Release from 13.01.2019

Wipptal Broncos complete Italy’s national final-4

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In Sunday’s lone game in the Alps Hockey League the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan got a clear 6:0 home-win against HC Fassa Falcons and snatched up the last ticket for Italy’s national final-4. It was Bronco’s second shutout this season and the fourth consecutive win against the bottom-last Falcons. 

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After a convincing 6:0 victory against the Fassa Falcons, the last team in the AHL ranking, the Broncos earned the semi-finals of the IHL-Series A Championship. Thanks to the three points earned, Sterzing eliminated Cortina and overcame Asiago in the standings of the top Italian series. At this point, after 56 games, it were also determined the challenges for the double semi-final Scudetto. The matches were the same as last year even if the formula was different. The HC Pustertal (1st) will face the Migross Supermercati Asiago Hockey (4th) while the Rittner Buam (2nd) will challenge the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan (3rd). On Tuesday, January 22, the first games of the semi-finals will play on the rinks of Asiago and Sterzing. On Thursday, January 24, the return on the rinks of Bruneck and Klobstein. The two winners of the semi-finals will compete Saturday 26 and Sunday, January 27 to win the '85th edition of the Italian Scudetto.

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan – HC Fassa Falcons 6:0 (1:0; 1:0; 4:0)
Referees: VIRTA, WALLNER, Bedana, De Zordo

The Broncos returned to play at home after two consecutive games in Cortina and presented a novelty with the inclusion of the new Italian-Canadian center Mitch Nardi who started the season first in the Rapid City Crush (ECHL) and then in Nantes (France). The home team recovered Dominik Bernard while Kyle Just was absent. As Broncos news, the forward is excluded from the roster for technical choice (healthy scratch). Fassa was back from a heavy home defeat on Saturday night against Rittner Buam (0:10). Ivan Lauton and Hannes Oberrauch were absent from last night's game against Renon.

The home team felt the importance of commitment as they played from the first to the last minute with great pressure and commitment. Fassa didn’t create that much and then collapsed in the final minutes of the match. In the first half the Broncos didn't collect what they built. The only goal was propitiated by the new arrival Mitch Nardi: after a very powerful shot of the new player, Jure Sotlar realized on rebound (11'). In the second half Luca Felicetti, with a precise shot at the crossbar, doubled after 78 seconds in powerplay. In the third period the Sterzing built his certainties. Roland Hofer achieved with a very precise shot during a powerplay (45'). Then the Broncos continued to press the defence of Fassa, which in the last five minutes of the game suffered three more goals. First Hannes Oberdorfer - a shot directly from the faceoff - and then Daniel Erlacher - in a fast action – allowed to the the Broncos to reach 5:0 in 53 seconds (55'). The last word was always from the Broncos who scored in the final seconds with Tommy Kruselburger who fixed the final result at 6:0 for the South Tyrolean team. In the Alps standings, the Broncos confirmed their eighth position. The home team earned the second shutout of the season. A weekend to forget for Fassa who remained in last position and has conceded 16 goals in two games without scoring a goal. 

Goals WSV: 1:0 Jure Sotlar (11:50/Nardi-McNally); 2:0 Luca Felicetti (21:18/PP1/Hackhofer-Oberdorfer); 3:0 Roland Hofer (45:14/PP1/Sotlar-McNally); 4:0 Hannes Oberdorfer (55:01/SH1/Hackhofer-Felicetti); 5:0 Daniel Erlacher (55:52/Bustreo-Kruselburger); 6:0 Tommy Kruselburger (59:29/Bustreo-Hofer); 

Fotocredit: Oskar Brunner