HC Meran's dreams of reaching the AlpsHL final continue. © BK Photo

So much for vacation: Merano forces a deciding match

HC Gherdëina will have to wait to find out who their final opponent in the Alps Hockey League (AlpsHL) will be: In the sixth semi-final game between HC Meran and Sisak, the Eagles prevailed, forcing a decisive seventh game.

April 07, 2026

From: leo

The series between Merano and the Croatians could hardly be more exciting. After two consecutive matches decided in overtime, Tuesday's game also came down to a single goal. Christian Borgatello's team emerged victorious despite having to contend with significant absences. Nearly 1.100 fans witnessed a hard-fought 4-3 win for the Eagles.

As in the last two games, top scorer Reid Stefanson was sidelined for South Tyrol. Joining him in the stands was another key player, the injured Pascal Brunner. They witnessed a balanced first period, in which Niksa Juric opened the scoring in the 17th minute. After the restart, Samuel Claesson provided the perfect response, before Juric put Sisak back in the lead with his second goal of the evening.

A curious scene

Patrick Tomasini and his teammates weren't fazed by the deficit – quite the opposite: they struck back vehemently with two goals within 70 seconds from Rasmus Nousiainen and Jakob Fuchs. Shortly afterward, there was great excitement in the Meran Arena: Danila Larionovs scored the equalizer, making it 3-3 with a deflection, but there were strong protests from the Meran side. According to the Eagles, the period buzzer had already sounded before the puck crossed the line. However, the referees did not reverse their decision.

Rasmus Nousiainen hit the mark.

The Eagles came out of the locker room with a vengeance – and promptly scored. Just 48 seconds had elapsed when Daniel Gellon beat Sisak goalie Vito Nikolic. Nikolic's teammates subsequently tried everything to force overtime, but Meran's defensive wall, led by Andreas Bernard, withstood the immense pressure.

The decision about who will advance to the final will be made in just 48 hours, when the seventh game of the series takes place in Sisak (7:30 p.m.). In the final, they will face HC Gherdëina, who are playing at the same time. which made the sensation complete and eliminated the reigning EK Zell am See.

Alps Hockey League, semi-finals:

HC Meran – KHL Sisak 4:3
Goals: 0:1 Juric (16.55), 1:1 Claesson (23.02), 1:2 Juric (28.11), 2:2 Nousiainen (35.05), 3:2 Fuchs (36.15), 3:3 Juric (39.59), 4:3 Gellon (40.48)
Audience: 1071
Score in the series: 3:3

HC Gherdëina – EK Zell am See 6:1
Goals: 1:0 Moncada (1.55), 2:0 Schiavone (11.34), 3:0 Moncada (14.41), 3:1 Huard (40.30), 4:1 Kasslatter (56.18), 5:1 Biondi (56.54), 6:1 Dostalek (58.38)
Audience: 1835
Score in the series: 4:2