Release from 01.03.2025

Merano is in the quarter-finals | Sterzing and Val Gardena force a deciding game

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Six of the eight quarter-finalists in the Alps Hockey League have been decided. HC Meran/o Pircher secured the series win in the best-of-3 pre-playoff series with a 2:0 away win at KHL Sisak on Saturday. In the two remaining series, however, there will be deciding games. The Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan celebrated a narrow 1:0 away win in Celje, while HC Gherdeina valgardena.it came out on top against EC Bregenzerwald with 4:1. In the Master Round, leaders EK Die Zeller Eisbären suffered their first defeat in their eighth game. They lost 2:5 to S.G. Cortina Hafro in front of their home crowd, while the Rittner Buam SkyAlps narrowly beat SIJ Acroni Jesenice 2:1. This means that the battle for second place will remain exciting until the last matchday.

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HC Meran/o Pircher was also victorious in game two of the pre-playoff series and thus became the sixth team to qualify for the quarter-finals. The South Tyroleans won 2:0 in Sisak. Jakob Fuchs put the visitors ahead in the 47th minute while short-handed. It was also the 21-year-old who made the final score shortly before the end of the game. Rudy Rigoni saved all 28 shots in the “Eagles” goal and thus celebrated his first shutout of the current season. It is the second quarter-final appearance in a row for Merano, while Sisak's debut season came to an end after a very strong campaign for most of the way. Almost 1,700 fans watched Saturday's game.

Sterzing and Val Gardena force a deciding game
A goal by Bryson Cianfrone decided game two of the pre-playoff series between HK RST Pellet Celje and the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. The forward from Sterzing scored the game-winner 40 seconds before the end of the first period in the powerplay. This means that the quarter-final ticket will be decided on Tuesday in South Tyrol. It was the third shutout of the season for WSV goalkeeper Dominik Groh.

HC Gherdeina valgardena.it was also able to force a deciding game. In the home game against EC Bregenzerwald, the South Tyroleans won with 4:1. After the first period, the visitors from Vorarlberg were still leading 1:0 before the home side turned the game around in the middle period with goals from Henri Mustonen (27) and Davide Schiavone (39). Val Gardena added two more goals in the final period in front of almost 1,000 fans. As a result, the decision on who advances to the quarter-finals in this series will not be made until Tuesday.

First Master Round defeat for Zell am See
Master Round champions EK Die Zeller Eisbären suffered their first defeat in their eighth and final game. In front of almost 1,900 fans, the Pinzgau team lost 2:5 to bottom team S.G. Cortina Hafro. It was the Italians' second win in their seventh game. Before the last matchday on Tuesday, however, last year's finalists no longer have any chance of improving their position in the table. In Zell am See, Cortina were already 3:0 ahead after 22 minutes. But the home side fought back and reduced the deficit to 2:3 by the 30th minute. However, they were unable to equalize, instead Cortina increased the score to 5:2 in the last nine minutes of the game. Ronny De Zanna was the only player to score twice.

Ritten makes the battle for second place exciting
Defending champions Rittner Buam SkyAlps won against SIJ Acroni Jesenice 2:1. This puts the South Tyroleans in second place in the table ahead of the final matchday of the Master Round - level on points with third-placed Kitzbühel and just one point ahead of the fourth-placed Slovenians. Ritten will face Cortina away from home, while Jesenice host Kitzbühel on Tuesday. Ritten initially fell behind on Saturday: Jaka Sturm put Jesenice ahead in the 31st minute. But the “Buam” fought their way back into the game. Eric Hjorth equalized in the 37th minute before Adam Giacomuzzi turned the game around completely. It was the first win for Ritten after two defeats in a row, while Jesenice suffered one of three defeats in their last five games.

Alps Hockey League
Master Round:
Sat, 01.03.2025
Rittner Buam SkyAlps - SIJ Acroni Jesenice 2:1 (0:0, 1:1, 1:0)
Referees: PINIE, PIRAS, Rivis, Scalzeri, | Spectators: 612
Goals RIT: 1:1 Hjorth E. (37.), 2:1 Giacomuzzi A. (44./PP1)
Goal JES: 0:1 Sturm J. (31.)

EK Die Zeller Eisbären - S.G. Cortina Hafro 2:5 (0:2, 2:1, 0:2)
Referees: BAJT, LEBEN, Seewald, Strimitzer. | Spectators: 1.871
Goals EKZ: 1:3 Widen F. (29.), 2:3 Lindner L. (30.)
Goals SGC: 0:1 De Zanna R. (11.), 0:2 Castlunger M. (11.), 0:3 De Zanna R. (22.), 2:4 Adami F. (52.), 2:5 Lehtonen W. (58./EN/SH1)

Pre-Playoffs (best-of-three), Spiel 2
Sa, 01.03.2025
HK RST Pellet Celje - Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 0:1 (0:1, 0:0, 0:0)
Referees: BULOVEC, LAZZERI, Jeram, Markizeti. | Spectators: 300
Standings in the “best-of-3” series: 1:1
Goal WSV: Cianfrone B. (20./PP1)

KHL Sisak - HC Meran/o Pircher 0:2 (0:0, 0:0, 0:2)
Referees: KAINBERGER, VOICAN, Moidl, Weiss. | Spectators: 1.673
Final result in the “best-of-3” series: 0:2
Goals HCM: 0:1 Fuchs J. (47.), 0:2 Fuchs J. (49.)

HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - EC Bregenzerwald 4:1 (0:1, 2:0, 2:0)
Referees: HOLZER, VIRTA, Divis, Fleischmann. | Spectators: 967
Standings in the “best-of-3” series: 1:1
Goals GHE: 1:1 Mustonen H. (27.), 2:1 Schiavone D. (39./PP1), 3:1 Pitschieler S. (55.), 4:1 Galassiti D. (57.)
Goal ECB: 0:1 Lebeda Y. (16./PP1)