Sterzing ends losing streak

Klagenfurt outclasses Steel Wings
After a long injury break, Klagenfurt's Rok Kapel, who played his last game on 3 October, made his comeback against Linz. The 21-year-old Slovenian opened the scoring right after six minutes. Only 45 seconds later Markus Pirmann made it 2:0. The last team in the table from Upper Austria reduced the score by Maximilian Kieweg shortly afterwards, but it should remain the only success for the Linz team. Pirmann restored the two-goal lead before the first intermission. A brace by Kapel after the restart ensured the decision, and in the end EC-KAC II celebrated a 10:1 victory - it is also their highest win in the Alps Hockey League history. Rok Kapel got four goals and three assists, Markus Pirmann even scored four goals and four assists. With their third win of the season over Linz, the Carinthians also extended their lead over the bottom team.

VEU wins thanks to top scorer Stukel
After bitter defeats lately, Kitzbühel and Feldkirch were keen to make amends in a direct duel. The Tyroleans initially set the tone and took the lead through Fabian Ranftl - it was the only goal in the first period. After the restart Martin Mairitsch equalised - the assists came from Stukel and Birnstill. But a powerplay goal by Wernerson put the KEC back in the lead. It was not until the final period that the game tipped in the Vorarlberg's favour. Jakob Stukel first scored to equalise, then the league's top scorer also had his stick in the 2:3. Dylan Stanley turned the game around after Stukel and Birnstill's assists. In the end, Alex Caffi held on for the narrow victory for the guests. For VEU it was the 13th win in the 17th duel with the Eagles.

Sterzing ends negative run
In the fourth duel of the season between the two clubs, the Rittner Buam were unable to capitalise on two early power play situations. The teams were hardly complete for the second time when Dante Hannoun scored on the other side. At the beginning of the middle period, the home side increased their lead through a Mantinger shot. Shortly afterwards, the guests took advantage of a power play with Simon Kostner, who reduced the score to 1:2. But only 16 seconds later Gooch punished a mistake by the Ritten defense in the build-up with the 3:1. Towards the end of the middle period, Heiskanen's team stepped up a gear and was rewarded when Uusivirta beat Reinhart with a blast from the blue line - 3:2. In the final period, the Rittner Buam set off an offensive fireworks display. But none of the 20 shots found their way into the goal, so that the Broncos celebrated a victory again after nine defeats in a row and for the first time since 31 October.

Pustertal storms to second place in the third period
Gröden and Pustertal delivered a varied spectacle with the guests taking the lead after eight minutes through Perlini. The home side, however, managed to equalise through Maximilian Sölva before the end of the first period. After the restart it was Sölva again who beat Furlong to make it 2-1. The joy was short-lived, however, as Lukas De Lorenzo Meo scored only 28 seconds later to make it 2:2. Everything went quickly as top scorer McGowan and Messner scored to give Val Gardena a 4:2 lead after 40 minutes. However, an Althuber brace within one minute tied the game early in the third period. Armin Hofer scored the decisive goal in the 54th minute to give the visitors their second lead of the evening. Furlong, who recorded 36 saves, then held on for the narrow victory. It was the ninth win in the tenth AHL meeting with the "Furie", who also conceded their sixth home defeat in a row. With these three points, HCP climbed to second place in the standings.

Alps Hockey League:
EC-KAC II - Steel Wings Linz 10:1 (3:1,3:0,4:0)
Referees: OREL, WIDMANN, Holzer, Schweighofer
Goals Klagenfurt: 1:0 KA2 Kapel R. (06:06 / Pirmann M. ,Maier D. / EQ), 2:0 KA2 Pirmann M. (06:51 / Witting S. ,Moser A. / EQ), 3:1 KA2 Pirmann M. (19:47 / Witting S. ,Kapel R. / EQ), 4:1 KA2 Kapel R. (24:15 / Witting S. ,Pirmann M. / EQ), 5:1 KA2 Kapel R. (28:58 / Witting S. ,Pirmann M. / EQ), 6:1 KA2 Ofner N. (30:09 / Schönett J. ,Kompain M. / EQ), 7:1 KA2 Kapel R. (44:57 / Pirmann M. ,Witting S. / EQ), 8:1 KA2 Pirmann M. (47:31 / Kapel R. ,Witting S. / PP), 9:1 KA2 Gomboc L. (48:31 / Preiml M. ,Klassek S. / EQ), 10:1 KA2 Pirmann M. (57:07 / Kapel R. ,Witting S. / EQ)
Goal Linz: 2:1 SWL Kieweg M. (09:32 / Liesch M. ,Neumaier R. / EQ)

EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - VEU Feldkirch 2:3 (1:0,1:1,0:2) 
Referees: DURCHNER, HLAVATY, Schonaklener, Voican 
Goals Kitzbühel: 1:0 KEC Ranftl F. (07:52 / Wernerson L. ,Ebner M. / EQ), 2:1 KEC Wernerson P. (34:45 / Wernerson L. ,Kreuter D. / PP)
Goals Feldkirch: 1:1 VEU Mairitsch M. (27:35 / Stukel J. ,Birnstill S. / EQ), 2:2 VEU Stukel J. (41:01 / unassisted / EQ), 2:3 VEU Stanley D. (57:12 / Birnstill S. ,Stukel J. / PP)

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - Rittner Buam 3:2 (1:0,2:2,0:0) 
Referees: LEGA, MOSCHEN, Fleischmann, Mantovani 
Goals Wipptal: 1:0 WSV Hannoun D. (13:11 / Gooch T. ,Gander M. / EQ), 2:0 WSV Mantinger M. (21:20 / Valentini R. ,Gooch T. / EQ), 3:1 WSV Gooch T. (24:00 / Hannoun D. ,Messner M. / EQ)
Goals Ritten: 2:1 RIT Kostner S. (23:44 / Gabri R. ,Tudin D. / PP), 3:2 RIT Uusivirta L. (39:59 / Quinz S. ,Gabri R. / EQ)

HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - HC Pustertal Wölfe 4:5 (1:1,3:1,0:3)
Referees: LAZZERI, STEFENELLI, Cristeli, Weiss 
Goals Gherdeina: 1:1 GHE Sölva M. (13:23 / Costa D. ,Galassiti D. / EQ), 2:1 GHE Sölva M. (22:14 / Tomasini P. ,Galassiti D. / EQ), 3:2 GHE McGowan B. (34:15 / Linder T. ,Wilkins M. / EQ), 4:2 GHE Messner L. (37:09 / Moroder S. ,Glück D. / EQ) 
Goals Pustertal: 0:1 PUS Perlini B. (08:12 / unassisted / EQ), 2:2 PUS De lorenzo meo A. (22:42 / Schweitzer V. ,Glira D. / EQ), 4:3 PUS Althuber I. (40:47 / Andergassen R. ,Carozza M. / EQ), 4:4 PUS Althuber I. (41:48 / Berger S. ,Conci D. / EQ), 4:5 PUS Hofer A. (53:51 / Cianfrone B. ,Lee S. / EQ)

Photo: Oskar Brunner