Release from 22.02.2020
The VEU Feldkirch and the Red Bull Hockey Juniors each stepped closer in the Qualification Rounds to grab a ticket for the Playoffs in the Alps Hockey League, as both teams remain unbeaten in their groups. While the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan had two players with a 5-point night in their home win, the EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel got Saturday’s lone shutout.
In the Master Round the HC Pustertal Wölfe had to take the first defeat, as the South Tyrolean lost to Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey. With recording two goals in the first minute of the game the S.G. Cortina Hafro finally grabbed a 5:3 win at Jesenice to climb to second spot, while the HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana defeated the Rittner Buam after overtime.
First defeat in the Master Round for HC Pustertal
At Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey the HC Pustertal Wolves had to take its first defeat in Alps Hockey League’s Master Round, as the vice champion lost 1:3. The Italians grabbed the fifth straight home-win to remain in the race for home-ice advantage in the quarterfinals at halfway point of intermediate round. The “wolves” are still on the top of the table, four point ahead of S.G. Cortina Hafro. Alexander Gellert (34.) and Marco Rosa (49.) decided the game for the hosts after a tied first frame.
With recording two goals within the first 48 seconds Cortina snatched up its first road win in the Master Round, defeating HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 5:3, as the Slovenian side lost for the fourth time in a row keeping last spot in standings, while the Italians moved to second place, with Kevin King (2G | 2A) and Remy Giftopoulos (2G | 1A) each having a brace. The Rittner Buam dropped to third place after a tight 2:3 loss after overtime against the reigning champions. Ales Music (26.) and Gal Koren (40.) turned it around for the “dragons”, while Andreas Lutz secured overtime for the South Tyrolean with three minutes left. Kristijan Cepon finally hit the game winner in the extra session to give the Slovenian side the fifth straight win against Ritten.
Red Bull Hockey Juniors make it five in a row
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors remain unbeaten in the Qualification Round A, as the Austrian AHL champion made it five in a row winning 7:5 at EC-KAC II in Saturday’s lone afternoon game. Goals by Marcel Zitz (10.), Samuel Eriksson (11./PP2) and Samuel Witting (13./SH1) within less than four minutes got the leader on winning ways, which cleared eight out of ten powerplays of Klagenfurt finally to keep a six-point lead to second-ranked Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, which extended their home winning streak to six, as the South Tyrolean took revenge on the Vienna Capitals Silver for the harsh 0:6 loss nine days ago, cheering a 5:2 home win to remain first chaser of Salzburg. With Slater Doggett (1G | 4A) and Mathieu Lemay (2G | 3A) each recording a five-point night, the “Broncos” cleared it in a strong final frame, after Vienna tied it up twice until the 23rd minute. Vienna stops by at HC Gherdeina valgardena.it in Sunday’s lone game of group A.
Feldkirch is close to reach playoffs in Qualification Round B
A four-point night of Martin Mairitsch (3G | 1A) got the VEU Feldkirch close to grab the last remaining playoff ticket in Qualification Round B, as the Vorarlberg side defeated leader SHC Fassa Falcons for the second time in the intermediate round, remaining unbeaten too. With two games little played, the Austrians trail only one point to the Italians (16). Mairitsch got his colors back into the game with a hat trick within less than four minutes to tie a 0:3 deficit – all scored on powerplay. Further goals of Mairitsch’s linemates Niklas Gehringer (2G) and Christoph Draschkowitz (1G | 3A) finally let the Austrians turn around the game and gave them a huge 6:5 comeback win.
Saturday’s lone shutout win was achieved by EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel, as the Tyrolese snatched up a 3:0 road victory in the derby against EK Die Zeller Eisbären. Goalie Stefan Ridderwall saved all 28 shots on his goal and forward Henrik Hochfilzer posted a 3-point game, scoring his first brace of the season to send Kitzbühl to third spot in standings, trailing six to leader Fassa. In the duel of the bottom-placed teams the EC Bregenzerwald booked a 5:1 home win against the Steel Wings Linz with ten players collecting points.
Alps Hockey League, Master Round:
Sat, 22.02.2020, 6.00 pm: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice – S.G. Cortina Hafro 3:5 (1:3, 1:0, 1:2)
Referees: LESNIAK, PODLESNIK, Miklic, Weiss. | Spectators: 857
Goals JES: Sodja J. (12.PP1/ Hebar-Tavzelj), Sersen G. (32./Sturm-Grahut), Tomazevic (51./Ankerst-Tavzelj)
Goals COR: King (1./Zanatta-Trecapelli, 44./Giftopoulos-Moser), Gander (1./Barnabo-Adami), Giftopoulos (20.SH1/King, 59./King-Zanatta)
Sat, 22.02.2020, 8.00 pm: Rittner Buam – HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 2:3 OT (1:0, 0:2, 1:0, 0:1)
Referees: BENVEGNU, FAJDIGA, Basso, Snoj. | Spectators: 721
Goals RIT: Kostner S. (17./Tudin-Obuchowski), Lutz (57.)
Goals HKO: Music (26./Pesut), Koren (40./Orehek), Cepon (64./Orehek)
Sat, 22.02.2020, 8.30 pm: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey – HC Pustertal Wölfe 3:1 (1:1, 1:0, 1:0)
Referees: STEFENELLI, WIDMANN, Holzer, Rigoni. | Spectators: 850
Goals ASH: Loschiavo (5.PP1/Dal Sasso-Magnabosco), Gellert (34./McParland-Rosa), Rosa (49./Caporusso-Ginnetti)
Goal PUS: Carozza (11./Traversa)
Alps Hockey League, Qualification Round A:
Sat, 22:02.2020, 3.00 pm: EC-KAC II – Red Bull Hockey Juniors 5:7 (2:3, 1:2, 2:2)
Referees: BAJT, OREL, Markizeti, Matthey. | Spectators: 134
Goals KA2: Strong (1./Kreuzer-Würschl), Richter (18.PP1/Kapel-Kreuzer), Kreuzer (22./Kapel-Richter), Kapel (44.SH1/Duller), Richter (53.PP2/Kreuzer-Kapel)
Goals RBJ: Zitz (10./Appendino-Luusuaniemi), Eriksson (11.PP2/Predan-Witting, 38./Witting), Witting (13.SH1/Predan-Mass), Predan (33.Nyman-Feldner), Meisaari (47./Eriksson-Witting), Luusuaniemi (49./Tjernström)
Sat, 22.02.2020, 8.30 pm: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – Vienna Capitals Silver 5:2 (2:1, 1:1, 2:0)
Referees: GAMPER, GIACOMOZZI F., Giacomozzi P., Slaviero. | Spectators: 248
Goals WSV: Doggett (2./Bernard-Lemay), Milam (15./Doggett-Lemay), Mantinger (39./Doggett-Lemay), Lemay (51./Doggett-DeLuca, 52./Doggett-Mantinger)
Goals VCS: Ranftl (11./Neubauer-Akerman), Neubauer (23./Piff-Granitz)
Alps Hockey League, Qualification Round B:
Sat, 22.02.2020, 7.30 pm: VEU Feldkirch – SHC Fassa Falcons 6:5 (0:1, 3:2, 3:2)
Referees: LEGA, PAHOR, Bergant, Javornik. | Spectators: 1.812
Goals VEU: Mairitsch (33.PP1/Draschkowitz-Puschnik, 36.PP1/ Draschkowitz-Birnstill, 37.PP1/Birnstill-Caffi), Gehringer (46./Draschkowitz-Ratz, 56./Mairitsch), Draschkowitz (53.PP1/Soudek)
Goals FAS: Soracreppa (16.), Biondi (30./Marchetti-Caletti), Castlunger (32./Lundstrom-Iori, 57./Iori-Caletti), Lundstrom (49.PP1/Eastman)
Sat, 22.02.2020, 7.30 pm: EK Die Zeller Eisbären – EC “Die Adler“ Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 0:3 (0:0, 0:2, 0:1)
Referees: HOLZER, LAZZERI, Bedynek, Reisinger. | Spectators: 1.029
Goals KEC: Hochfilzer (28./Ebner-Rosenlechner, 60.EN/Havlik), Echtler (31./Hochfilzer-Schröder)
Sat, 22.02.2020, 7.30 pm: EC Bregenzerwald – Steel Wings Linz 5:1 (1:0, 4:1, 0:0)
Referees: LOICHT, VIRTA, Legat, Riecken. | Spectators: 851
Goals ECB: Fässler (6./Söder-Hyyppä), Lorraine (21./Söder), Haidinger (23.PP1/Söder-Lorraine), Rainer (25./Müller), Hämmerle (40./Göggel-Müller)
Goal SWL: Holzinger (37./Mitsch-Konya)