Pascal Brunner and his teammates rarely managed to escape their opponents as easily as in this scene. © BK Photo

A fatal crash for HC Meran

Ouch, this defeat hurts twice as much! The Merano ice hockey team lost their semi-final game against KHL Sisak at home in front of more than 1.300 spectators – and after a bizarre incident, they also lost their best player.

April 01, 2026

From the MeranArena

The second defeat means they are trailing for the first time in the semifinals. HC Meran Pircher suffered a 1-4 loss on Wednesday evening, giving Sisak a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. But that's not all, as the spa town team has another problem: Reid Stefanson is injured.

The Canadian was badly hit by his teammate Filip Cruseman in the opening period. The two collided unintentionally but painfully near center ice. Cruseman was able to continue playing, while Stefanson disappeared into the locker room – and never returned. A shoulder injury prevented him from doing so. The former ICE forward is so crucial to the team. In his 33 games for HCM, he racked up an incredible 53 points. With 12 assists and three goals, he is by far the league's leading playoff scorer. At least, he was until that evening. How long he will be out is unclear. His absence, however, contributed to Merano's loss in Game 3.

With Stefanson in goal, the Eagles were initially the more active and aggressive team. Five seconds before the first intermission buzzer, Brayden Sherbinin unleashed a shot from full speed, finding the top corner with pinpoint accuracy – a screamer, though Vito Nikolic didn't cover himself in glory (20th minute). Nikolic, the Croatian backup who has seen little playing time this season, will replace the injured starting goalie Rosandic Vilim for the remaining playoff games.

Three blunders, three goals conceded

But what did HCM do with their hard-earned lead? They squandered it in no time. Seconds after the restart, Patrick Tomasini slipped, suddenly a huge gap opened up, and right there stood former KHL forward Danila Larionovs, who scored with a one-timer. Shortly afterward, Noah Frick wasn't quick enough to get back into position after his own shot was blocked, paving the way for Sisak to make it 2-1. Tjas Lesnikar, who had already reacted lightning-fast to Merano's first mistake, sent the lightning-fast Korean Kim Sang Yeob on his way, who coolly slotted the ball into the net (30th minute).

Merano responded to falling behind for the first time with renewed energy, but without Stefanson, their attack lacked penetration and the spark of inspiration. Borgatello's team fired 41 shots on goal, but rarely posed a real threat. And so, as fate would have it, Merano capitalized on their only real chance of the final period, with Sisak sealing the victory – and once again, the black-and-white defense looked shaky. Niksa Juric first escaped Enrico Larcher and then nutmegged the previously impressive Andy Bernard in the Merano goal. The 3-1 scoreline was followed by a fourth goal on the counter-attack by Vito Idzan (59th minute).

An immediate chance for revenge

HC Meran is now under considerable pressure on Thursday – in their second home game within 24 hours – if they don't want to fall significantly behind in the best-of-seven series. The same applies to HC Gröden, who will simultaneously be trying to level their semifinal series against Zell am See at 2-2.

The Alps Hockey League semi-final

HC Meran – KHL Sisak 1:4
Gates: 1:0 Brayden Sherbinin (19.55), 1:1 Danila Larionovs (20.14), 1:2 Kim Sang Yeob (29.04), 1:3 Niksa Juric (55.24), 1:4 Vito Idzan (58.04)
Viewers: 1.325
Best of 7 series: 1:2
Next match date: Thursday, 20 p.m.

HC Gröden – EK Zell am See
Best of 7 series: 1:2
Next match date: Thursday, 19.30 p.m.