Release from 02.09.2019
While the Rittner Buam remain unbeaten after the past preseason weekend, three teams snatched up two wins too. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice celebrated two shutouts, the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel and the EC-KAC II, which signed Swedish defender Petter Hansson, booked two wins. Moreover, the Red Bull Hockey Juniors finished fourth in the Junior Club World Cup. Till Thursday six more friendly games are coming up.
Red Bull Hockey Juniors finish fourth at Junior Club World Cup
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors finished Junior Cub World Cup in fourth place. After losing the semifinal against Loko Jarslavl 1:3, which dominated the Russian side with three straight goals in the opening frame, the Austrians met Oulun Kärpät (FIN) in the game for the third place overall. The Red Bulls had a very bad start into the game, trailing 0:2 right at the beginning, as the Finnish side increased speed in the further frames and defeated Salzburg 7:4. Bastian Eckl, Pontus Englund, Luka Nyman and Dennis Lobach scored for the Juniors, which play one more scrimmage next Sunday at SC Riessersee (GER).
Ritten remains unbeaten
The Rittner Buam remain unbeaten in Alps Hockey League preseason, as the former champion snatched up two wins past weekend. On Friday, Dan Tudin and Thomas Spinell each having a brace, as Ritten defeated Canadian Waterloo Warriors 6:3. Two days later the “Buam” turned the game at league rival Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, celebrating a 2:1 win in the end. Stefan Quinz and Randy Gazzola scored and gave the Broncos their third straight preseason defeat.
Kitzbühel and EC-KAC II wins twice
The EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel celebrated two wins past weekend, as the Tyrolese first got a 1:0 shutout win against Alps Hockey League newcomer Steel Wings Linz thanks to captain Henrik Hochfilzer and won the second scrimmage on Sunday too, beating German side Starbulls Rosenheim (GER) 5:3. Linz suffered another defeat this weekend, losing to EC-KAC II 1:5. The Carintinas grabbed a further preseason win two days before, winning at Rosenheim 4:2 after a strong final frame.
EK Die Zeller Eisbären takes first preseason win
On Friday, the EK Die Zeller Eisbären took its first victory during this year’s preseason campaign. After trailing 0:2 half of the first, the Austrian side came back in the middle frame with Jure Sotlar scoring a brace, and turned the game around in a strong final frame, beating ERC Sonthofer (GER) 7:5. Not even 24 hours later, the “Eisbären” suffered a shutout defeat against league rival HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice, which got the preliminary decision with three straight goals in the first frame.
VEU Feldkirch loses both home scrimmages
The VEU Feldkirch had an unsuccessful past preseason weekend, as the Vorarlberg side suffered two home defeats, opening on Friday with a harsh 3:10 loss against Swiss side HC Ajoie and got beaten by SC Riessersee on 3:6 on Sunday. In that game, the VEU let slip away a 3:1 lead after the first frame, losing 3:6 in the end. League rival EHC Lustenau lost to HC Ajoie too. Colin Long scored Lustenau’s lone game in the 1:6 defeat. The third in Vorarlberg placed team EC Bregenzerwald had a successful weekend, as the “Wälder” came back after trailing 0:2 and booked a 5:4 overtime win against EHC Winterthur (CH) in the end.
Two defeats for HC Gherdeina, Pustertal waits for first preseason win
The HC Gherdeina valgardena.it suffered two losses past weekend, after losing the Slovenian AHL rival HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 0:2 and the Ticino Rockets (CH) 2:3 after Shooutout. Vice champion HC Pustertal Wölfe is still waiting for the first preseason win, as the South Tyrolean lost to EC Riessersee (GER) 2:3 in the second friendly.
Three internal scrimmages till Thursday, Vienna tests twice
Till Thursday six preparatory games are scheduled. The Vienna Capitals Silver play two friendlies, meeting Czech clubs. On Wednesday, the Viennese take on HC Moravske Budejovice and closes the preseason on Thursday visiting SHK Hodonin. For the second time this preseason the EK Die Zeller Eisbären play EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, after the Tyrolese got a clear 8:2 in the first meeting. With S.G. Cortina Hafro hosting Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey and Rittner Buam facing HC Pustertal Wölfe two more Alps Hockey League internal clashes are coming up. Further, the EHC Lustenau tests against Swiss side EHC Winterthur on the road.
Alps Hockey League preseason schedule:
29.08.2019, 20:30: HC Pustertal Wolves vs. SC Riessersee 2:3 (0:1, 2:0, 0:2)
29.08.2019, 20:30: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it vs. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 0:2 (0:0 0:1 0:1)
30.08.2019, 18:00: Loko Jaroslavl - Red Bull Hockey Juniors 3:1 (3:0, 0:1, 0:0)
30.08.2019, 20:00: Rittner Buam vs. Waterloo University 6:3 (2:0, 3:1, 1:2)
30.08.2019, 19:30: EC „Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel vs. Steel Wings Linz 1:0 (0:0, 1:0, 0:0)
30.08.2019, 19:30: Starbulls Rosenheim vs. EC-KAC II 2:4 (1:0, 0:1, 1:3)
30.08.2019, 19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. ERC Sonthofen 7:5 (1:2, 2:1, 4:2)
30.08.2019, 19:30: VEU Feldkirch vs. HC Ajoie 3:10 (0:3, 2:3, 1:4)
31.08.2019, 14:00: Oulun Kärpät – Red Bull Hockey Juniors 7:4 (3:1, 3:1,1:2)
31.08.2019, 19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 0:4 (0:4, 0:0, 0:0)
31.08.2019, 20:00: EC Bregenzerwald vs. EHC Winterthur 5:4 OT (1:2, 2:1, 1:1, 1:0)
31.08.2019, 20:00: EHC Lustenau vs. EHC Ajoie 1:6 (0:2, 1:2, 0:2)
31.08.2019, 18:15: Ticino Rockets vs. HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 3:2 SO (0:1, 1:1, 0:1, 0:0, 0:1)
01.09.2019, 18:00: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan vs. Rittner Buam 1:2 (0:0, 1:2, 0:0)
01.09.2019, 17:00: EC-KAC II vs. Steel Wings Linz 5:1 (1:1, 3:0, 1:0)
01.09.2019, 18:00: EC „Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel vs. Starbulls Rosenheim 5:3 (2:2, 1:0, 2:1)
01.09.2019, 18:00: VEU Feldkirch vs. SC Riessersee 3:6 (3:1, 0:3, 0:2)
03.09.2019, 18:00: HC Moravske Budejovice vs. Vienna Capitals Silver
03.09.2019, 20:00: EHC Winterthur vs. EHC Lustenau
04.09.2019, 20:30: S.G. Cortina Hafro vs. Migross Supermercato Asiago Hockey
04.09.2019, 19:00: EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. EC „Die Adler" Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
04.09.2019, 20:00: Rittner Buam vs. HC Pustertal Wolves
05.09.2019, 17:00: SHK Hodonin vs. Vienna Capitals Silver
Find Alps Hockey League full preseason schedule here.
Fotocredit: (c) Max Pattis