Release from 17.12.2024
The Alps Hockey League returned from the international break with four games on Tuesday. League leaders EK Die Zeller Eisbären surprisingly lost to HC Meran/o Pircher 2:4, while S.G. Cortina won against KHL Sisak 4:3, meaning the Italians overtook the Croatians in the table and are in fifth place and on course for the Master Round. In the other two games, EC Bregenzerwald were victorious against HC Gherdeina valgardena.it (7:3) and SIJ Acroni Jesenice won at Hockey Unterland Calvaliers (5:2).
In their first game after the international break, league leaders EK Die Zeller Eisbären suffered a surprise 2:4 defeat against HC Meran/o Pircher. In front of 2.109 fans in the KE KELIT Arena Zell am See, the visitors took the lead in the seventh minute. The goal was scored by Skate Skalde, the son of former head coach Jarrod Skalde, who resigned as head coach during the break. Christian Borgatello is currently the interim head coach of the “Eagles” and was already able to celebrate the 2:0 in the twelfth minute. 21 seconds after the restart, the new ninth-placed team even took a 3:0 lead. The score remained that way until five-and-a-half minutes before the end of the game, when Philip Putnik made the game exciting once again with his goal to make it 1:3. Fabio Artner even reduced the deficit to 2:3 just 40 seconds later, but the comeback went unrewarded and Massimo Pietroniro made everything clear with his second goal of the evening 85 seconds before the end of the game. It was the second win in a row for Merano, while Zell am See was beaten for the first time after three wins in a row. Overall, it was one of only three defeats from the last 16 games for the league leaders.
Cortina wins “duel for 5th place”
S.G. Cortina Hafro beat KHL Sisak 4:3 to move past the Croatians in the table. With 37 points, the finalists of the past two seasons are now fifth in the table, three points ahead of the league newcomers. Fifth place is the last place that qualifies for the Master Round and is therefore synonymous with a fixed play-off ticket. In a game that was evenly for a long time, the Italians pulled away decisively in the final third. The teams went into the dressing room tied after both 20 and 40 minutes. Cortina took the lead in the first period, but it was Sisak who made it 2:1 in the second. In the 43rd minute, Cortina took the lead for the second time of the evening through Andrea DeLuca. Luca Barnabo increased the lead to 4:2 in the 47th minute, but Sisak came back to 3:4 seven minutes before the end, but they were unable to equalize and suffered their first defeat after two wins in a row. Cortina, on the other hand, celebrated their third win in a row and their second win against Sisak in their third and, for the time being, final duel of the season.
Bregenzerwald leaves Val Gardena no chance
For EC Bregenzerwald, the 7:3 home win against HC Gherdeina valgardena.it was their first success after three consecutive defeats. They moved past Red Bull Hockey Juniors in the table and are now in eleventh place. The visitors from South Tyrol, on the other hand, were beaten for the third time in a row and remain bottom of the table. The ECB had a 2:0 lead after the first period. In the second period, the Vorarlberg team increased their lead to 4:1 with a brace from Ievgen Fadieiev, the only player to score twice. The 27-year-old scored his tenth and eleventh goals of the season. Bregenzerwald put three more goals on the scoreboard in the final period, while Gherdeina also scored twice. In the first duel of the season, the “Furie” still had the upper hand at home with a 4:2 victory.
Jesenice climbs to third place in the table
SIJ Acroni Jesenice beat the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers 5:2 and moved past the defending champions Ritten in the table. The new third-placed team was already 3:0 ahead after 22 minutes. The home side also got on the scoreboard for the first time in the 30th minute. The score remained that way until eight minutes from the end, when the Slovenians, who three of their last five games, increased their lead to 4:1. In the end, the score was 5:2. Luc Slivnik was the only player to score twice. It was the second brace in a row for the 21-year-old forward. It was one of four defeats from the last five games for Unterland, who are eighth in the table.
Alps Hockey League:
Tuesday, 17.12.2024:
EC Bregenzerwald – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 7:3 (2:0, 2:1, 3:2)
Referees: HOLZER, HUBER, Divis, Jäger. | Spectators: 632
Goals ECB: 1:0 Pöschmann P. (7.), 2:0 Schlögl R. (12.), 3:0 Fadieiev I. (21.), 4:0 Fadieiev I. (24.), 5:1 Lebeda Y. (41.), 6:2 Wempe L. (52.), 7:3 Jansson G. (60./PP1)
Goals GHE: 4:1 Laitinen V. (35.), 5:2 Cristellon Y. (49./PP1), 6:3 Oksanen E. (55.)
EK Die Zeller Eisbären – HC Meran/o Pircher 2:4 (0:2, 0:1, 2:1)
Referees: HLAVATY, UNTERWEGER, Legat, Seewald J. | Spectators: 2.109
Goals EKZ: 1:3 Putnik P. (55.), 2:3 Artner F. (56.)
Goals HCM: 0:1 Skalde S. (7.), 0:2 Pietroniro M. (12.), 0:3 Fuchs J. (21./PP1), 2:4 Pietroniro M. (59./PP1)
Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – SIJ Acroni Jesenice 2:5 (0:2, 1:1, 1:2)
Referees: LAZZERI, PINIE, Abeltino, Brondi. | Spectators: 231
Goals CAV: 1:3 Remolato N. (30.), 2:4 Murnieks D. (55./PP2)
Goals JES: 0:1 Slivnik L. (11.), 0:2 Jenko J. (16.), 0:3 Slivnik L. (22.), 1:4 Sillanpaa S. (53./PP1), 2:5 Svetina E. (59./EN)
S.G. Cortina Hafro – KHL Sisak 4:3 (1:1, 1:1, 2:1)
Referees: BAJT, MOSCHEN, Cristeli, Markizeti. | Spectators: 411
Goals SGC: 1:0 Toffoli G. (15.), 2:2 Felicetti L. (35.), 3:2 DeLuca A. (43.), 4:2 Barnabo L. (47.)
Goals SIS: 1:1 Mandusic M. (17.), 1:2 Briere C. (30./PP1), 4:3 Briere C. (52./PP1)