Pustertal close to playoff qualification | tight race for pre-playoffs continues

Fassa takes revenge
The SHC Fassa Falcons took revenge 48 hours after the narrow 4:5 home defeat at the EC-KAC and won 5:3 in Klagenfurt. With the first win after three defeats in a row, the Italians remain in the race for a place in the pre-playoff - the gap to the rescue twelfth place is still three points. The Falcons had the game under control from the start and also decided until the 34th minute: Daniel Tedesco (4./SH1) opened in a shorthanded situation, Gregorio Gios (7.) quickly added his first goal of the season. In the second period, Davide Schiavone (22.) and Diego Iori (34.) increased the lead to 4:0. The Klagenfurt team, which was severely depleted in terms of personnel - in addition to eight missing regular players, three others were injured immediately before and during the game - did not give up as the game progressed and scored three times, but in the end could not compensate for the negative start.

Pustertal steps close to playoff qualification
HC Pustertal Wölfe took a big step towards early playoff qualification with a 3:1 away win at EHC Lustenau. With their sixth consecutive win, the South Tyroleans moved back up to second place in the standings. The Vorarlberg side remains seventh after their second home defeat in a row. For the "Wolves", neo-center Luke Pither - Bryson Cianfrone, who is still convalescing, was taken out of the squad for him - made his debut. His line was also immediately responsible for the quick lead of the guests: Viktor Schweitzer put them on the scoreboard after 101 seconds. The intermediate equalizer of the "Lions" by Chris D'Alvise (6.), who also scored in the sixth consecutive game, was answered by Pustertal top scorer Massimo Carozza with his 40th scorer point. Brett Perlini then ensured the decision eleven seconds before the last intermission on the power play. Wölfe goalie Colin Furlong recorded a save percentage of 96.2%.

Hannoun hat trick in Broncos’s win | Kitzbühel misses pre-playoffs
The Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan have successfully defended their place in the pre-playoffs. The twelfth-placed South Tyroleans won 6:4 at EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel and maintained their three-point advantage over Fassa. With their fifth loss in a row, the Tyroleans have no chance left in their remaining three games to reach the pre-playoffs in the Alps Hockey League. The two teams offered each other a high-scoring duel on eye level, at least until the end of the second period. The fact that the guests from Sterzing were still in the game at that point was thanks to Dante Hannoun, who scored a hat trick. In the final period, the home team could no longer advance - and the Broncos decided the match in their favor with goals from Hannes Oberdorfer (51.) and Ryan Valentini (55.).

Linz cheers second season win
The Steel Wings Linz surprisingly scored their second win of the season against the Rittner Buam. The bottom-placed side won 3:2 after overtime in Klobenstein - and put an end to their 21-game losing streak. The "Buam" had to admit defeat again at home after four wins in a row. Thanks to the point win, the South Tyroleans remain eighth, but are only seven points ahead of 13th-placed Fassa. Linz, which benefited overall from a very good performance by goalie Leon Sommer (42 saves | 95.5% save percentage), turned around the initial one-goal deficit in the final two minutes of the opening period. Benjamin Mosaad (19.) and Francesco Arcuri (20.) scored for the Upper Austrians. Ritten's veteran MacGregor Sharp (40.) equalized shortly before the end of the second period - the score remained 2:2 after 60 minutes. And the decision was made right after 39 seconds of overtime when Curtis Douglas scored the game-winner.

Jacob Smith records second consecutive shutout for Gherdeina
Jacob Smith gave HC Gherdeina valgardena.it its second shutout win in a row with 44 saves. The South Tyroleans defeated VEU Feldkirch 5:0 and moved from eleventh to ninth place thanks to their fifth win in a row. Their advantage on the first non-pre-playoff place (13th Fassa) is still six points, the Vorarlberg team in eleventh place has only five points good on the Italians. Decisive for Val Gardena were the last two and a half minutes in the first and second period - when the home team always scored two goals. Five different players scored. Mathew Wilkins and Michael Sullmann Pilser each had four points (1G|3A).

Alps Hockey League | Thursday, March 4th 2021:
EC KAC II – SHC Fassa Falcons 3:5 (0:2, 1:2, 2:1)
Referees: DURCHNER, HEINRICHER, Legat, Schweighofer.
Goals KA2: Lindner (38./Hammerle S.-Hammerle V.), Hammerle V. (50.PP1/Moser-Theririch), Sunitsch (8./Ofner-Hammerle V.)
Goals FAS: Tedesco (4.SH1/Caletti-Hofer), Gios (7./Kvasnica-Caletti), Schiavone (22./Caletti-Tedesco), Iori (34./Hermansson-Castlunger), Pace (43./Caletti-Hofer)

EHC Lustenau – HC Pustertal Wölfe 1:3 (1:2, 0:1, 0:0)
Referees: HUBER, SCHAUER, Eisl, Rinker.
Goal EHC: D’Alvise (6./Connelly-Wilfan)
Goals PUS: Schweitzer (2./De Lorenzo Meo-Althuber), Carozza (10./Perlinie-Elliscasis), Perlini (40.PP1/Hofer-Carozza)

EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitbühel – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 4:6 (1:1, 3:3, 0:2)
Referees: OREL, PODLESNIK, Holzer, Pötscher.
Goals KEC: Gartner (19.PP1/Maurer-Ebner), Bolterle (23./Putnik-Ranftl), Eder F. (24./Eder M.-Schröder), Karitnig (27./Putnik-Haas)
Goals WSV: Eisendle (17./Oberdorfer-Soraruf), Hannoun (23./Gooch-Vlaentini, 24./Valentini-Gooch, 36./Valentini-Gooch), Oberdorfer (51./Gooch-Hannoun), Valentini (55./Erlacher-Oberdorfer)

Rittner Buam – Steel Wings Linz 2:3 OT (1:2, 1:0, 0:0)
Referees: LAZZERI, LEGA, Cristeli, De Zordo.
Goals RIT: Uusivirta (16./Quinz), Sharp (40./Kostner S.-Lutz A.)
Goals SWL: Mosaad (19.), Arcuri (20.), Douglas (61./Norris-Supryka)

HC Gherdeina valgardena.it – VEU Feldkirch 5:0 (2:0, 2:0, 1:0)
Referees: BENVEGNU, MOSCHEN, Bedana, Piras.
Goals GHE: Wilkins (18./Sullmann Pilser), Pitschieler (19./Willeit), McGowan (38./Sullmann Pilser-Wilkins), Sullmann Pilser (40./McGowan-Wilkins), Glück (54./Sullmann Pilser-Wilkins)