Zell am See hosts Cortina in the top game

The teams of the Alps Hockey League have already completed a little more than half of the regular season. And right now it shows how close and balanced the championship has become. The four pursuers of league leader Jesenice are just five points apart. A similar picture can be seen at the other end of the table, with just ten points separating 9th and 15th place.

Alps Hockey League:
Sat, 26.11.2022, 18:00: Rittner Buam SkyAlps - EC Bregenzerwald
Referees: GIACOMOZZI, LAZZERI, Bedana, Fleischmann | >> PPV-Livestream <<

The Rittner Buam clearly lost 1:5 in Meran on Thursday, it was the third defeat in the last four games. Nevertheless, the South Tyroleans are still in sixth place in the table. The Buam have won six of their nine home games this season. EC Bregenzerwald have not been very successful in recent weeks, winning only one of seven games. After a good start to the season - in round three, for example, there was a 3:2 home win after shootout against Ritten - the Vorarlberg team has meanwhile fallen back to twelfth place. ECB has played in Klobenstein six times in the AHL - after five defeats, the Wälder lately won for the first time. The Vorarlberg team will be without the suspended Roberts Lipsbergs.

Sat, 26.11.2022, 18:00: HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice - Steinbach Steel Wings Linz
Referees: BAJT, FAJDIGA, Arlic, Bergant | >> PPV-Livestream <<

Jesenice returned to league action with a clear 6:0 victory in the top match against Unterland. With their 13th win in a row, the Slovenians also took back the lead in the standings. In the game against last-place Linz, Jesenice are again the big favourites. But the Steel Wings are on the upswing, winning three of their last four games. On Thursday they celebrated a 5:2 home victory over Zell am See. The Slovenians have won eight of nine direct encounters, with the Upper Austrians' only victory coming away from home in March 2021. 

Sat, 26.11.2022, 18:30: Hockey Unterland Cavaliers - HC Meran/o Pircher
Referees: SORAPERRA, VIRTA, Mantovani, Pace | >> PPV-Livestream <<

After seven wins in a row, Unterland were shown the limits in Jesenice. The second-placed league newcomers will now meet Meran for the first time this season. The Eagles won their last two games - on Thursday they celebrated a clear 5:1 home victory over Ritten - and improved to eleventh place in the table. However, things have not worked out for Meran away from home yet, with head coach Brad Gratton's team only picking up five points from nine road games.

Sat, 26.11.2022, 19:30: EK Die Zeller Eisbären - S.G. Cortina Hafro
Referees: OREL, WIDMANN, Puff, Telesklav | >> PPV-Livestream <<

Zell am See have alternated between wins and losses in their last four games. On Thursday, the Salzburgers were beaten 2:5 by the Steel Wings. While things are not going according to plan away from home, the Polar Bears have won eight out of nine home games. The next big test is the encounter with Cortina, which is one place ahead of Zell am See in fourth position. The Italians have been victorious three times recently, and they also kept the upper hand in the first season duel with the Austrians (4:3). Cortina have lost four of seven road games this season, but have a positive record in AHL history with three wins from five meetings in Zell am See.

Sat, 26.11.2022, 19:30: EHC Lustenau - Red Bull Hockey Juniors
Referees: HOLZER, KAINBERGER, Müller, Wimmler | >> PPV-Livestream <<

There was nothing to get for EHC Lustenau in the away game against S.G. Cortina. The Italians were already leading 4:0 after 15 minutes. The Lustenau team, who had to play without the two imports Ryan Hayes and Niclas Lucenius, tried hard, but the absence of their kley players was noticeable from the beginning. The upcoming opponents from Salzburg had to admit defeat at home to Sterzing with 1:3. The Juniors are currently in third place in the table, the Vorarlberg team is in tenth place. The first duel of the season ended with a 6:1 home win for Salzburg, although Lustenau managed to keep the game open until the 50th minute. In nine of ten AHL home games so far, the Vorarlberg team has won against Salzburg.

Sat, 26.11.2022, 20:30: SHC Fassa Falcons - EC Die Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel
Referees: BENVEGNU, PINIE, Cristeli, De Zordo | >> PPV-Livestream <<

The 1:4 in Klagenfurt was the fourth defeat in a row for the Fassa Falcons. While the Italians are the weakest away team in the league, they won half of their eight home games so far. Kitzbühel also wants to get back on the winning track, the Tyrolean team only managed one win from five games in November and lost all four on the road- the Eagles conceded 21 goals in these matches. In the Alps Hockey League, Kitzbühel have played in Canazei seven times so far, with the hosts winning all of them. In the first season meeting, however, Kitzbühel had the upper hand on their own ice with 6:3.

Sun, 27.11.2022, 18:00: Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan - HC Gherdeina valgardena.it
Referees: BULOVEC, REZEK, Rinker, Wucherer | >> PPV-Livestream <<

In the only match on Sunday, Val Gardena will travel to Vipiteno, both teams celebrated success on Thursday. The Broncos ended a three-game losing streak with a 3:1 win in Salzburg. Val Gardena managed a 4:0 shutout over Kitzbühel, it was the third victory from the last four games. The "Furie" is in seventh position in the table, Sterzing is two places and three points behind. In the first season encounter, the Broncos celebrated a 5:3 victory. At home they won only three of eight games against Gardena.