ÖSM AHL semi-finals: Last season's finalists begin with home advantage

Defending champions EC Bregenzerwald and EHC Lustenau will have home advantage in the semi-finals of the Austrian Championship in the Alps Hockey League on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. The ties will be played in a best-of-2 format (Champions Hockey League format), with a first and second leg. EC Bregenzerwald face EK Die Zeller Eisbären on Wednesday evening at 19:30, while Lustenau host Red Bull Hockey Juniors at 19:30 on Thursday. The second legs are scheduled for Saturday evening.

10 January 20233 min read

After the regular season, Red Bull Hockey Juniors were the highest-placed Austrian team in the AHL standings in fifth place, followed by the Eisbären, Bregenzerwald and Lustenau. Red Bull have won both previous meetings, prevailing 4:3 away after a penalty shoot-out and 6:1 at home.

EK Die Zeller Eisbären and EC Bregenzerwald, meanwhile, both celebrated home wins. While the Vorarlberg side won the first meeting 4:3, the Eisbären claimed an emotional 7:6 overtime victory shortly after Christmas. The hosts came back from a 1:4 deficit.

Bregenzerwald will initially have home advantage on Wednesday and, like EHC Lustenau on Thursday, can put themselves in a good position with a home win and potentially set up a repeat of last season's final.

ECB Head Coach Markus Juurikkala: “The past few weeks have been really tough for us. It is clear that we are missing many important players. That makes it all the more important for the guys who will pull on the jersey tomorrow to get the best out of themselves. We have to be mentally and physically ready and support one another. Zell am See are naturally the big favourites, especially under these circumstances, but anything is possible in sport, and that is why ice hockey is so wonderful! We really need the full support of our fantastic fans tomorrow!”

EK Die Zeller Eisbären are making their debut. The Pinzgau side have reached the semi-finals for the first time since the Alps Hockey League was founded.Huber Berger, EKZ captain: “I expect the first leg to already be a game with a play-off atmosphere. It is a completely new situation for me and several other players in the team. Normally, in the play-offs, it is always just about a win or a loss, regardless of the result. That is not the case in the first leg at ECB; both results count in the end. However, we are not preparing any differently than we would for a league game. Naturally, we want to win, and that is what it is all about in the end. I hope that we will get one or two players back who are currently absent due to injury or illness. But whatever the line-up looks like, it must not matter to us. We definitely want to win.”

Alongside Patrik Kittinger, Fredrik Widen and Jesper Akerman, Kevin Pesendorfer is also absent from Head Coach Mike Flanagan's line-up. However, the doctors have given Daniel Ban and Fabio Artner the green light. The latter will be in the line-up for the first time since autumn and is eager to make his comeback for the mountain town side. The Pinzgau team will also receive reinforcements from Tyrol, with Innsbruck's Noah Kerber set to wear the blue-and-yellow jersey from now on.

Lustenau suffered a 6:7 penalty-shootout defeat away to Steinbach Steel Wings Linz last Saturday. In addition to the long-term injured Leon Schmeiser, Fabio Haas and Tizano Butteri, coach Philipp Winzig was also without goalkeeper Erik Hanses, Lenz Moosbrugger and Jonas Kutzer.

Red Bull Hockey Juniors played their last league game a month ago, beating Fassa Falcons 3:2 at home. Several players were in action at the U20 World Championship in Canada, which ended last week, gaining experience at the highest level.