New leader and some thrilling derbies

Early in the game KAC goalie Jakob Holzer made saves on Victor Ahlström and Julian Kostner but halfway through the first the visitors took the lead: After a give and go passwitch Christian Borgatello, forward Tommaso Traversa opened the scoring. Soon later Ritten netminder Hannes Treibenreif showed his quality and late in the period it was once again Holzer who prevented another goal against. In the 28th minutes Oscar Ahlström doubled the lead after a nice combination with twin brother Victor. With htree minutes to go in the middle frame Holzer had another big save and soon later he also was a bit lucky - it remained at 0:2 after 40 minutes. In the third Klagenfurt's Martin Goritschnig received a 5 plus game misconduct for boarding but Ritten could not score on the power play. With three minutes left the AHL champions added a third, though, when Victor Ahlström went top shelf. Only 31 second later Benjamin Rassl got the hosts on the scoreboard and they tried to turn it around with pulling the goalie. However, it was Markus Spinell who rounded off the scoring with an empty netter. With the 4:1 road win Ritten took over at the top of the table again.

 

Almost 3.200 fans came to see the important game between Feldkirch and Lustenau who are both in the playoff race. It was a fast-paced match right from the beginning with both teams creating chances. Halfway through the first Kristof Reinthaler scored the first period's only goal for a VEU lead. The hosts also were the dominating team after the restart but Lustenau scored with Philipp Putnik tying the game after 26 minutes. This was the score after 40 minutes as EHC goalie Miko Rämö had 25 saves in the middle frame. However, the third was a mere 77 seconds old when Marcel Witting retook Feldkirch's lead on a solo attempt and then Martin Mairitsch even doubled the lead. The visitors had to pay the price for too many penalties when Christoph Draschkowitz made the game safe for VEU after 46 seconds for a final 4:1 score. With the fourth successive derby win Feldkirch climbed to fifth place in the standings.

 

The South Tyrolean derby was immediately fought and with few interruptions of play. The clearest opportunity in the first minutes was built by Armin Hofer but the raid of the Valpusteria defender was not successful. The first team scoring a goal was the home team thanks to the first powerplay of the match. Jure Sotlar was ready on rebound to put the puck on the net (6.). Then the game was always fought. The Sterzing didn’t make the doubling and so Bruneck drew the score. Eric Johansson scored a goal on the wide empty net after a rebound granted in front of the Broncos defense. The game remained very fun but it went to the first break in a tie. During the second period Pustertal created a lot of play but good opportunities to score were few. Halfway through the game it was Sterzing hit the crossbar after Tommy Kruselburger's shot. In the final time two clear chances for Bruneck that didn’t score with fourth lines. The start of third period was still in favor of visitors. The efforts of the Wolves produced a heavy goal in the economy of the game with Eric Pance in powerplay with a shot under the crossbar (47.). Then there was the decisive reaction of the Broncos but the defense of the guests resisted. Thomas Tragust saved well and so the Pustertal won 2:1. Third consecutive victory for the Wolves that now rised to fourth place in the standings. For Sterzing it was the third defeat in four games.

 

Asiago immediately played a great game as they creates many opportunities. The Austrian team relied on the work of Dominik Frank who saved the result several times. Despite a net dominance of the hosts, the two teams went to the first break on the result of 0:0. During the second half the home team was transformed as they begun to score. Michele Stevan opened the scoring of the game after three minutes with a deflection after a shot from the blue line. After short time, the “Giallorossi” formation made the second goal. Giulio Scandella recovered a puck and then he realized at the end of a counter-attack (2:0). In the middle of the game Michael Sullivan scored with a wrist shot under the crossbar. Asiago continued its action but there weren’t other goals before the second whistle. In the third time the Asiago continued to build actions after actions. Josè Magnabosco made the fourth goal with a shot at the intersection. Shortly after the fifth and final goal of the match it come thanks to the goal of Federico Benetti with a one-timer shot. The Asiago won 5:0 as the maintained the third position in the standings. Frederic Cloutier earned the third seasonal shutout, the second in a row at home.

