Ljubljana narrows gap to leader

Ljubljana reduces gap to league leader
The HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana narrowed its gap to league leader HC Pustertal to two points with an unchallenged 5:2 road win at SHC Fassa Falcons. For the "dragons" it was the third consecutive win, the fifth in a row against Fasse. The "falcons", who are in eleventh place, remained without a point for the first time after four games. In an offensive duel - both teams had more than 30 shots on goal – Mark Sever gave the guests a lead halfway through the first (11.), later Luka Ulamec (15.) equalized in the first period before newcomer Juuso Pulli (33.) scored his first goal in his second game for Ljubljana. The visitors did not let the advantage slip away and took a deserved win.
Before the game, the reigning champions announced the signing of Canadian forward Francis Beauvillier. The 27-year-old participated in the Slovak championship in the past season with the Hungarian team DVTK Jegesmedvék. There he scored 18 goals and dished 26 assists.

Jesenice comes back three times
HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice proved their comeback qualities in a 6:4 home win over EC-KAC II. The Slovenians came back after trailing three times - still in the first period they equalized an early 0:2 - and finally prevailed thanks to a strong final period. The hosts, with Zan Jezovsek scoring twice and Andrej Hebar dishing four assists, remained unbeaten in their seventh home game of the season and ninth in standing. Klagenfurt, which remains without a point in its eighth appearance overall in Jesenice, ranks 15th, as Samuel Witting and Niklas Würschl each posted one goal and two assists.

Lustenau still unbeaten at home against Kitzbühel
The EHC Lustenau remained unbeaten in their eighth AHL home game against EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. The team from Vorarlberg prevailed 7:3. With the fourth win in a row, Head Coach Mike Flanagan's team moved up to third place in the standings. The 14-ranked Tyrolean side lost their ninth game in a row and for the third time this season against the "Lions". The basis for the tenth victory in the second phase of the regular season was laid in the middle frame: With goals by Dominic Haberl (26.) and Renars Karkls (30.) the home team pulled away to 4:2 after a balanced opening frame. An early goal by Pontus Wernerson (41./PP1) to half Kitzbühel’s defizit was followed by a brace of Martin Grabher Meier to finally seal the deal for the hosts. He and Karkls both scored +5 in the plus/minus statistics on this evening.

Stukel secures Feldkirch’s extra point
Jakub Stukel's game-winner in overtime gave VEU Feldkirch a 4:3 home win over the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. The Vorarlberg side cruised past the Salzburger team with their eighth win in the second phase of the regular season and is now in fifth place. The guests thus had to admit defeat in the second game after their break as well, but managed to score for the third time in a row in Feldkirch. Until the 30th minute VEU had to equalize a one-goal deficit twice. Later Yannik Lebeda (47./PP1) put the home team ahead for the first time in the game. But Manuel Alberg, who had already scored for the visitors to take the 1:0 lead, extended his goal-scoring streak for a third game, equalizing in the 54th minute. In the overtime, Stukel fixed his brace with the game-winner and moved back to the top of the scoring list in the Alps Hockey League (21 goals).

Cortina remains hot
S.G. Cortina Hafro proved its defensive strength in the third game of 2021 too. After the two shutout wins at the beginning of the year, the seventh-ranked snatched up a 3:1 home win over Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey. A strong start - with two goals in the first seven minutes – got the hosts on winning ways. Remy Giftopoulos finally cleared it in the 35th minute with his 15th goal of the season. The Italians suffered their third consecutive defeat on the road, dropped one place in standings and are now fourth.

Alps Hockey League | Tuesday, January 12th:
HDD SJI Acroni Jesenice – EC-KAC II 6:4 (2:2, 0:1, 4:1)
Referees: FAJDIGA, REZEK, Arlic, Bergant.
Goals JES: Jezovsek (10./Tomazevic, 41.PP2/Masic), Rajsar (15./Hebar-Svetina), Sirovek (50./Hebar-Sturm J.), Svetina (56.PP1/Crnovic-Hebar), Sodja (60.EN/Tomazevic-Masic)
Goals KA2: Unterluggauer (3./Hammerle S.-Hammerle V.), Pirmann (9.PP1/Witting-Würschl), Witting S. (33.PP1/Würschl-Kapel), Würschl (49./Witting-Pirmann)

EHC Lustenau – EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 7:3 (2:2, 2:0, 3:1)
Referees: HOLZER, WALLNER, Eisl, Kainberger.
Goals EHC: D’Alvise (6./Connelly-Wilfan), Wilfan (11./Oberscheider-Slivnik), Haberl (26./Ozolins), Karkls (30.), Grabher Meier (41./Wilfan-Karkls, 57./D’Alvise-Wilfan), Slivnik (58.SH1/Wilfan)
Goals KEC: Havlik (8./Gartner-Wernerson P.), Bayer (10./Eder-Maurer), Wernerson P. (41.PP1/Havlik-Ranftl)

VEU Feldkirch – Red Bull Hockey Juniors 4:3 OT (1:1, 1:1, 1:1, 1:0)
Referees: HUBER A., SCHAUER, Huber J., Rinker.
Goals VEU: Stukel (19./Ratz-Birnstill, 63./Stanley-Birnstill), Puschnik (30.PP1/Stukel-Stanley), Lebeda (47.PP1/Birnstill-Gehringer)
Goals RBJ: Alberg (17.SH1, 54.PP1/Stapelfeldt-Zitz), Necesany (27./Borezcki-Wimmer)

SHC Fassa Falcons – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 2:5 (1:2, 1:2, 0:1)
Referees: BENVEGNU, GIACOMOZZI F., Bedana, De Zordo.
Goals FAS: Iori (13./Pace-Castlunger), Mizzi (36./Caletti-Defrancesco)
Goals HKO: Sever (11./Logar-Music), Ulamec (15./Stebih-Kujavec), Pulli (33./Pance-Zajc), Stebih (40./Sever-Koren), Music (59.EN/Logar-Ropret)

S.G. Cortina Hafro – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 3:1 (2:0, 1:0, 0:1)
Referees: PINIE, STEFENELLI, Mantovani, Piras.
Goals SGC: Cazzola (2./Giftopoulos-Pietroniro C.), Adami (7./Alvera-De-Zanna), Giftopoulos (35./Cordiano-Pietroniro C.)
Goal ASH: Mantenuto (49./Marchetti-Miglioranzi)


Fotocredit: Eva Brili Grebenar