Ritten defends winning streak against reigning champion

The Rittner Buam SkyAlps extended their winning streak in their clash with reigning champions SIJ Acroni Jesenice on Saturday. The 5-3 home win was Ritten's tenth victory in a row - only four victories short of the league record of 14 wins in a row set by the South Tyroleans themselves in 2016. The league leaders twice overturned a one-goal deficit against the Slovenians, before two goals within 110 seconds at the start of the final period finally put the South Tyroleans on the road to victory. Max Cotta and Ethan Szypula each scored twice for the "Buam".

Salzburg and Bregenzerwald prolong winning streaks too
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors and EC Bregenzerwald also defended their winning streak: The second-placed team from Salzburg snatched their eighth success in a row, making everything clear early on against league newcomers HK RST Pellet Celje with four goals in the first ten minutes. It was the seventh successive defeat for the Slovenians, which are in second-last place in the table. The "Wälder" picked up their fifth win in a row at HC Meran/o Pircher and defended their four-point lead in seventh place in the table. Erik Embrich (7./PP1) and Felix Zipperle (28.) gave the visitors a two-goal lead, which they ultimately defended to the end.

Zell am See and Cortina back on winning ways
The EK Die Zeller Eisbären and S.G. Cortina Hafro put an end to their respective losing streaks on Saturday, as the Salzburg team celebrated a 4-3 win after a shootout in the "derby" against EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel in front of 2029 fans. However, head coach Mike Flanagan's team had to fight hard for their first win after three consecutive defeats: After leading 2-0, the "Eisbären" had to concede three goals while short-handed, Nick Huard (55.) sent the home team into overtime with his second goal. In the shootout that followed, Huard also scored the decisive penalty.

Cortina's losing streak ended with a 5-1 victory at home against the bottom-placed EC-KAC Future Team, which suffered their 15th defeat in a row. After an even first period, Diego Cuglietta (21./PP1) put the reigning runners-up on the winning track in the power play.

Special teams manage the win for Unterland
The Hockey Unterland Cavaliers owe their 4-1 home win over the SHC Fassa Falcons to a strong first period (3-0) and their special teams: Florian Wieser, Alex Egger and Michael Sullmann each scored on the power play, while Miro Markkula's goal was shorthanded. The home team thus came out on top in the fourth clash between these two teams.

Lustenau cheers perfect weekend
EHC Lustenau has also successfully completed its second road game within 24 hours. The Vorarlberg team followed up Friday's 7-3 win in Klagenfurt with a 4-3 victory at Steel Wings LINZ AG, scoring points in their fourth consecutive road game. Goals from Hans Öhrvall (30./PP1) and Max Wilfan (35.) in the second half of the middle period turned the game in favor of the "Stickers", which thus also scored in their tenth duel with the Upper Austrians.

Alps Hockey League | 02.12.2023 | Results:
Steel Wings LINZ AG – EHC Lustenau 3:4 (1:1, 1:2, 1:1)
Referees: LEHNER, VOICAN, Matthey, Moidl. | Spectators: 122
Goals SWL: Mosaad (17./Pirklbauer-Koller), Saha (27./Söllinger-Grasser), Persson (49./Grasser-Liesch)
Goals EHC: Johansson (20.SH1/Hrdina-Öhrvall), Öhrvall (30.PP1/Wilfan-Johansson), Wilfan (35./Moosbrugger-Hrdina), Moosbrugger (45./Wilfan-Wennlund)

Rittner Buam SkyAlps – SIJ Acroni Jesenice 5:3 (1:1, 1:1, 3:1)
Referees: BENVEGNU, EGGER, Rivis, Wiest. | Spectators: 713
Goals RIT: Szypula (19./Kostner J.-Lobis, 41./Lobis-Insam), Coatta (24.PP1/Fink K.-Szypula, 43./Kostner J.-Amorosa), Giacomuzzi (58./Spinell-Prast)
Goals JES: Svetina (7./Bohinc-Pance), Kumanovic (23./Glavic), Pance (56./Svetina-Bohnic)

Hockey Unterland Cavaliers – SHC Fassa Falcons 4:1 (3:0, 1:0, 0:1)
Referees: SORAPERRA, VIRTA, De Zordo, Pace. | Spectators: 291
Goals HCU: Wieser (4.PP1/Markkula-Brighenti), Markkula (6.SH1/Matonti), Sullmann (11.PP1/Girardi-Egger), Egger (24.PP1/Girardi-Kaufmann)
Goal FAS: Vigl (43./Forte-Näslund)

Red Bull Hockey Juniors – HK RST Pellet Celje 4:2 (4:1, 0:0, 0:1)
Referees: HOLZER T., SPIEGEL, Legat, Preiser. | Spectators: 40
Goals RBJ: Cernik (3./Mackner), Wurzer (5./Schreiner), Helander (5./Musnieks-Hörl), Vinzenc (11./Sinn-Ramoser)
Goals HKC: Sodja Zalokar (17./Freidenfelds-Pecnik), Mintautiskis (46.PP1/Sotlar-Cepon)

EK Die Zeller Eisbären – EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 4:3 SO (2:0, 0:2, 1:1, 0:0)
Referees: BAJT, SCHAUER, Arlic, Seewald J. | Spectators: 2029
Goals EKZ: Huard (6./Wilenius-Artner, 55./Wilenius-Berger, 65.PS), Widen (16./Wilenius-Huard)
Goals KEC: Urbanek (24.PP1/Niemelä-Podlipnik), Podlipnik (35.PP1/Rotter-Schröder), Tschurnig (50.PP1/Rotter)

HC Meran/o Pircher – EC Bregenzerwald 2:4 (0:1, 1:1, 1:2)
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, RICCO, Brondi, Fleischmann. | Spectators: 550
Goals HCM: Ritchie (33./Borgatello-Anderson, 58./McNally-Borgatello)
Goals ECB: Embrich (7.PP1/Lipsbergs-Kulintsev), Zipperle (28./Metzler-Kulintsev), Ranftl (50./Zwerger-Schlögl), Lipsbergs (60./Auvinen-Kulintsev)

S.G. Cortina Hafro – EC-KAC Future Team 5:1 (1:1, 2:0, 2:0)
Referees: MILOVANOVIC, STEFENELLI, Cusin, Jeram. | Spectators: 385
Goals SGC: Lacedelli R. (4./Sanna, 44./Cuglietta), Cuglietta (21.PP1/Lacedelli R.-Sanna), Adami (25./Zardini Lacedelli-Colli), Barnabo (43./De zana-Adami)
Goal KFT: Lippitsch (13./Kramer)

Fotocredit: Max Pattis