Ljubljana and Salzburg book playoff ticket

This was the first game for the Steelers in almost three weeks. The rhytm in the first period was not good for the home team. A few mistakes in the defence led to some great chances for the visiting team. They managed to capitalize on one of them in the 12th minute after Duffy dribbled Logar and scored off the post. The score did not change until the third period despite domination from the home team in the second period. Jesenice team managed to equalize from a goal by Bašič. The score was even by the 60th minute. Also in overtime no team scored. In the shotout Jezovšek managed to score twice and his team won.

 

After a long Olympic Games break HK SZ Olimpija returned to action in AHL. With a 3:1 win over Cortina the dragons booked their place in the playoffs. In an evenly played opening period Olimpija managed to convert on their first power play. As Michael Angelo  Zanatta was cooling down for a kneeing Maks Selan scored on a assist by Gal Koren. History repeated itself early in the second period. Again it was the defender Maks Selan who netted his second power play goal of the night. Trailing by two the visitors put all their hopes in attack for the final 20 minutes. 23 seconds into the last period Riley Wilson Brace managed to pull one back on the power play. But despite their best efforts the Italians couldn’t get the better of youngster Tilen Spreitzer for the second time. The winner was decided in the final minute. With 50 seconds left on the clock Andrej Hebar put the puck into an unguarded Cortina net.

 

Both teams knew how important this games was and acted with passion right from the beginning. Zell played with a lot of intensity but Salzburg managed to compete. Albert Krammer scored for the 1:0 lead for the hosts. The second period was on an even level. Both teams acted a bit nervous. The Juniors had some good chances, but Patrick Marchreich kept the zero in the second period. Two goals of Daniel Jakubitzka and Niklas Postel within 81 seconds turned the game for Salzburg. The Juniors defended the lead, even if they had to play shorthanded for six minutes. Zell am See only hit the cross bar and Christopf Wappis scored the empty netter for the 3:1 success. With that success the Juniors booked their playoff ticket.

 

The derby between Feldkirch and Bregenzerwald was an important game, at least for the visiting team, as they are still battling for the Playoffs. Stanley opened the goal festival in the 5th minute. Loik doubled the lead only four minutes later. Witting capitalized from a powerplay and scored the 3:0. Stanley scored his second goal, still in the first period and brought his team early on the road of success. But Daniel Band and Juuso Mörsky brought Bregenzerwald back into the game with two goals with two quick goals. In the second period the guest found their rhythm, but didn’t manage to score. Witting did it better and increased the lead to 5:2. The final period was opened by a goal of Waldhauer. But Tikkinen recreated the three goals difference again. Bregenzwerwald played early with an empty net and capitalized with a goal of Daniel Ban. But Loik found the decision with his empty netter for the result of 7:4.

 

The Renon played in the attack zone from the first faceoff as they put a lot of pressure from the parts of Timo Waldherr. After seven minutes of play the captain, Christian Borgatello, realized in powerplay the first goal. Then after just 31 seconds, Simon Kostner scored the double. But the Lustenau, which could have the 5th attack of the AHL, tried to get back into the game. The defense pf home team was not in great shape: two minutes later Eetu Arkiomaa halved the disadvantage on the break. The Italian team returned in to attack as they advanced in the result with the goal of Armin Hofer but when 16 seconds were missing at the end of the first period, Lustenau scored with Jeff Ulmer after a mistake by the Rittner Buam behind the net. During the second period the guests took the draw with Yan Stastny. But from mid-game the Ritten returned to play well in attack as they made two goals with Tommaso Traversa and Edoardo Caletti that allowed to better manage the third period. The Lustenau showed great determination as they realized the fourth goal with Thomas Auer (53.). In the last five minutes of the game Ritten showed his potential thanks to the goals of the twins Victor and Oscar Ahlström who fixed the score on 7: 4 for the Rittner Buam. With this success the team of Klobstein returned to the victory after two defeats and when two rounds are missing at the end of the regular season, the Rittner Buam remained three points from the first position of the Asiago. Lustenau was definitely eliminated from the race for the playoffs.

 

The Gherdeina controlled the game and minute after minute grew in the game. But the forwards of home tema didn’t find an opportunity to score. After eight minutes the visitors opened the series of goals with Alex Gasser at the end of a scrum and after the home team lost the puck. The Furies’s reaction came in powerplay with David Roupec's one-timer. Then in the second half Gherdeina played a lot in attack but the Wild Geese saved the result. In the third time the Gherdeina, after many efforts, found the advantage with Diego Glueck in the scrum and then advanced in the result with Benjamin Kostner (deflection in the front of the net). It seemed the way for the victory for the home team but the Wild Geese were transformed in the last thirty seconds of third period. First Martin Graf and then on the final whistle the incredible draw of David Galassiti. During the overtime there were many opportunities but the final decision was in the shutout. On the penalties, Neuamarkt didn’t score while Gherdeina won with Gabriel Vinatzer.

