Three Shut Outs and two big road-wins on Saturday!

In Tivoli Hall HK SZ Olimpija recorded an important three points in their battle for playoffs as the dragons downed Red Bull Juniors by two goals to none. In an evenly played first period both teams had some chances on power play but none could capitalize them. Even when the hosts were two men down Robert Kristan took care of business. The same has to be said for Nicolas Wieser on the other side. After killing three more power plays the dragons did manage to get ahead in 35th minute. An assist by Andrej Hebar set up Gal Koren who put them on the score board. The visitors started last period with another 5 on 4 but even 5th time they could not find a way past a fighting dragons defense and Robert Kristan in the net. Red Bull juniors tried everything to get an equalizer. With 90 seconds to go Matt Curley pulled Nicolas Wieser for an extra attacker. But even with an empty net they could not get a perfect shot on target. Final decision came with 5 seconds left on the clock. It was Andrej Hebar who managed to put the puck into an empty Salzburg net.

 

27.01.2018: EK Zeller Eisbären – HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 1:0 (1:0,0:0,0:0)
Both teams started strong into the game. The Polar Bears threatened first. Tobias Dinhopel took a shot, but the puck just hit the post. Martin Oraze‘s Power Play goal gave the Austrians an early lead. This was a wake-up-call for the Slovenes. The guests tried hard to equalize until the end of the game, but they could not break through the strong EKZ defense. Patrick Machreich stopped 33 shots and gave his team a 1:0- Shut Out win.

 

Kevin Schettina netted the first goal in the game and gave EC Bregenzerwald an early lead. The Forward poked the puck in after a shot from Haidinger. The hosts failed to extend their lead in two Power Plays. This was punished by the guests from Lustenau. Jeff Ulmer finished a perfect combination with Stastny and new arrival Arkiomaa (20.) – 1:1. The Lions took some penaltys after the re-start. This was punished by the Wälder: Haidingers 5-on-3-Power Play goal gave ECB a 2:1-lead. Daniel Ban netted the 3:1 in another Power Play. Lustenau did not give up. Koczera was alone infront of Pietilä and reduced the score - 3:2. The home-team answered: Philipp Pöschmann poked the puck in for the 4:2. New arrival, Arkiomaa, showed his scoring skills in minute 39 and netted the 3:4. In the end the game became more and more chippy. With 29 seconds to go Christian Ban decided the game with an empty net goal.

 

For one of the most important derby of South Tyrol there were some important news. Ivan Tauferer, Max Ploner, Andreas Alber were absent for the home team. Edoardo Caletti (former player of Cortina) played in the second line of attack for his first match. Eric Johansson, Eric Pance and Benno Obermair were absent for the visitors while there was the first game of the Canadian forward Jean-Francois Jacques. There was the return of Thomas Erlacher who was absent from the first round of the AHL. The Rittner Buam played well in the first five minutes of play and the Pustertal didn’t left his defensive zone. Then the game got a little 'more balanced. The Rittner Buam controlled the game but there were no great opportunities to score and the same for Bruneck for a first period that closed without goals. In the second half the home team scored the only goal in the entire match with a long-range shot by Roland Hofer in powerplay action. Then the home team tried to double with the chances of Simon Kostner, Johannes Fauster and Victor Ahlstrom but the result didn’t change. In the third time the visitors were more active as they tried to equalize but despite the various chances (Di Casmirro and Oberrauch) the Ritten won 1:0. The formation of Klobstein consolidated the second position in the standings. Patrick Killen earned the sixth shutout. For the Val Pusteria it was the fourth consecutive defeat. In the last four games the Wolves has scored only one goal.

 

The start of the game was in favour of the guests who put a lot of pressure on Daniel Morandell's net. The efforts of the austrian team are rewarded by Niklas Tikkinen's initial goal (3.). Then the game became more balanced and fun with actions on one side and the other. The Wild Geese tied with Ondrej Nedved. The game remained pleasant. The first ended in a draw (1:1). During the second period the formation of the VEU took the command of operations as they dominated the period. The protagonist for the guests was Martin Mairitsch who scored at the beginning of the period (23.) and in the end when were missing just 46 seconds from the 2th break with a counterattack. During the second period, Morandell saved a lot. In the third period Feldkirch scored after just 27 seconds with Daniel Winzing. After this goal the formation of Voralberg defended the result and the Neumarkt came back in to the match. Soon after, the home team scored two goals in a little more than a minute with Jakub Muzik (after a scrum) and Florian Wieser (on rebound). Now the Neumarkt tried for a draw but the VEU. The Feldkirch won 4:3 and they earned to fourth place in the standings.