 

The Fassa tried to take control of the game as they created some dangerous actions. Fassa could score especially with Jiri Klimiceck and Martin Castlunger but the defense of Gherdeina answered with more energy in defensive zone. Then the Gherdeina scored the first goal after 12 minutes during a powerplay action. David Roupec won a face-off and passed on the blue line to Linus Lundstrom who pulled towards the puck. The shot was saved by Gianni Scola but Colin Long arrived on the short reboud as he made the advantage of the Furies. Even in the second period the Fassa tried to build its actions but the Gherdeina was very determined in attack. When there was a mistake in changing the lines of the hosts, the Gherdeina doubled again with Colin Long (33.). But it was not over. Before the end of the second period there was another goal for the visitors after a shot from the blue by Patrick Nocker. Perhaps there was the deviation of a player of Fassa. With an advantage of three goals the Gherdeina controlled the game in the third period while the good will of Fassa didn’t produce anything. Gherdeina won 3: 0 while Giancarlo Kostner earned his first shutout of the season. For Fassa it was the tenth defeat in eleven games.

 

Luca Zandonella (injured) and Jordan Ciccarello were absent for home team. The Austrian team created some dangerous opportunities in the first six minutes of play. Then the Cortina, minute after minute, grew in intensity and quality of the play. The pressure towards Jose Kangaskorte's door was constant. The efforts of the hosts were rewarded by the goal of Ronny De Zanna as he exceeded the goalkeeper of opponents with a strong diagonal after a fine pass by Patrick Rizzo. This was the first goal for the Cortina striker who has returned to play after a long injury. Then again the duo De Zanna-Rizzo who built a fast action for the another Cortina goal scored by Zachary Torquato. For the austrian team some actions for Oleg Sislannikovs but he didn’t score. In the second period the Cortina started with a lot of play. After three minutes the home team played in double powerplay and the goal of Zachary Torquato arrived with a very precise shot. Then minutes after minutes the Kitzbühel grew in the game and also it arrived the first goal for the Austrians with Henrik Eriksson (33.). The game seemed reopened but Kitzbühel didn’t finalized. In the third time the Cortina played with more determination as they score two goal in only 91 seconds. After 50 minutes there was the goal of Riccardo Lacedelli and then again it was a seal of Zachary Torquato for his hat-trick. In the final part of the game, Riley Brace fixed the score on 6:1 for the italian team as they come back to victory after four defeats in a row.

 

Referees: FAJDIGA, LESNIAK, Bergant, Rezek

Goal Klagenfurt: 1:3 Benjamin Rassl (57./Cirtek-Kurath)

Goals Ritten: 0:1 Tommaso Traversa (9./Borgatello-Tauferer), 0:2 Oscar Ahlström (28./V. Ahlström-Tauferer), 0:3 Victor Ahlström (57./pp-T. Spinell-O. Ahlström), 1:4 Markus Spinell (59./en-Tudin)

 

Referees: MOSCHEN, VIRTA, Kalb, Rinker

Goals Feldkirch: Reinthaler (10./Winzig-Stanley), Witting (42.), Mairitsch (43./Tikkinen-Puschnik), Draschkowitz (47./pp-Birnstill-Winzig)

Goal Lustenau: Putnik (26./Koczera-Ulmer)

 

Referees: LEGA, WALLNER, Basso, Terragni

Goal Sterzing: 1:0 Sotlar (6./PP1/Nyren-Oberdorfer); 

Goal Pustertal: 1:1 Johansson (16./Oberrauch-A.Hofer); 1:2 Pance (47./PP1/Di Casmirro-A.Hofer); 

 

Referees: LAZZERI, WIDMANN, Bedynek, Wiest

Goals Asiago: 1:0 M. Stevan (22./Magnabosco-Miglioranzi); 2:0 Scandella (25.); 3:0 M.Sullivan (29./Rosa-Pace); 4:0 Magnabosco (45./Scandella-Nigro); 5:0 Benetti (47./Scandella-Casetti); 

  

Referees: BAJT, OFNER, Arlic, Snoj

Goals Gherdeina: 0:1 Long (12./PP1/Lundstrom-Roupec); 0:2 Long (33./Roupec); 0:3 Nocker (38./Deyl-A.Vinatzer); 

 

Referees: MISCHIATTI, PIANEZZE, Egger, Piras

Goals Cortina: 1:0 De Zanna (15./Rizzo – M.Cordiano); 2:0 Torquato (18./Moser-Rizzo); 3:0 Torquato (23./PP2/Manning-De Biasio); 4:1 R.Lacedelli (49./Adami-Brace); 5:1 Torquato (50./M.Cordiano-Brace); 6:1 Brace (58./PP1); 

Goal Kitzbühel: 3:1 Eriksson (33.) 

 

 Photo: David S. Wassagruba