Release from 06.01.2020
On Monday’s gameday the chasing pack of the top-6 in Alps Hockey League pressurized the opponents above again, grabbing huge wins each to trail one resp. three points to sixth-ranked VEU Feldkirch. While the EK Die Zeller Eisbären (#10) convinced on powerplay, the HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice (#9) had two players collecting six points in the shutout-win. Further, the SHC Fassa Falcon (#8) and the Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey (#7) ended losing streaks. The top-3 each cheered clear-wins, while S.G. Cortina Hafro leveled fourth-ranked Lustenau in standings.
Fassa’s losing streak ends at Feldkirch with Zakhrachenko saving 38
The SHC Fassa Falcons is back on the winning streak, as the Italian side celebrated a 2:1 road-win at VEU Feldkirch. It was Fassa’s first victory after six consecutive losses, as they closed the gap to the top-6. While the Vorarlberg side still sits on sixth place, the Italians trail only one point, being in eighth position. Nik Trottner managed to give the guests a 1:0 lead after the first, which was doubled up of captain Martin Castlunger shorthanded in the 30th minute. Dylan Stanley pulled one back for the Austrians early in the last on powerplay, but they were not able to balance the score – with Eduard Zakharchenko saving 38 overall in this game.
Asiago’s losing streak ends at two with two players having a brace
After two consecutive losses, the Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey delivered a huge 5:1 home-win against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan to climb to seventh place in standings, one point behind sixth-ranked Feldkirch, while the Sterzing side dropped from seventh to eleventh spot. With Luigi Caporusso and Davide Dal Sasso each having a brace, the former Alps Hockey League champion led after 12 minutes 3:1 and decided the game early with two more goals in the last.
“Polar bears” come out big after past gameday’s huge defeat
After the huge 1:9 defeat past gameday at Feldkirch, the EK Die Zeller Eisbären stepped up in the home-game against fourth-ranked EHC Lustenau to get a 6:4 win, halving the deficit to top-6 and trailing three points now. With three goals on powerplay the hosts managed to get a comfortable 4:1 lead after 40 minutes. But the “Sticker” stroke back, pulling three within less than six minutes in the first half of the last to tie it at four. Soon later Benjamin Lanzinger hit the game winner on a penalty, while Jure Sotlar rounded off the score on empty net.
Six-point night for Hebar and Tomazevic
Andrej Hebar and Blaz Tomazevic shined in HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice’s 6:0 shutout-win against bottom-placed Steel Wings Linz. Both forwards grabbed six points each, scoring one goal and dishing out five assists. With the fourth straight win, the Slovenian side again narrowed the gap to the master round, trailing three points now to sixth-ranked VEU Feldkirch. Jesenice’s netminder Antoine Bonvalot had the second shutout within three games, saving 19 shots.
Top-3 teams extends winning-streaks
The top-3 in standings fortify their current form and pinned another win to their streak each. Leader HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana made it nine in a row, as Alps Hockey League’s lone qualified team for the playoffs 2020 grabbed a 7:2 road-win at HC Gherdeina valgardena.it. With two goals within 33 seconds late in the first, Zan Jezovsek (18.) and Nejc Brus (18.) got the “dragons”, which won the second and the third period too, on winning ways.
Second-ranked HC Pustertal Wölfe got the sixth win straight, defeating EC Bregenzerwald 4:3 thanks to a hat trick of Tommaso Traversa. After a non-goal first, the Austrian underdog grabbed a 2:0 lead. With four unanswered – three straight scored by Traversa – within five minutes the vice-champion turned it around in the middle frame and defend the lead until the end, where the “Wälder” pulled one more back to round off the score.
Third-ranked Rittner Buam extended the winning-streak over EC “Die Adler” Stadtwerke Kitzbühel after a 4:2 road-win. A strong final frame with goals of Matthew Lane (43.) and Alex Frei (54.) gave the “Buam” the decision, after they let slip away a 2:0-goal lead in the middle frame. Ritten and the HC Pustertal are close to secure playoffs.
Cortina levels Lustenau in standings
With the fifth consecutive win, the S.G. Cortina Hafro leveled fourth-ranked EHC Lustenau in standings and made another step closer to the preliminary qualification for the playoffs, as the Italian side celebrated an expected 6:2 home-win against EC-KAC II, with six different players scoring. Cortina opened the game with three goals within the first twelve minutes to. Kevin King made the preliminary decision with the fourth unanswered around halfway through the game. With the last goal of the game, new arrival Markus Gander scored in his second game for Cortina too.
