Red Bull Hockey Juniors qualify for playoffs

Sat, 02.03.2019: Red Bull Hockey Juniors vs. EK “Die Zeller” Eisbären 11:1 (2:0, 5:0, 4:1)
Referees: BULOVEC, LOICHT, Bedynek, Markizeti. Spectators: 275

With a huge 11:1 home win against EK “Die Zeller” Eisbären the Red Bull Hockey Juniors pinned down the top-4 and go straight to the quarterfinals in Alps Hockey League. The hosts won the twelfth consecutive game and got the season sweep over the polar bears. With the sixth consecutive road defeat Zell am See missed its last chance for participating in the pre-playoffs. The Red Bulls took control right from the beginning. Around halfway through the first Filip Varejcka opened the scoring and Justin Schütz doubled up 32 seconds to go in the first. With five more unanswered goals the second frame was dominated by the home team too. While the hosts managed to score 25% of their shots on goal (20) in the second, the guests had only one shot on goal. With four more goals the Juniors cruised past the polar bears in the final frame too and got their biggest season win. Ivan Korecky made the consolidation goal for the guests on powerplay.

Goals RBJ: Varejcka (11./Witting-Stapelfeldt, 31./Witting-Nordberg), Schütz (20.PP1/Huber-Predan), Nordberg (25./Witting-Schmitz, 42./Witting-Stapelfeldt), Predan (27.PP1/Feldner), Pilloni (30./Frandl-Schreier), Meisaari (34./Nordberg), Zitz (47.PP1/Pilloni-Frandl), Evertsson (53.PP1/Varejcka-Witting, 59.PP1/Nordberg-Varejcka)

Goal EKZ: Korecky (50.PP1/LeBlanc-Nageler) 

Sat, 02.03.2019: EC `Die Adler` Stadtwerke Kitzbühel vs. HC Pustertal Wölfe 3:4 OT (1:0, 1:3, 1:0, 0:1)
Referees: HOLZER, MOSCHEN, Bedana, Cristeli. Spectators: 923

After gaining one point out of the 3:4 overtime-loss against leader HC Pustertal Wolves, the EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel secured 12th spot in standings and will participate in the pre-playoffs. The Tyrolese benefited from Zell am See’s harsh defeat at Red Bull Juniors too. Thomas Mader gave the Austrian side the lead after eleven minutes played on hosts second powerplay occasion. After wasting three more man-advantages in the first, Gianluca March’s brace turned the game around for the guests in the middle frame. Patrick Bolterle tied it less than three minutes later, while Felix Brunner took back the lead for the road-team, which increased speed and intensity in the second. But the hosts struck back in the last with Manuel Rosenlechner scoring the equalizer and securing overtime for the eagles. After Mario Ebner got penalized because of hooking in the extra session, wolve’s top-scorer Markus Gander took the extra point for his colors on powerplay.

Goals KEC: Mader (11.PP1/Lenes-Rosenlechner), Bolterle (32./Lenes), Rosenlechner (48./Hochfilzer)

Goals PUS: March (28./Virtala-Elliscasis, 30./Gander-Andergassen), Brunner (36./Corbett-Althuber), Gander (63.PP1/Hofer)

Sat, 02.03.2019: HC Fassa Falcons vs. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 0:10 (0:5, 0:1, 0:4)
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, METZINGER, Giacomozzi, Miklic. Spectators: 899

Fassa was in a largely reworked formation with the absences of Schiavone, Lauton, Thum, Oberruach, Graf, Gran and Costantin. Jesenice immediately started off as a rocket as they passed on the defence of the Falcons. In the first 10 minutes of the game the Red Steelers already wanted to close the game and succeeded with the markings of Sersen, Jaka Sodja, Pance and Basic. Then the home team ran into two penalties that allowed the guests to do 5:0 in powerplay with Miha Brus. Then the Red Steelers' outburst calmed down and in the second period there was only one goal from Cimzar. But it was in the last eight minutes of the game that Jesenice put more energy back: Svetina's hat-trick and Pance's goal were decisive to mark the result. Jesenice won with a perfect 10:0. Now the Slovenes were only one-point distance from Sterzing in the standings. Urban Avsenik earned the shutout. 

