Third-last round ahead with nine teams fighting for the top-6

Sat, 18.01.2020, 18.00: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – EHC Lustenau
Referees: LESNIAK, OREL, Bergant, Holzer D..
The third-last gameday opens with a tough battle between two top-6 aspirants, as HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice hosts EHC Lustenau. With 53 points (EHC) resp. 52 points (JES) both teams are separated by only one point – because each form curve diverged. While fifth-ranked Austrian side lost the past five, the Slovenian team has a 7-game winning streak available. Lustenau won the first season-encounter clearly 5:2, but might misses captain Max Wilfan, Martin Grabher Meier and Timo Demuth due to injury reasons.

• Winning-Streak JES: 7
• Losing-Streak EHC: 5
• H2H AHL: 7:6 (JES)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 19.00: Vienna Capitals Silver – Rittner Buam
Referees: KUMMER, PODLESNIK, Matthey, Reisinger.
The Rittner Buam pay the Vienna Capitals a visit, to come back on winning ways after past gameday’s overtime loss against Feldkirch. With a win at leagues newcomer and 17th-ranked Austrian side, the “Buam”, which have AHL’s best PP available, can step closer to finish regular season in second place to grab three bonus points for the Master Round. Matt Lane’s hat trick gave Ritten a clear-cut win in the first season-meeting (7:1). With a total of 50 points Lane is league’s fifth-best scorer and Ritten’s top-scorer.

• Losing-Streak VCS: 1
• Losing-Streak RIT: 1
• H2H AHL: 0:1 (RIT)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 19.30: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: FICHTNER, LOICHT, Riecken, Weiss.
With currently trailing five points to the top-6, the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan have a long way to go to reach the Master Round. To remain in the race for the top group the Broncos definitely need a win against EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel. The tight 5:4 win in the first season-meeting was Sterzing’s third consecutive victory over the Austrian side, which arrives after an upset at HC Pustertal, beating the vice-champion 3:2 after shootout past gameday. Due Bronco’s rollercoaster performance during the season, they have the best penalty killing available (84,2%) among all teams.

• Winning-Streak WBV: 1
• Winning-Streak KEC: 1
• H2H AHL: 7:2 (WSV)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 19.30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BAJT, FAJDIGA, Huber, Rinker.
With the EK Die Zeller Eisbären hosting HC Gherdeina valgardena.it two teams without a chance for reaching the Master Round face each other for the eighth time in Alps Hockey League history. The South Tyrolean won the past three duels with the Austrian side and arrives after two straight wins, while the “polar bears” suffered two shutout-defeats in a row (Ritten, Sterzing). However, Gherdeina lost the past five road-games. Both teams fight for 11th resp. 12th spot in standings, which guarantees one more bonus point in the qualification round. Zell’s Tomi Wilenius and Christian Ban are expected to be back on the team at the start of the intermediate round.

• Losing-Streak EKZ: 2
• Winning-Streak WSV: 2
• H2H AHL: 2:5 (GHE)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 19.30: EC Bregenzerwald – HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: HOLZER T., LEGA, Eisl, Terragni.
In the fight for the second place after regular season, the HC Pustertal Wölfe hits the road at EC Bregenzerwald. The vice-champion trails one point to second-ranked Ritten and fights for the most possible amount of bonus points for the Master Round. Against the Vorarlberg side the “wolves” have a four-game winning-streak available, losing only once in seven duels. However, the guests struggled the last days losing to Kitzbühel and Fassa. Indeed, Bregenzerwald’s form curve points downwards too, as they lost six in a row. The “Wälder” will miss up to ten players due to injuries and Julian Metzler due to a suspension till the end of regular season.

• Losing-Streak ECB: 6
• Losing-Streak PUS: 2
• H2H AHL: 1:5 (PUS)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 19.30: VEU Feldkirch – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: LAZZERI, RUETZ, Kainberger, Wimmler.
The VEU Feldkirch has the toughest opponent coming up in the third-last round of Alps Hockey League, as the fifth-ranked Austrian side welcomes leader HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana. While the reigning champion will finish regular season first anyway, fifth-ranked Feldkirch fights for reaching the Master Round, having a two-point advantage. Both teams have an impressive winning-streak available, as Ljubljana won the past eleven games, the last five with at least four goals difference, and Feldkirch got three in a row, winning in former champions rinks Ritten and Asiago. For defeating the third Alps Hockey League champion in a row the VEU might need a good night on powerplay (HKO PK 84% | #2) – and Martin Mairitsch coming out big again, as he scored a hat trick in the past two games. The Austrian side will miss Robin Soudek, Sven Grasböck, Felix Brunner, Patrick Stückler, Yannik Lebeda and Stefan Steurer.

• Winning-Streak VEU: 3
• Winning-Streak HKO: 11
• H2H AHL: 3:2 (VEU)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 20.30: SHC Fassa Falcons – EC-KAC II
Referees: PAHOR, STEFENELLI, Markizeti, Snoj.
After Friday’s home game against bottom-placed Steel Wings Linz, the SHC Fassa Falcons have another game on home ice ahead, as they host EC-KAC II. While the Italians are still into the race for the top-6, the Carinthians play for the 14th spot after regular season to grab one bonus point for the intermediate round. The six past duels were decided by the road-teams, with the “falcons” winning five out of seven.

• Losing-Streak FAS: 1
• Losing-Streak KA2: 1
• H2H AHL: 5:2 (FAS)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 20.30: S.G. Cortina Hafro – Steel Wings Linz
Referees: GAMPER, PINIE, Giacomozzi P., Pace.
S.G. Cortina will extend the point-streak to eleven, as the fourth-ranked team faced bottom-placed Steel Wings Linz. The Italian side is four points up in the race for the top-6 and would step closer to the preliminary qualification with taking revenge on Linz, as the league’s new comer, which lost 25 in row, get its lone Alps Hockey League victory in the home-game against Cortina. The Upper Austrians cheered a 3:2 victory after shootout.

• Losing-Streak SGC: 1
• Losing-Streak SWL: 25
• H2H AHL: 0:1 (SWL)

Sat, 18.01.2020, 20.30: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: GIACOMOZZI F., VIRTA T., Mantovani, Puff.
Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey against the Red Bull Hockey Juniors is the second duel on third-last gameday with to direct rivals for top-6 face each other. Despite two shootout-losses the former champion is trailing only one point to the top group, while tenth-ranked Salzburg sits four points behind sixth spot. The Austrian side has a three-game winning streak available and won the first season-encounter 1:0 after shootout.

• Losing-Streak ASH: 2
• Losing-Streak RBJ: 3
• H2H AHL: 5:2 (ASH)