Pre-Playoffs set | VEU Feldkirch has home advantage

VEU Feldkirch takes seventh place and secures home advantage in pre playoffs
A 7:2 home win over the Rittner Buam made it possible for VEU Feldkirch to finish seventh in the Alps Hockey League regular season. As a result, the Vorarlberg team has home advantage in the pre-playoffs that start on Saturday. Dylan Stanley, who scored after just 42 seconds, posted a brace in the end, as did Yannik Lebeda. For the 18-year-old it was the first multiple-goal game in his still young AHL career. VEU will now face HC Gherdeina valgardena.it in the "best-of-3" series of the pre-playoffs.

Val Gardena ended the regular season with a 3:6 defeat at EC Bregenzerwald. While Joonas Niemelä (18.) equalized for the "Furie" still in the first period, the "Wälder" brought themselves comfortably in the lead with four unanswered until the 55th minute. McGowan and Sullmann Pilser shortened the gap within 30 seconds - but the Vorarlberg team did not allow a final comeback, as Tuukku Rajamäki marked the final score with his second goal and his fourth point in this game. The ECB closes the regular season in 12th place and will compete in Cortina from Saturday.

S.G. Cortina Hafro finished the regular season with a 5:1 road win at EC-KAC. It was the fourth straight win for the Italians, who had already locked up fifth place before this encounter. On a quick 2:0 lead after less than 7,5 minutes Cortina added three powerplay goals and had both hands on the game. Mike Cazzola recorded a goal and three assists in the end. Klagenfurt thus also lost the second duel with the Italians and ends the season in 14th place.

Jesenice remains second
HDD Acroni Jesenice finished regular season of the Alps Hockey League in second place despite a 0:1 loss against Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan and thus has home advantage in a possible semifinal series. The decisive goal in favor of the team from Sterzing, which played this game in Ritten, was scored already in the 8th minute by Paul Eisendle. From then on, the "Broncos" survived two shorthanded situations - and benefited from goalkeeper Jakob Rabanser: the 20-year-old stopped 44 shots on the way to his first shutout this season.

The South Tyroleans will now face Red Bull Hockey Juniors in the pre-playoff, which put an end to their five-game negative streak with a 4:2 road win at HC Pustertal Wölfe on the last gameday. The Salzburger side once again showed a cohesive team performance - eight players scored. The decision was made in the final period by a goal from Julian Lutz in double overtime and a goal from Maximilian Rebernig. Pustertal remained without points for the first time in nine matches and thus could not take advantage of Jesenice's slip-up, remaining in third place.

Lustenau boosts self-confidence for pre-playoffs
On the last gameday of regular season, EHC Lustenau once again gained self-confidence for the upcoming pre-playoffs - where they will meet the Rittner Buam. The Vorarlberg team beat the fourth-placed Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 5:1, but due to the simultaneous success of VEU, an improvement of the ranking was no longer possible. The early goal of the guests by Marco Rosa was answered by the "Löwen" 28 seconds later - until the 35th minute the game was not only turned around, also decided with four more goals. Martin Grabher-Meier scored a brace and goalie Lukas Reihs had a save percentage of 96.8%.

Ljubljana finishes regular season with shutout
HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana, which had already been determined as the winner of the basic round before the last round, celebrated their eighth shutout - the second in a row - with a 6:0 win at EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. Nejc Brus recorded two goals and one assist on the side of the dominant Slovenians. The Tyroleans ended the season with their eighth loss in a row and finish the 20/21 campaign in 15th place.

Linz cheers first home win on last gameday
Last-place Steel Wings Linz ended the season with its first home win - confirming Saturday's surprising road victory in Jesenice. It was the first success for Linz after regulation in the second year of participation in the multinational championship. After 17 losses on home ice, the Upper Austrians thus celebrated a 6:3 victory over SHC Fassa Falcons. Both teams had already lost the chance to reach the pre-playoffs before this duel. The decisive factor for Linz's success was a strong second period, which they won by four goals. Center Curtis Douglas recorded three goals and one assist. The Italians lost for the fifth straight time and finish the season in 13th place.

Alps Hockey League | Thursday, March 18th 2021:
EC Bregenzerwald – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 6:3 (1:1, 2:0, 3:2)
Referees: LEHNER, SCHAUER, Huber J., Reisinger.
Goals ECB: Maxa A. (05:08 / Rajamäki T. ,Posch B. / EQ), Schlögl R. (25:17 / Beck F. / EQ), Lipsbergs R. (39:28 / Ban D. ,Beck F. / PP), Posch B. (45:11 / Rajamäki T. ,Maxa A. / EQ), Rajamäki T. (54:04 / Maxa A. ,Schlögl R. / EQ), Rajamäki T. (56:55 / EQ)
Goals GHE: Niemelä J. (17:10 / Glück D. / EQ), Sullmann Pilser M. (55:00 / McGowan B. ,Wilkins M. / EQ), McGowan B. (55:30 / Willeit C. ,Sullmann Pilser M. / EQ)

