Tobias Brighenti Moretti: “I want to lead and support the young players”

“As expected, the start to the season was not easy. We had a shake-up in the summer. Many young players were added to the squad. Of course, it takes time for them to find into the team and get used to the level, but the trend has been upwards in the last few games and we're satisfied with the development,” commented Unterland captain Tobias Brighenti Moretti on the start to the season for the team in eleventh place in the table.

The balance in all of the Cavaliers' games is noticeable. Six of the eight games were decided by just one goal difference and five went into overtime. In the end, however, the South Tyroleans were beaten in five games, partly because they let a 3:0 lead slip away in two encounters. “Unfortunately, it's often happened to us this year that we've conceded an equalizer in the final minute or even in the final seconds. Of course, it's very annoying when you lose so close to the finish line. We probably lack the necessary experience to hold on to the lead. Conversely, we're of course delighted when we get the extra point in overtime, but of course we want to win all games in regulation,” says Brighenti Moretti, who spent already his youth in Neumarkt.

The 28-year-old defender also emphasizes the high level of balance in the Alps Hockey League this season: “The league is very balanced this year, in my opinion even more balanced than in recent years and that makes the Alps Hockey League really interesting because there are no games where you can already predict the result in advance. That certainly makes the league even more attractive for the fans.”

For Brighenti Moretti himself, this is his third season as captain of the Hockey Unterland Cavaliers in the Alps Hockey League. The Bolzano native previously played for Pustertal, Ritten and Cortina in the AHL. He sees his role primarily as serving as a role model for the young players and supporting them both on and off the ice: “As captain of such a young team, I see my role primarily as being a role model, even off the ice. I want to lead and support the young players. My goal for this season is to play my part in ensuring that the club continues to develop and takes another step in the right direction. As a team, we naturally have the goal of reaching the playoffs once again, and anything is certainly possible again.”

The Hockey Unterland Cavaliers' next opponent is second-placed EK Die Zeller Eisbären on Thursday. Watch the home game of the South Tyroleans from 20:00 in the livestream on www.valcome.tv.