Goals JES: 0:1 Gasper Sersen (02:27/Gagnon-Sodja); 0:2 Jaka Sodja (03:15/Cimzar-Urukalo); 0:3 Eric Pance (07:56/Cimzar-Basic); 0:4 Luka Basic (10:05/Cimzar-Stojan); 0:5 Miha Brus (15:46/PP1/Rodman-Pem); 0:6 Tadej Cimzar (24:23/Pem-Basic); 0:7 Erik Svetina (52:33/Kalan-Stojan); 0:8 Erik Svetina (56:20/Sersen-Stojan); 0:9 Eric Pance (58:48/PP1/Basic-Tavzelj); 0:10 Erik Svetina (59:22/Sersen-Pesjak);

Sat, 02.03.2019: S.G. Cortina Hafro vs. VEU Feldkirch 2:3 SO (1:1, 1:0, 0:1, 0:0, 1:0)
Referees: LEGA, PINIE, Terragni, Vignolo. Spectators: 446

Cortina couldn’t field some players: Moser, Alessandro Zanatta, Federico Lacedelli and Stumpf. The start of the match was immediately in favour of the home team that achieved after just 16 seconds with the goal of Mathieu Ayotte. After the advantage the Cortina put pressure on Caffi but the result did not change. In fact, from half time on, Feldkirch drew with Mairitsch. In the second period, the home team was brought back ahead with Devin Diomete on rebound and still tried to advance in the result but the Austrians do not suffer other goals. In the third period the protagonist was always Mairitsch who scored the draw after 45 minutes of play. This is the last goal of regular time. No one scored in extra sesson. After a long series of shutouts, Feldkirch scored the decisive one with Robin Soudek. Probably the pre-playoff crossing between these two teams at the end of the regular season.

Goals COR: 1:0 Mathieu Ayotte (00:16/Sanna-R.Lacedelli); 2:1 Devin Di Diomete (27:31/Adami-Alverà); 

Goals VEU: 1:1 Martin Mairitsch (16:37/Riener-Grasbock); 2:2 Martin Mairitsch (45:51/Gehringer-Alverà); 2:3 Robin Soudek (65:00/SO); 

Sat, 02.03.2019 Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan vs. Hockey Milano Rossoblu 2:3 (1:0, 1:3, 0:0)
Referees: BENVEGNU, FAJDIGA, Snoj, Wiest. Spectators: 315

The hosts appeared in this fourth match of the season against the Hockey Milano Rossoblu without the presence of Kruselburger, Mantinger, Erlacher, Messner and the suspended McNally. The start of the game was certainly in favor of the Broncos who controlled the game. The first powerplay was already decisive: Paolo Bustreo scored the first goal of the evening for the Vipiteno. But Milan played its game with great intensity and the Vipiteno closed the first half with the slightest advantage. In the second half the game changed. The protagonist was the Russian Andrei Ivanov who scored the first two goals of the season in just 16 seconds with two rebounds. The red-blue team advanced in the result and lead to 3:1 with Tommaso Terzago just before the middle of the game. At the end of the central period, the Broncos took up for the second goal of the evening with Tobias Kolfer. During third period there was the return of the Broncos but Milan closed every space in front of Valle da Rin. Milan won 3:2 for the second consecutive victory, the second seasonal victory against Vipiteno, and the first on the road from January 3. 

Goals WSV: 1:0 Paolo Bustreo (08:18/PP1/Felicetti-Oberdorfer); 2:3 Tobias Kofler (35:26/D.Gschnitzer-Maffia); 

Goals MIL: 1:1 Andrei Ivanov (25:25/Terzago-Caletti); 1:2 Andrei Ivanov (25:41/Terzago-Schina); 1:3 Tommaso Terzago (29:20/Ilic-Petrov);