Zeller Eisbären sweep into Alps Hockey League semi-finals

EK Die Zeller Eisbären claimed a 7:3 victory in the fourth quarter-final game on Sunday evening and, as the second team after Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan, qualified for the Alps Hockey League semi-finals. The hosts from Bregenzerwald initially got off to the better start, with Ievgen Fadieiev putting the home side ahead in the sixth minute.

Zell responded just 33 seconds later. The Eisbären turned the game around in the first period and made it 3:1 by the 14th minute. The Vorarlberg side struck back in the second period, reducing the deficit to 2:3 on the power play. However, Zell added two more goals to lead 5:2 after 40 minutes. The regular-season champions then played too composedly to allow Bregenzerwald back into the game. Zell ultimately prevailed 7:3 – with seven different players scoring for the Eisbären – to claim their fourth quarter-final win.

The season is over for EC Bregenzerwald, who had finished the regular season in second-last place before battling their way through the Qualification Round and Pre-Playoffs to reach the quarter-finals.

Alps Hockey League – quarter-finals:

EC Bregenzerwald – EK Die Zeller Eisbären 3:7 (1:3,1:2,1:2)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Final score in the "best-of-7" series: 0:4

HC Meran/o Pircher vs. Rittner Buam SkyAlps 2:5 (0:1,0:4,2:0)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Series score in the "best-of-7" series: 1:3

Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan vs. Adler Stadtwerke Kitzbühel 2:1 (0:0,1:0,1:1)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Final score in the "best-of-7" series: 4:0

S.G. Cortina Hafro vs. SIJ Acroni Jesenice 6:1 (2:1,4:0,0:0)
>> Goalscorers and statistics
Series score in the "best-of-7" series: 1:3