Release from 14.02.2020
On Saturday, in both Qualification Rounds of the Alps Hockey League the two best-ranked teams face each other. While the Red Bull Hockey Juniors host the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan in Group A, the SHC Fassa Falcons welcomes the VEU Feldkirch, as the Vorarlberg side remains without a goal against in the first two games of regular season phase two. With EC-KAC II hosting HC Gherdeina valgardena.it, one game is scheduled on Sunday.
The Master Round of the top-6 teams continues with gameday two, with new leader Rittner Buam travelling to S.G. Cortina Hafro and both Slovenian teams will strengthen streaks, as Jesenice won the past eleven games and Ljubljana never lost to Asiago.
Master Round:
Sa, 15.02.2020, 18:00 Uhr: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – HC Pustertal Wölfe
Referees: FAJDIGA, LAZZERI, Cristeli, Snoj.
HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice and the HC Pustertal Wölfe both opened the Master Round in the Alps Hockey League with a win. While Jesenice snatched up a derby win on the road, the Bruneck side celebrated a home-win against Cortina. The “wolves” won the past four meetings against the Slovenian side, which has a eleven-game winning streak available.
- Winning-Streak JES: 11
- Winning-Streak PUS: 4
- H2H AHL: 5:10 (PUS)
Sa, 15.02.2020, 20:30 Uhr: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana
Referees: BENVEGNU, PAHOR, Bergant, Piras.
The HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana tries to bounce back after the Slovenian side opened Master Round with a derby loss. After the narrow 2:3 defeat against Jesenice, the reigning champion dropped to third place in standings. Upcoming opponent Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey suffered a defeat on Thursday too, losing at Ritten 1:4. Ljubljana is still unbeaten against the Italian side, as it won all previous six meetings – four of them only by one goal difference.
- Winning-Streak ASH: 4
- H2H AHL: 0:6 (HKO)
Sa, 15.02.2020, 20:30 Uhr: S.G. Cortina Hafro – Rittner Buam
Referees: GAMPER, PINIE, Rigoni, Rinker.
With a clear 4:1 home-win against Asiago the Rittner Buam took over the lead in the Master Round. On Saturday they travel to Cortina to get the first season win against the Italian side, after losing twice in the regular season phase one. Ritten has a huge point-streak available in road-games, as they grabbed points in the past eight games, losing the last road-game on November 30th at Cortina. Both teams dropped out of the Scudetto semifinals.
- Winning-Streak RIT: 4
- H2H AHL: 4:12 (RIT)
Qualification Round A:
Sa, 15.02.2020, 19:15 Uhr: Red Bull Hockey Juniors – Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan
Referees: BAJT, LESNIAK, Kainberger, Reisinger.
With the Red Bull Hockey Juniors facing the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan the first-ranked team hosts the runner-up Saturday night. While the Austrian side remained unbeaten in both games of the Qualification Round, the South Tyrolean had to take a clear defeat on the road at Vienna (0:6). Salzburg won six out of the past eight games, grabbing a point in both losses too. The “Broncos” struggled on the road lately, winning only two out of five, though they won both season encounter with a one-goal difference.
- Winning-Streak RBJ: 3
- H2H AHL: 2:6 (WSV)
Sa, 15.02.2020, 19:30 Uhr: Vienna Capitals Silver – EHC Lustenau
Referees: KUMMER, REZEK, Schonaklener, Schweighofer.
After Friday night’s road-game at Klagenfurt, the EHC Lustenau travels to Vienna taking on the Capitals Silver, which ended their losing-streak on Thursday, cruising past the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan (6:0). The first meeting of these two teams in Vienna was decided by the hosts, which won 4:2 thanks to a hat trick of Henrik Neubauer, who had a brace in Thursday’s shutout-win.
So, 16.02.2020, 17:00 Uhr: EC-KAC II – HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: DURCHNER, VIRTA, Bedana, Puff.
Sunday’s lone game in Qualification Round A takes place in Klagenfurt, as the EC-KAC II hosts HC Gherdeina valgardena.it. The Klagenfurt side heads into the second consecutive home game, after Friday’s battle with Lustenau. The South Tyrolean, which delivered a huge upset on the opening gameday winning at Lustenau, only once won at KAC II’s rink back in 2017. The home-teams won seven out of eight meetings.
- Losing-Streak KA2: 4
- H2H AHL: 3:5 (GHE)
Qualification Round B:
Sa, 15.02.2020, 19:00 Uhr: Steel Wings Linz – EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: LOICHT, WALLNER, Legat, Martin.
The bottom-placed teams of Qualification Round B meet each other in Upper Austria, as the Steel Wings Linz host the EC Bregenzerwald. Both teams opened the second phase of regular season with two losses to remain without points in standings. With two clear wins both season encounter were decided by the “Wälder”, which are currently on a three-game losing streak, while Linz lost 31 in a row.
- Losing-Streak SWL: 31
- Losing-Streak ECB: 3
- H2H AHL: 0:2 (ECB)
Sa, 15.02.2020, 20:00 Uhr: EC ‚Die Adler‘ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel – EK Die Zeller Eisbären
Referees: MOSCHEN, VIRTA, Pace, Wimmler.
With one out of two wins in the first two rounds the EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel plays the EK Die Zeller Eisbären. Both pervious derbies of the season were won by the home teams, as the “polar bears” snatched up a 6:0 shutout in the first and the “eagles” a 3:1 late in December. Zell am See struggled on the road, got the last road-win on November 23rd (6:5 @ ASH), while Kitzbühel won three out of the past five home-games.
Sa, 15.02.2020, 20:30 Uhr: SHC Fassa Falcons – VEU Feldkirch
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, LEGA, Basso, Vignolo.
As in Qualification Round A, in the Qualification Round B the battle of the top-two is scheduled. In the race for one remaining playoff spot the SHC Fassa Falcons welcomes the VEU Feldkirch. Both teams had a successful start into the second phase of the regular season, taking two wins each. The Vorarlberg side remains without a goal against, cheering twice a 3:0 shutout. In both season meetings the “falcons” came out with a win, with captain Martin Castlunger scoring in each game.
- Winning-Streak FAS: 2
- Winning-Streak VEU: 2
- H2H AHL: 3:5 (VEU)