/Bruneteau)

 

Referees: MOSCHEN, VIRTA, Mantovani, Rigoni. 

 

The Gherdeina was complete with the only absence of Christian Willeit for personal reasons.  The Fassa couldn’t have Martin Gran, Soel Costantin and Elias Thum.  At the first attack the home team took the lead after 64 seconds with Colin Long.  Then a technical problem stopped the game for 5 minutes.  After a good chance for Benjamin Kostner, the Gherdeina doubled with Michael Sullmann Pilser at the end of a great scrum in front of the Falcons net. The visitors, however, at the first powerplay of the evening, halved the disadvantage with the goal of Martin Castlunger when there were 4 seconds left to the first whistle.  In the second period the game was conditioned by some penalties.  The special teams of the two teams made the difference.  The Gherdeina advanced with the goal of Benjamin Kostner on rebound in powerplay.  Then Fassa hit a crossbar and when there were 10 seconds left to the end of the central period, Martin Castlunger again in goal and again in powerplay.  In the third half Gherdeina looked for the goal of safety while Fassa put heart and determination.  Ivan Demetz was mown while he was about to score in the empty net: the referees gave the technical goal of 4:2. But Marco Marzonlini, seven seconds from the end of the match, scored the third goal, always in powerplay.  The home team won the Ladin derby 4:3 as they returned to victory after five consecutive defeats.  

Goals GHE: 1:0 Colin Long (01:04/Sullmann Pilser – Roupec); 2:0 Michael Sullmann Pilser (13:50/Long-De Biasio); 3:1 Benjamin Kostner (32:33/PP1/I.Demetz-G.Vinatzer); 4:2 Ivan Demetz (58:50/EN);

Goals FAS: 2:1 Martin Castlunger (19:56/PP1/Iori-Bresciani); 3:2 Martin Castlunger (39:50/PP1/Bresciani-Iori); 4:3 Marco Marzolini (59:53/PP1/Ostman);

Photo: Carola Semino