Zell am See (blue) stands k © Tobias Unterhofer / Social Media

After overtime victory: Eisbären are on the verge of winning the title

Zell am See prevailed against Jesenice 4-3 after extra time in a thrilling fourth final match. The Austrians are now on the verge of winning the title and could clinch the title on Tuesday in front of their home crowd.

13 April 2025

From: pm

In the fourth game of the final series between EK Zell am See and HDD Jesenice, spectators in Slovenia witnessed an ice hockey spectacle of the highest caliber. The visitors from Austria got off to a better start: Nick Huard gave EKZ the lead after a quick counterattack in the 7th minute, before Hubert Berger increased the lead to 0:2 just a short time later. Jesenice responded promptly – after a timeout, Tjas Lesnicar reduced the deficit with a spectacular direct shot from the blue line. After the first break, the hosts equalized when Martin Bohinc beat EKZ goalkeeper Zimmermann from close range. But Zell am See was not deterred: in the 30th minute, Kilian Rappolt made it 2:3 after some strong assists from Berger.

The game remained on a knife edge in the final period. Jesenice pushed for another equalizer and was rewarded with three minutes left when Erik Svetina fired a rebound over the line to make it 3-3. In overtime, the visitors again had the better of the game: Nick Huard deflected a shot from Devin Steffler into the net, securing a 4-3 victory for Zell am See. With this win, the Austrian team now leads the series and has a great chance to win the title in front of their home crowd next Tuesday.

Alps Hockey League, final: