Victories for the leading quartet

EC KAC II - HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 3:5
Both Klagenfurt and Gardena lost two games in a row - the direct competitors in the fight for the Pre-Playoffs wanted to get back on track. After conceding 16 goals in the last two games, the South Tyroleans kept a clean sheet in the first period. Niemelä (17th) scored the only goal in the power play. Gröden even extended their lead in the middle period, McGowan and Sullmann made it 0:3. Although Hochegger scored for the KAC, Nocker promptly restored the three-goal advantage. With two goals within 16 seconds, the Carinthians made it exciting again in the final period. But Sullmann scored in the 53rd minute to make the final score 3:5. With this win, Val Gardena moved up to 12th place, which would be enough for the pre-playoffs.

Steel Wings Linz - HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 2:7
Last against first was the clash between the Steel Wings Linz and HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana. The Slovenians recently recorded two victories in which they scored six goals each. On this evening, too, they lived up to their role as favourites. But despite a clear superiority of the guests, the score was 1-1 after the first period - the home side answered Vidmar's lead with the first goal of newcomer Curtis Douglas. In the middle period Olimpija could convert a multitude of chances into only one goal, Koren scored to make it 1:2. In the final period the Slovenians quickly made things clear with three goals in ten minutes. In the end, Olimpija defended their lead in the standings with a 7:2 away win, Gal Koren and Ziga Pesut scored twice each.

EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 2:4
While Kitzbühel returned to winning ways last weekend, Asiago actually won their last five AHL games. The Italians also got off to the better start on Thursday, with Alex Gellert scoring after just 18 seconds for an early lead, which Casetti extended in the 15th minute. But the Tyroleans came back before the first intermission through Robin Gartner - 1:2. Olivero scored the third goal in their third power play, but again the home side pulled one back through Johansson (37th). The game remained exciting, but Stefano Marchetti restored the two-goal lead in the 43rd minute. With the 4:2 victory, Asiago also secured fourth place.

VEU Feldkirch - HC Pustertal 0:4
Pustertal played a "favourite opponent", as the Wolves have won 13 of 16 AHL duels with Feldkirch. And the South Tyroleans extended this statistic. After both goalies Caffi (VEU) and Furlong (HCB) kept a clean sheet in the first period, Gianluca March broke the spell after 34 minutes. With this narrow lead, the team from Bruneck also went into the final period, in which Simon Berger made it 0:2 in the 54th minute. With a brace, Max Oberrauch managed the decision for the 0:4 final score. While four of 49 shots found their way into the goal, Furlong celebrated his fourth shutout of the season.

Rittner Buam - EHC Lustenau 3:2 OT
In the duel Rittner Buam against EHC Lustenau two teams from the middle of the table met. While the South Tyroleans won their last AHL game, Lustenau had to admit defeat three times in a row. After Andreas Lutz gave Lustenau the lead (6th), Chris D'Alvise equalised a short time later - the opening period ended with the score at 1:1. In a middle period with few chances, the Vorarlberg team turned the game around, Ozolins made it 1:2 in the 38th minute. The guests defended this lead until the 59th minute, when Markus Spinell equalised. In the overtime, Spinell also became the match-winner, scoring nine seconds before the end for a 3:2 home victory. Ritten thus won ten of a total of eleven AHL duels with Lustenau.

SHC Fassa Falcons - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 1:2
The game started with different omens: While Fassa lost twice, Jesenice won the last eleven games. The Slovenians' self-confidence continued to grow after just 37 seconds when Jaka Sodja scored for the early visitors' lead. However, it did not continue in this tone, Fassa recovered quickly and was also the better team at times. But the Italians had to wait until the 38th minute for the first goal when Derek Eastman scored on power play - 1:1. In the final period, Jesenice again had more of the game and was finally rewarded after 53 minutes. Sodja's second goal of the evening decided the game as there were no more goals. Twelve wins in a row means a new AHL record for second-placed Jesenice.

