Release from 19.04.2019

Olimpija forces game 7 with home win

Short text 301 CharactersPlain text

On Friday HK Olimpija Ljubljana earned a 6:2 home win against HC Pustertal to tie the Alps Hockey League final "best-of-seven" series at three. The hosts scored three goals within three minutes in the second to decide the game to their favour. The deciding game 7 will take place in Brunico on Sunday.

Press release 2075 CharactersPlain text

Fri, 19.04.2019: HK SZ Olimpija - HC Pustertal 6:2 (2:1, 3:1, 1:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, OFNER, Bärnthaler, Miklic.
„best-of-seven“-Finalserie: 3:3

Olimpija kept the momentum of their game 5 overtime win and had a perfect start into Friday's match in front of 3.500 spectators. After only 47 seconds Janez Orehek opened the scoring with a shot into the far corner. The hosts kept the pressure high but an individual mistake initialized the equalizer as Markus Gander got the puck over the line. Soon later the visitors had their period with coming close to score after a nice combination of the De Lorenzo brothers. The next goal was scored in the 17th minute at the other end when Ziga Pesut restored Ljubljana's lead on the game's first power play. Pustertal almost tied it again after another individual mistake by the Olimpija defense but the host kept the 2:1 lead till the first intermission. After the restart Nik Simsic failed to score because of Pustertal goalie Colin Furlong. With the guests playing with a one man advantage for the first time it was Olimpija goalie Zan Us who made a big save on Marko Virtala. Just in the moment when Olimpija was back at full strength, Miha Zajc doubled the lead after a great solo effort. Just 13 seconds later the hosts added a fourth: Orehek got the puck behind the Pustertal net and Anej Kujavec made it a three-goal game. Captain Ales Music (34') converted his own rebound on power play for the preliminary decision - 5:1. With his second of the night Gander pulled one back but it was not enough to bring tension back into the game. In the 48th minute Pustertal took high risk with pulling Furlong and just a few seconds later Music scored the empty netter for a 6:2 final result. The deciding game 7 will take place in Brunico on Sunday.

Goals Olimpija: Orehek (1./Koblar-Planko), Pesut (17./PP/Cepon-Music), Zajc (30.), Kujavec (30./Orehek), Music (34./PP/Cepon-Vidmar, 48./EN(Jezovsek)
Goals Pustertal: Gander (7./Andergassen, 36./PP/Hofer-Berger)
 
Photo: HCP / Foppa / Optic Rapid