EHC Lustenau – Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 5:1 (2:1, 3:0, 0:0)
Referees: HOLZER T., HUBER A., Martin, Spiegel.
Goal EHC: Haberl D. (07:31 / König D. ,Connelly B. / EQ), Karkls R. (13:30 / Wilfan M. ,Ozolins A. / PP), Grabher Meier M. (24:04 / Wilfan M. ,D'Alvise C. / EQ), Wilfan M. (30:30 / Connelly B. ,D'Alvise C. / PP), Grabher Meier M. (34:19 / Haberl D. ,Haberl L. / EQ)
Goal ASH: Rosa M. (07:03 / McParland S. ,Gellert A. / PP)

EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 0:6 (0:2, 0:2, 0:2)
Referees: WALLNER, WUNTSCHEK, Eisl, Kainberger.
Goals HKO: Brus N. (03:20 / Cimzar T. ,Logar M. / EQ), Brus N. (19:11 / Cimzar T. ,Meznar E. / EQ), Logar M. (28:34 / Pance Z. ,Magovac A. / EQ), Cimzar T. (39:57 / Brus N. ,Magovac A. / EQ), Pance Z. (42:07 / Ropret A. ,Stebih M. / EQ), Music A. (42:20 / Ropret A. ,Magovac A. / EQ)

VEU Feldkirch – Rittner Buam 7:2 (3:1, 2:0, 2:1)
Referees: BRUNNER, RUETZ, Matthey, Rinker.
Goals VEU: Stanley D. (00:42 / Müller L. / EQ), Koczera P. (11:34 / Stanley D. ,Gehringer N. / EQ), Lebeda Y. (13:31 / Samardzic S. ,Draschkowitz C. / EQ), Lebeda Y. (25:01 / Kaider L. ,Pfennich J. / EQ), Pfennich J. (27:29 / Stanley D. ,Unterweger D. / EQ), Unterweger D. (45:17 / Pfennich J. ,Birnstill S. / EQ), Stanley D. (57:27 / Erne L. ,Lundström L. / SH)
Goals RIT: Kostner J. (10:32 / Quinz S. / EQ), Gabri R. (47:56 / Öhler R. / EQ)

EC-KAC II – S.G. Cortina Hafro 1:5 (0:2, 1:1, 0:2)
Referees: OREL, PODLESNIK, Puff, Schweighofer.
Goal KA2: Ofner N. (34:29 / Witting M. ,Ploner V. / PP)
Goals SGC: De zanna R. (04:40 / Cazzola M. ,Moser A. / EQ), Giftopoulos R. (07:22 / Pietroniro C. ,Cordiano M. / EQ), Pietroniro C. (20:56 / Cazzola M. ,Giftopoulos R. / PP), Cazzola M. (44:26 / Giftopoulos R. ,Pietroniro C. / PP), Pietroniro P. (55:47 / Cazzola M. ,Cordiano M. / PP)

Steel Wings Linz – SHC Fassa Falcons 6:3 (1:1, 4:0, 1:2)
Referees: DURCHNER, HEINRICHER, Pötscher, Schonaklener.
Goals SWL: Arcuri F. (07:27 / Bretschneider N. / EQ), Douglas C. (20:25 / Guy B. ,Norris D. / EQ), Guy B. (26:19 / Douglas C. ,Arcuri F. / EQ), Supryka C. (31:26 / Guy B. ,Norris D. / EQ), Douglas C. (31:58 / Bretschneider N. / PP), Douglas C. (46:34 / Guy B. ,Norris D. / EQ)
Goals FAS: Caletti E. (03:59 / Tedesco D. ,Castlunger M. / EQ), Trottner N. (55:10 / Schiavone D. / EQ), Tedesco D. (57:36 / Eastman D. / EQ)

HC Pustertal Wölfe – Red Bull Hockey Juniors 2:4 (1:1, 1:1, 0:2)
Referees: BENVEGNU, MOSCHEN, Basso, Cristeli.
Goals PUS: Glira D. (04:43 / Elliscasis D. ,Traversa T. / EQ), Carozza M. (38:38 / Althuber I. ,Hofer A. / PP)
Goals RBJ: Steffler D. (09:00 / Feldner N. / EQ), Feldner N. (26:13 / Leonhardt D. ,Thaler L. / EQ), Lutz J. (48:00 / Polegoshko V. ,Stapelfeldt P. / 5:3 PP), Rebernig M. (56:17 / Lutz J. / EQ)

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 1:0 (1:0, 0:0, 0:0)
Referees: LAZZERI, VIRTA, Bedana, Rigoni.
Goal WSV: Eisendle (07:09 / Oberdorfer, Hannoun)

Fotocredit: VEU Feldkirch