 

Josè Magnabosco was absent for the home team. Alexander Kinkelin, Armin Helfer and Danny Elliscascis were absent for the guests. Beginning of the match was immediately in favour of Asiago who hit a crossbar after 30 seconds with Michael Sullivan. Then the game became more balanced. The Asiago had a powerplay available but didn’t score while the visitors took the lead in the middle of the first period with Eric Pance with a wrist shot after a confused action in front of Frederic Cloutier's net in a powerplay action. But the reaction of the yellow-red teamcame immediately: Marco Rosa took a puck in the attack and then he went to overcome Thomas Tragust for the draw. Then the Asiago tried to take the lead but the defense of the Wolves stopped the attack and the powerplay of the yellow-read team. In the second half the game was very intense. The two teams played a lot and with grit on both sides of the rink. A few clear opportunities to score for a light supremacy of Bruneck for a period that closed without goals. During the third time the game was always hard fought and there are two clear chance for both but the match went to the overtime. During the extra time there were many sensational opportunities but the goal didn’t arrive. The Asiago prevailed on shutouts with Anthony Nigro as they returned to victory that gave two precious points to confirm the 1st place of the AHL.

 

Good start of the Falcons who after three minutes took the lead with Jiri Klimicek. Minute after minute the Klagenfurt recovered as they proved to be better in the front of the net. Philipp Kreuzer and Nikolaus Kraus led the Austrian team. Then in the second half Fassa was transformed as they realized in just over 10 minutes three goals in powerplay action: Eetu Heikkinen, Sebastiano Soracreppa and Jari Monferone relaunched the actions of Fassa in the second half. But also, Klagenfurt scored in powerplay while Di Diomete also misseed a penalty shot for the save of Vorauer. In the middle of the third half the KAC found a draw thanks to a shot from the distance of Puff and deflected by Cirtek to overcome Scola. With the result of a tie the hosts try the final assault but the Red Jackets resisted. The great opportunity for the Falcons arrived when were missing  14 seconds from the end of third time when, for voluntary move of the net by Vorauer, the referee granted the second penalty shot of the evening, but Rothstein failed to capitalize. During the overtime Kreuzer gave the success to the KAC-II with the second personal goal of the evening.

 

Referees: LESNIAK, PODLESNIK, Rezek, Snoj

Goals JES: Basic (43./pp1 Tavzelj-Magovac), Jezovsek (65. dec. pen.)

Goals WSV: Duffy (12. Hackhofer-Oberdorfer), 

 

Referees: FAJDIGA, WIDMANN, Arlic, Bärnthaler

Goals HKO: Selan (17./pp1 Koren), Selan (22./pp1 Rajsar-Koren), Hebar (60./en Spreitzer)

Goals SGC: Brace (41./pp1 Kolanos- Manning)

 

Referees: LENDL, STRASSER, Gatol, Rinker

Goals EKZ: Krammer (11. Wilfan-Kolar), 

Goals SGC: Jakubitzka (43. Soramies), Postel (44. Strodel-Jakubitzka), Wappis (60./en Winkler)

 

Referees: SUPPER, WALLNER, Kainberger, Kalb

Goals VEU: Stanley (5. Winzig-Draschkowitz), Loik (9. Birnstill-Mairitsch), Witting (11./pp1 Draschkowitz-Wiedmaier), Stanley (15. Witting-Draschkowitz), Witting (32. Loik-Ratz), Tikkinen (44./pp1 Winzig-Birnstill), Loik (59./en Mairitsch-Riener)

Goals ECB: Ban (17. Waldhauser-Schettina), Mörsky (18. Neubauer-Ban), Waldhauser (42. Ban-Schettina), Ban (57. Kauppila-Mörsky), 

 

Referees: LEGA, MORI, Cristeli, Piras

Goals RIT: 1:0 Borgatello (7./PP1/T.Spinell-Frei); 2:0 J.Kostner (A.Frei-J.Fauster); 3:1 A.Hofer (16./Tudin-Eisath); 4:3 Traversa (28./Caletti-M.Spinell); 5:3 Caletti (33./Traversa-Cole); 6:4 V. Ahlström (55./R.Hofer-O.Ahlström); 7:4 O.Ahlström (58./Lutz- V.Ahlström); 

Goals EHC: 2:1 Arkiomaa (10./Slivnik-De Santis); 3:2 J.Ulmer (19./Stefan-Y.Stastny); 3:3 Stastny (23./PP1/De Santis- J. Ulmer); 5:4 T. Auer (53./PP1/Tschernutter-Arkiomaa);

Referees: GAMPER, MOSCHEN, De Zordo, Stefenelli

Goals GHE: 1:1 Roupec (16./PP1/Lundstrom-G.Vinatzer); 2:1 Glueck (51./G.Senoner); 3:1 B.Kostner (55./A.Vinatzer-I.Demetz); 4:3 G.Vinatzer (65./SO) 

Goals NEU: 0:1 Gasser (8./H.Oberrauch); 3:2 Graf (59./Wieser-A.Sullmann); 3:3 Galassiti (59./A.Sullmann-Steiner); 

 

Referees: BAJT, LAZZERI, Giacomozzi, Markieti

Goals ASH: 1:1 Rosa (11./P.Pietroniro); 65:00 (2:1) Nigro SO

Goals PUS: 0:1 Pance (10./PP1/Ringrose-Bruneteau): 

Referees: BENVEGNU, BULOVEC, Javornik, Rigoni

Goals FAS: 1:0 Klimicek (3./Di Diomete-Rothstein); 2:2 Heikkinen (20./PP1/Monferone-Da Tos); 3:2 Soracreppa (28./PP1/Schiavone-Heikkinen); 4:2 Monferone (31./PP1/Di Diomete-Rothstein); 

Goals KA2: 1:1 Kreuzer (9./Cirtek-Zandonella); 1:2 Kraus (13.); 4:3 Kraus (36./PP1/Hammerle); 4:4 Cirtek (39./Puff-Obersteiner); 4:5 Kreuzer (60./Kraus);