Mo, 06.01.2020, 18:00 Uhr: VEU Feldkirch - SHC Fassa Falcons 1:2 (0:1, 0:1, 1:0)
Referees: FICHTNER, LOICHT, Matthey, Reisinger. | Spectators: 1.686
Goal VEU: Stanley (41.PP1/Saari)
Goals FAC: Trottner (13./Marchetti), Castluger (30.SH1/Chiodo)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 18:00 Uhr: HC Pustertal Wölfe - EC Bregenzerwald 4:3 (0:0, 4:2, 0:1)
Referees: BRUNNER, MOSCHEN, Bedana, Bedynek. | Spectators: 670
Goals PUS: Traversa (33.PP1/Brighenti Moretti, 35./Cristellon-Berger S., 37./Lewis-Helfer A.) Lewis (38./Oberrauch-Helfer A.)
Goals ECB: Fender (22./Fussenegger-Söder), Zipperle (26.), Vogelaar (54.PP1/Söder-Haidinger)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 19:00 Uhr: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Steel Wings Linz 6:0 (2:0, 1:0, 3:0)
Referees: BAJT, LESNIAK, Kainberger, Wimmler. | Spectators: 478
Goals JES: Svetina (8./Tomazevic-Hebar, 16./Tomazevic-Hebar), Tomazevic (33./Hebar-Urukalo), Hebar (43./Svetina-Tomazevic), Sodja (51.PP1/Tomazeivc-Hebar), Brus (54./Tomazevic-Hebar)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 19:30 Uhr: EK Die Zeller Eisbären - EHC Lustenau 6:4 (1:1, 3:0, 2:3)
Referees: PODLESNIK, WIDMANN, EIsl, Huber. | Spectators: 1.661
Goal EKZ: Putnik (10.PP1/Herzog-Selan, 26.PP1/Sotlar-Selan), Lanzinger (34.PP1/Oraze-Tschernutter, 55.PS), Selan (35./Putnik-Herzog), Sotlar (60.EN)
Goals EHC: Demuth (20./Hrdina), D’Alvise (43./Grabher Meier-Oberscheider), Wilfan (48./Stefan-Pfennich), Grabher Meier (49./Long-D’Alvise)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 20:00 Uhr: EC 'Die Adler' Stadtwerke Kitzbühel - Rittner Buam 2:4 (0:1, 2:1, 0:2)
Referees: FAJDIGA, STEFENELLI, Miglic, Piras. | Spectators: 605
Goals KEC: Uusivirta (34.PP1/Havlik), Hochfilzer (36./Echtler-Uusivirta)
Goals RIT: Spinell (16./Quinz-Marzolini), Gazzola (29./Tudin-Marzolini), Lane (43./Frei-Kostner S.), Frei (54./Kosnter S.-Lane)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 20:30 Uhr: HC Gherdeina valgardena.it - HK SZ Olimpija Ljubljana 2:7 (0:2, 1:2, 1:3)
Referees: BENVEGNU, WALLNER, De Zordo, Rinker. | Spectators: 748
Goal GHE: Wilkins (34.PP1/McGowan-Nedved, 58.PP1/Sullmann Pilser-Kurki)
Goals HKO: Jezovsek (18./Orehek-Sever), Brus (18./Ropret-Koren), Koren (28., 48.PP1/Jezovsek-Logar), Orehek (38./Jezovsek-Sever), Pesut (46.PP1/Ropret-Jezovsek), Cepon (49./Ulamec-Simsic)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 20:30 Uhr: Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey - Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan 5:1 (3:1, 0:0, 2:0)
Referees: GIACOMOZZI F, LAZZERI, Giacomozzi P., Slaviero. | Spectators: 890
Goals ASH: Caporusso (3.PP1/McParland-Pietroniro P.), Dal Sasso (10./Cinnetti-Tessari, 52./Tessari-Benetti), Pietroniro C. (13./Cinnetti-Caporusso), Caporusso (45./Tessari-Loschiavo)
Goal WSV: Doggett (11./Bustreo-Lemay)
Mo, 06.01.2020, 20:45 Uhr: S.G. Cortina Hafro - EC KAC II 6:2 (3:0, 1:2, 2:1)
Referees: OREL, PINIE, Mantovani, Schweighofer. | Spectators: 384
Goals SGC: Lacedelli (4./King), Moser (12./Cordiano-Sanna), Zardini Lacedelli (13./Zanatta-Trecapelli), King (29./Giftopoulos), Tomasini (46./Bruneteau-Gander), Gander (55./Zanatta)
Goal KA2: Pirmann (32./Kapel-Würschl), Kapel (52./Pirmann)
Fotocredit: (c) Radlwimmer/EKZ