 

Marzolini, Sottsas, Schiavone and Di Diomete (personal reason) were absent for this match. Marco Lorenz was the home goalkeeper of Fassa as he played in his second game of the season. The first period was without goals with two teams facing each other openly but neither made the winning inspiration. After just 17 seconds of the second half, Samuel Rothstein found the first net of the match on rebound. But this was also the only Falcons goal for the entire meeting. The answer of the Broncos was almost immediate and decisive. In the following 11 minutes, Stethe rzing scored four times with Mark Lee, Ben Duffy, Jure Sotlar (in powerplay) and Fabian Hackhofer. In the third time the Broncos still dominated and there was no escape for Fassa. The guests were relentless in attack with five other goals in seven minutes (Deluca, Oberdorfer, Sotlar, Hackhofer and Lee). The Broncos won with an eloquent 9:1 as they remained in seventh position of the standings.

 

The Gherdeina started in attack and after the middle of the period there was the first goal on rebound of Linus Lundstrom. Immediate answer from the Austrians who equalized with Peter Lenes after just 28 seconds. But the home team was more concrete in attack and before the end of time there was the second goal of Lundstrom. Then in the second period the game became more balanced and starting from the last minutes of the second period the Eagles definitely took control of the game. In three minutes Kitzbühel overturned the score with the Latvian couple Gatis Sprukts and Oleg Sislannikovs and then with Clemens Kuchinka. In the third period Gherdeina changed the goalie: Marco Rabanser out, Giancarlo Kostner in.  Austrian team was more concrete again with the Latvian Sprukts and Sislannikovs for the final 6: 2 with which the Austrian team consolidated the 13th place in the standings. The Gherdeina was eliminated from the playoffs and already he thinks about the next season with the confirmation of the coach Patrice Lefebvre.

 

Sa, 27.01.2018: HK SZ Olimpija – Red Bull Hockey Juniors 2:0 (0:0,1:0,1:0)
Referees: LAZZERI, MISCHIATTI; spectators: 330
Goals HKO: Koren (35. – Hebar, Selan), Hebar (60./EN – Zajc)

Referees: DUCHNER, LENDL; spectators: 1.651
Goals ECB: Schettina (8. – Haidinger, Waldhauser), Haidinger (22./pp2 – Kauppila, D. Ban), D. Ban (25./pp – Kauppila, Mörsky), Pöschmann (34. – Hohenegg, Hyyppä), C. Ban (60./EN – Fussenegger)
Goals EHC: Ulmer (20. – Arkiomaa, Stastny), Koczera (28. – M. Wilfan, Stastny), Arkiomaa (39. – Slivnik, Stefan)

Referees: OFNER, WIDMANN; spectators: 650
Goal EKZ: Oraze (8./pp – F. Wilfan, Dinhopel)

Referees: BAJT, SUPPER, Arlic, Oberhuber
Goals HCN: 1:1 Nedved (9./Steiner); 2:4 Muzik (44./Graf-Willeit); 3:4 Wieser (45./Willeit);
Goals VEU: 0:1 Tikkinen (3./Puschnik-Wiedmaier); 1:2 Mairitsch (23./Birnstill-Witting); 1:3 Mairitsch (39./Witting-Loic); 1:4 Winzing (40./Stanley);

Referees: MORI, MOSCHEN, Bedana, De Zordo
Goal RIT: 1:0 R.Hofer (21./PP1/Frei-T.Spinell);

Referees: KUMMER, LESNIAK, Egger, Stefenelli
Goal FAS: 1:0 Rothstein (20./Bustreo-Monferone);
Goals WSV: 1:1 Lee (23./Mantinger-Sotlar); 1:2 Duffy (25./Sotlar-Messner); 1:3 Sotlar (28./PP1/Duffy-Lee); 1:4 Hackhofer (31./Duffy-F.Brunner); 1:5 I.Deluca (41./PP1/Felicetti-Hackhofer); 1:6 Oberdorfer (42.); 1:7 Sotlar (43./F.Brunner); 1:8 Hackhofer (44./Oberdorfer-Lee); 1:9 Lee (47./Felicetti-Mantinger);

Sa, 27.01.2018: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - EC 'Die Adler' Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 2:6 (2:1; 0:3; 0:2)
Referees: KUCHER, VIRTA, Giacomozzi, Holzer
Goals GHE: 1:0 Lundstrom (11./SH1/G.Vinatzer- Eastman); 2:1 Lundstrom (18./Pitschieler-Roupec);
Goals KEC: 1:1 Lenes (11./PP1/Sislannikovs-M.Ebner); 2:2 Sprukts (33./Sislannikovs-M.Ebner); 2:3 Sislannikovs (35./Sprukts-Jancar); 2:4 Kuchinka (38./ Sislannikovs- Sprukts); 2:5 Sislannikovs (41./Sprukts); 2:6 Sprukts (48./SH1/Sislannikovs);