The Ritten Buam fought hard for three points on Sunday. © Instagram / Max Pattis

With heart and fighting spirit: Important points for Ritten

On Sunday evening, all South Tyrolean teams in the Alps Hockey League were on the ice. The focus was on the top match between Ritten and Kitzbühel and the derby between Merano and Unterland.

28 December 2025

From: do

The Ritten team's upward trajectory continues. They've won six of their last seven matches, and now they've added another victory to their winning streak. Against their league rivals from Kitzbühel, the Ritten players once again demonstrated their strong form, taking crucial points from a direct competitor in the race for the top spots. The match ended in a narrow 4-2 victory for the South Tyroleans.

Simon Kostner and his teammates glided across the ice at the Ritten Arena on Sunday evening with consistency and focus. They made life difficult for their high-quality opponents from North Tyrol right from the start. Their relentless pressing and excellent positioning caused the Eagles problems, while the Ritten team also thrilled their fans in Klobenstein with their offensive play. There were positives both defensively and offensively, allowing Dave MacQueen's team to repeatedly gain small but crucial advantages in the evenly matched game.

Colin Furlong saved 33 shots. © Instagram / Max Pattis

From Ritten's perspective, the strong participation of the local players was particularly pleasing. Robert Öhler (15:46) and Kevin Fink (29:49) scored the second and third goals for the home team. After Yoan Loshing's equalizer to make it 1-1, the home team had built a two-goal lead by halftime.

After Ritten eased off the gas in the third period, Kitzbühel managed to pull within one goal at 2-3. Once again, it was Loshing (51:20) who gave his team renewed hope. In the final minutes, the Ritten players then built a wall in front of Colin Furlong and managed their narrow lead with composure before Fink (59:45) sealed the victory with an empty-net goal. Thus, Ritten secured three important, hard-fought points against a strong opponent and drew level with Kitzbühel in the standings.

A ski star in the Merano stands

In the clash of the two struggling teams in the league, HC Meran emerged as the match winners. The Eagles decisively thwarted the Unterland Cavaliers' ambitions with a 6-1 victory. For the Cavs, who have been faltering this season, it was already their fifth defeat in the last six games – another setback in their fight to stay in contention. A curious detail: Markus Wasmeier, a prominent spectator, was in the stands in Meran. The former Olympic champion in giant slalom and Super-G, as well as world champion in giant slalom, was one of the defining figures of alpine skiing in the 1980s and 1990s.

The German former ski star initially witnessed a lively game with chances for both sides. However, the first buzzer sounded in Merano: Reid Stefanson converted a precise one-timer to give his team a 1-0 lead (16:25). In the second period, the home team increasingly took control and extended their lead to 2-0 through Daniel Gellon (24:27). A bitter blow for the Unterland Cavaliers: just moments earlier, Thomas Pissetta had been unlucky to hit the post.

The eagles' jubilation. © Instagram

The Cavs responded immediately, narrowing the gap to 1-2 through Thomas Galimbertis (25:25), but their hopes were short-lived. Samuel Claesson restored the two-goal lead shortly after, scoring almost unchallenged from the wing (30:09). In the final period, Giovanni Mandruzzato (46:06), Jakob Fuchs (54:29), and Brayden Sherbinin sealed the victory, extending Meran's lead to 6-1. The Eagles deservedly won this exciting match, largely due to the shaky defense of the Unterland team.

The Wipptal Broncos also experienced a furious evening, winning 5:2 against Cortina, while the Gröden team won 6:4 against Bregenzerwald.

Alps Hockey League, Sunday

Jesenice – Zell am See 2:3
Goals: 1:0 Zajc (15.28), 1:1 Zauner (27.33), 1:2 Rupnik (30.59), 1:3 Stiegler (56.49), 2:3 Sojer (57.50)
Audience: 750

Wipptal Broncos – Cortina 5:2
Goals: 0:1 Pietroniro (9.01), 1:1 Eisendle (22.19), 2:1 Sproviero (23.11), 3:1 Schleisser (27.31), 4:1 Zecchetto (31.47), 5:1 Cianfrone (39.46), 5:2 Pietroniro
Audience: 602

Rittner Buam – Kitzbühel 4:2
Goals: 1:0 Crespi (5.57), 1:1 Loshing (14.43), 2:1 Öhler (15.46), 3:1 Fink (29.49), 3:2 Loshing (51.20), 4:2 Fink (59.45)
Audience: 851

HC Meran – Unterland Cavaliers 6:1
Goals: 1:0 Stefanson (16.25), 2:0 Gellon (24.27), 2:1 Galimberti (25.25), 3:1 Claesson (30.09), 4:1 Cruseman (48.06), 5:1 Fuchs (54.29), 6:1 Sherbinin (58.24)
Audience: 573

Asiago – Celje 5:1
Goals: 1:0 Garau (5.24), 1:1 Brus (21.33), 2:1 Parco (23.15), 3:1 Porco (29.49), 4:1 Valentini (38.08), 5:1 Garau (50.15)
Audience: 2900

Val Gardena – Bregenzerwald 6:4
Goals: 1:0 Deluca (6.50), 2:0 Biondi (14.42), 3:0 Vozovik (15.31), 3:1 Pöschmann (19.31), 3:2 Krämer (23.18), 4:2 Dostalek (32.49), 5:2 Guimond (42.32), 5:3 Laaksonen (47.53), 5:4 Laaksonen (57.14), 6:4 MOncada (59.18)
Viewers: 1408)

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