Ritten and Jesenice are ready. © Max Pattis

Ritten wants revenge, Wipptal wants the next coup

The next chapter of the Alps Hockey League playoffs will be written on Tuesday. Ritten faces Jesenice, while Wipptal faces Zell am See in the first semifinal match.

March 24, 2025

From: tu/pm

The Rittner Buam will face Jesenice in the Alps Hockey League semifinals – an opponent that's all too familiar on the Ritten. This is the fourth time the two teams have met in the postseason. While Jesenice has come out on top in the last two encounters, the Buam have proven several times this season that they can hold their own against the Slovenians. With four wins from six regular-season duels and home-court advantage, the team is heading into the contest with a lot of momentum.

The quarterfinal series against Merano was exhausting, no doubt about it. But the 7-2 win in Game 7 showed that this team not only has quality, but also character. "Despite the long series, we're ready for the next challenges. We'll see how David Tauferer and Michael Lang are doing; they're doubtful for Tuesday, and Jakob Prast and Lois Fink will definitely be out. The rest of the team is fit, though, and will give it their all against Jesenice," said defender Marco Marzolini.

The mood within the team is noticeably positive. "Jesenice has always been a difficult opponent, even though we've shown several times this year that we can beat them. This series will certainly feature high-level hockey. We have the home-court advantage, and we have to take advantage of it. We're ready for this series," said Marzolini.

Sterzing eager for the ice hockey fairytale

The Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan also made their mark: With a commanding 4-0 win over Kitzbühel, they marched into the semifinals – for the second time in a row. Now they face the EK Zeller Eisbären, an opponent who not only played the best regular season but also won all three of their matches against the Broncos this season. And yet, in Sterzing, they believe in the next chapter of the ice hockey fairytale.

The Broncos are far from done. © Social Media / Wipptal Broncos

The Broncos are what you'd call a true playoff team: They're most dangerous when underestimated. Memories of the 2024 quarterfinal against Zell am See are still fresh, when they eliminated the favored Eisbären 4-0. So why not again? With a close-knit and battle-tested squad and a spirit that won't be easily broken, the Broncos enter the series with confidence.

Kaltern against the comeback

Meanwhile, SV Kaltern will face Varese in the fifth and decisive semifinal match for a place in the final. The Pike were already leading 2-0 in the series and also in Game 3 before the Lombards turned the game around. They managed to win two consecutive overtime matches, leveling the series at 2-2. This series will be decided at 20.30:XNUMX p.m. on Tuesday, and the Pike will do everything in their power to prevent the Bulldogs from making a comeback.

Alps Hockey League, semifinal, Tuesday

EK The Zeller Polar Bears - Wipptal Broncos (19.30:XNUMX p.m.)
Score in the series: 0:0

Rittner Buam – SIJ Jesenice (20 p.m.)
Score in the series: 0:0

IHL, semifinal, Tuesday

SV Kaltern – Varese (20.30:XNUMX p.m.)
Score in the series: 2:2