Alps Hockey League:
18.02.2021: EC KAC II - HC Gherdeina valgardena.it 3:5 (0:1,1:3,2:1)
Referees: KUMMER, WUNTSCHEK, Holzer, Puff
Goals Klagenfurt: 1:3 KA2 Hochegger F. (31:52 / Kernberger M. ,Preiml M. / EQ), 2:4 KA2 Theirich M. (45:32 / Preiml M. ,van Ee F. / EQ), 3:4 KA2 Tialler C. (45:48 / Witting M. ,Hammerle V. / EQ)
Goals Gherdeina: 0:1 GHE Niemelä J. (16:05 / McGowan B. ,Nocker P. / PP), 0:2 GHE McGowan B. (24:02 / Wilkins M. ,Sullmann Pilser M. / EQ), 0:3 GHE Costa D. (31:17 / Glück D. ,Niemelä J. / EQ), 1:4 GHE Nocker P. (34:32 / Niemelä J. ,McGowan B. / EQ), 3:5 GHE Sullmann Pilser M. (52:05 / Wilkins M. ,McGowan B. / EQ)

18.02.2021: Steel Wings Linz - HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 2:7 (1:1,0:1,1:5)
Referees: DURCHNER, LEHNER, Voican, Weiss
Goals Linz: 1:1 SWL Douglas C. (19:17 / Arcuri F. ,Norris D. / EQ), 2:5 SWL Norris D. (51:59 / Supryka C. / EQ)
Goals Ljubljana: 0:1 HKO Vidmar L. (13:37 / Pesut Z. ,Simsic N. / EQ), 1:2 HKO Koren G. (34:49 / Zajc M. ,Logar M. / EQ), 1:3 HKO Pance Z. (42:35 / Magovac A. ,Zorko L. / EQ), 1:4 HKO Koren G. (46:51 / Zajc M. ,Magovac A. / PP), 1:5 HKO Zorko L. (50:36 / Ropret A. ,Simsic N. / SH), 2:6 HKO Pesut Z. (55:31 / Simsic N. ,Brus N. / EQ), 2:7 HKO Pesut Z. (57:31 / Simsic N. ,Zibelnik A. / EQ)

18.02.2021 EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey 2:4 (1:2,1:1,0:1)
Referees: PODLESNIK, WALLNER, Reisinger, Schweighofer
Goals Kitzbühel: 1:2 KEC Gartner R. (16:43 / Havlik A. ,Johansson M. / EQ), 2:3 KEC Johansson M. (36:24 / Gartner R. ,Ranftl F. / EQ)
Goals Asiago: 0:1 ASH Gellert A. (00:18 / Rosa M. ,Magnabosco J. / EQ), 0:2 ASH Casetti L. (14:07 / Tessari M. ,Magnabosco J. / EQ), 1:3 ASH Olivero S. (28:34 / Marchetti S. ,Casetti L. / PP), 2:4 ASH Marchetti S. (42:59 / Gellert A. ,Tessari M. / EQ)

18.02.2021: VEU Feldkirch - HC Pustertal 0:4 (0:0,0:1,0:3)
Referees: BRUNNER, HOLZER, Moidl, Spiegel
Goals Pustertal: 0:1 PUS March G. (34:00 / Lee S. ,Oberrauch M. / EQ), 0:2 PUS Berger S. (53:19 / Conci D. ,Oberrauch M. / EQ), 0:3 PUS Oberrauch M. (54:06 / Andergassen R. ,Hofer A. / EQ), 0:4 PUS Oberrauch M. (56:53 / Elliscasis D. ,Carozza M. / EQ)

18.02.2021: Rittner Buam - EHC Lustenau 3:2 OT (1:1,0:1,1:0,1:0)
Referees: STEFENELLI, VIRTA, Cristeli, Mantovani
Goals Ritten: 1:0 RIT Lutz A. (05:42 / Spinell M. ,Kostner S. / EQ), 2:2 RIT Spinell M. (58:08 / Lutz A. ,Kostner S. / PP), 3:2 RIT Spinell M. (64:51 / Kostner S. ,Uusivirta L. / EQ)
Goals Lustenau: 1:1 EHC D'Alvise C. (08:16 / Wilfan M. ,Karkls R. / EQ), 1:2 EHC Ozolins A. (37:02 / D'Alvise C. ,Connelly B. / EQ)

18.02.2021: SHC Fassa Falcons - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 1:2 (0:1,1:0,0:1)
Referees: MOSCHEN, PINIE, Fleischmann, Piras
Goal Fassa: 1:1 FAS Eastman D. (37:27 / Felicetti L. ,Pace F. / PP)
Goals Jesenice: 0:1 JES Sodja J. (00:37 / Jezovsek Z. ,Tomazevic B. / EQ), 1:2 JES Sodja J. (53:08 / Tomazevic B. ,Jezovsek Z. / EQ)

Photo: VEU Feldkirch