ÖSM AHL semi-finals: Zeller Eisbären and Red Bull Hockey Juniors advance to the final

Thanks to a scintillating second period, in which the Red Bull Hockey Juniors extended their lead from 1:0 to 6:0, the Salzburg side have reached the Austrian Championship final in the Alps Hockey League, as they did in 2020 and 2021. With 30:11 shots on goal after two periods, the hosts had a clear edge in the game. EHC Lustenau only got on the scoresheet in the final period, but their two goals were not enough to reach the final as they had done the previous year.

Defending champions EC Bregenzerwald were also eliminated. Having been severely depleted by absences and beaten 0:5 by the Zeller Eisbären in the first leg, the Vorarlberg side threw everything at it. The Eisbären kept their cool, played confidently with the 5:0 result from the first leg behind them and led 2:1 after the first period. They sealed the result in the second period, pulled away to 5:1 and secured the first final appearance in the club's history. 

EK Die Zeller Eisbären and Red Bull Hockey Juniors will therefore face each other on 9 and 11 February in the battle for the Austrian Championship in the Alps Hockey League.

Austrian Championship Alps Hockey League semi-finals

Best-of-2 format (Champions Hockey League format)

Play-off first leg

EC Bregenzerwald vs. EK Die Zeller Eisbären 0:5 (0:3, 0:2, 0:0)
Wed., 11 January 2023, 19:30
EK Die Zeller Eisbären goalscorers: Aleksi Hämäläinen (7 / 10), Cornelius Kaschnig (18), Christian Jennes (33), Philip Putnik (37)

EHC Lustenau vs. Red Bull Hockey Juniors 3:2 (2:2, 1:0, 0:0)
Thu., 12 January 2023, 19:30
EHC Lustenau goalscorers: Ryan Hayes (11 / 29), Christopher D´Alvise (18)
Red Bull Hockey Juniors goalscorers: Sten Fischer (6), Philipp Sinn (14)

Play-off second leg

Red Bull Hockey Juniors vs. EHC Lustenau 6:2 (1:0, 5:0, 0:2)
Sat., 14 January 2023, 19:15
Red Bull Hockey Juniors goalscorers: Luca Auer (14), Nikolaus Heigl (23), Thomas Heigl (31), Julius Sumpf (33), Philipp Krening (38, 40)
EHC Lustenau goalscorers: Philipp Pöschmann (56'), Maximilian Wilfan (59')

EK Die Zeller Eisbären vs. EC Bregenzerwald 5:3
Sat., 14 January 2023, 19:30
EK Die Zeller Eisbären goalscorers: Henrik Neubauer (1', 24'), Aleksi Hämäläinen (19'), Christian Jennes (22'), Daniel Ban (29')
EC Bregenzerwald goalscorers: Adem Kandemir (10'), Philip Metzler (41'), Rene Tröthan (52')