Release from 15.03.2019

Quarterfinals in Alps Hockey League are set

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On Friday was decision day in Alps Hockey League. The top four teams had the possibility to choose their quarterfinal opponents. The pick of the teams brought two national clashes in quarterfinals, while the two Slovenian teams each face the former champions. The first game day of the best of seven quarterfinal series will take place on Monday, 18th of March. The series continue on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday in the upcoming week. 

Alps Hockey League, Quarterfinals:
HC Pustertal Wölfe (1)  – S.G. Cortina Hafro (10)
HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana (2) – Rittner Buam (5)
Red Bull Hockey Juniors (3) – EHC Alge Elastic Lustenau (6)
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey (4) – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice (8)

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HC Pustertal Wölfe (1)  – S.G. Cortina Hafro (10)
The HC Pustertal Wölfe dominated the regular season and captured the first right to pick early. Pustertal decided to play the best of seven quarter final series against S.G. Cortina Hafro. Cortina was the surprising team in the pre-playoffs, eliminating favorized VEU Feldkirch in two games. It is the duel between the first placed team against the 10th ranked team after regular season. In the current AHL-season Pustertal won all four duels against Cortina. Cortina ended the regular season with three consecutive losses, before eliminating Feldkirch in two games in the pre-playoffs. Also Pustertal lost the last game of regular season, but had a six game winning streak before. The wolves had the best season start of an AHL-team in history. They celebrated 17 consecutive wins at the beginning of this season. Pustertal met Cortina in the 2016/17 quarterfinal too, losing 0:3 in the best of five series.
 
HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana (2) – Rittner Buam (5)
The HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana had the second pick and decided to go into quarter final series against the first AHL-champion ever Rittner Buam. Ljubljana already qualified early for the quarterfinals and ended the regular season on the second place, after winning eleven out of the last twelve games. Their opponent Ritten battled hard until the final round of regular season to get a direct playoff-ticket, but failed after loosing the important games against Salzburg and Asiago within the last five rounds. In the pre-playoffs they got two clear wins against Kitzbühel. These two teams met twice in the regular season with Ljubljana dominating both games 5:1. 
 
Red Bull Hockey Juniors (3) – EHC Alge Elastic Lustenau (6)
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors had the third pick and decided to go against EHC Alge Elastic Lustenau. It is the new edition of the Austrian Alps Hockey League final this season, which was decided by the Juniors. For the Juniors it is the second consecutive time qualifying for the quarterfinals. Lustenau qualified in the first season for the quarterfinals, but missed the qualification in the past season. None of these two teams advanced to semifinals till now. Lustenau won both AHL duels against Salzburg this season. 
 
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey (4) – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice (8)
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey is facing HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice in quarterfinals. The reigning champion pinned down the direct playoff-ticket at the last game day of regular season, winning at Kitzbühel. In the past two seasons Asiago advanced to semifinals without a loss and clinching the title once. Also Jesenice made it twice into the semis, defeating Lustenau 2017 and Ljubljana 2018. In the first Alps Hockey League season these two teams met in the semifinal with Asiago taking the win in the best of five series. The two season meetings were tight, as the Slovenian side won the first after overtime and the Italian side the second after shootout.