The monthly report from the HCB: There are almost only winners

One thing in advance: The coach and a handful of players only narrowly missed the absolute top mark. Others, on the other hand, still have room for improvement - especially one in the Bolzano squad.

At HCB, the team is the star. It is uniformly strong in all positions and has hardly shown any weaknesses so far. The showpiece of the leaders is their defense, which has only conceded 44 goals so far. Bolzano also has the best power play in the league (21,79 percent). In the last month of the year, the South Tyroleans played 13 games (5 at home and 8 away). They got 39 of a possible 23 points (goal difference: 36:23). They only remained without points twice: that was on December 2th in the 5:2 defeat in Vienna and on December 3th in the 30:1 in Dornbirn. In addition, Anton Bernard and Co. lost three times after extra time or a penalty shootout. You can read how the individual players performed in December in the following monthly report card.

GOALKEEPER The HCB has a lot of goalkeeper wear. So far, 5 goalkeepers have been used. As a reminder: in the 2017/18 championship season there were even 6 of them. With the exception of Mattia Tava, who was on the bench 3 times, the remaining 4 goalies were all on the ice in December and proved to be a reliable support. Only Frederic Cloutier was not completely convincing. However, since he was only allowed to prove himself in one game, we will not give a grade.

Andreas Bernard: Notes 9

The Kalterer came as a replacement for the injured Justin Fazio and had no problems adapting. And that even though his last championship game was 10 months ago. The 30-year-old has been between the posts in the last 5 games, celebrated 2 shutouts and only conceded 6 goals. His catch rate of 95,6 percent is world class. Italy's national goalkeeper is strong in one-on-one situations but also in long-range shots.

Justin Fazio: 8 The Italian-Canadian guarded the Bolzano goal 6 times in December and had to reach behind him 11 times. He kept his box clean in the 4-0 win against Linz. Overall, the 23-year-old, who injured his groin in mid-December, blocked 91,4 percent of the shots. Fazio is probably the best backup in the league: he has a lot of talent and, despite his young age, is already a very complete goalkeeper who exudes a lot of calm and security.

Not rated: Leland Irving, Frederic Cloutier and Mattia Tava

DEFENDER Dylan Di Perna: 7 The Italian-Canadian has improved from game to game and has long been a fixture in the Bolzano backline. Di Perna has good duel behavior and positional play. He always knows how to use his body skillfully and ensures the necessary water displacement in front of his own goal. However, the 24-year-old will probably never become a goalscorer or power play specialist due to his lack of stick technique.

Gleason Fournier: 8 The Canadian is an elegant skater who rarely makes mistakes. The 29-year-old hardly attracts attention and does his job without any noticeable effects. Fournier has a good overview and a good shot, but could make more of an impact offensively. 0 goals and 2 assists are his meager output in the last 13 games.

Matteo Pietroniro: 7 The Italian-Canadian arrived in Bolzano on December 5th and made his debut six days later. The 6-year-old had no problems adapting and excelled as a goalscorer in his second game. Pietroniro has great potential and is set for Ireland. He keeps the error rate very low and has good duel skills.

Nick Plastino: 9 The Italian-Canadian is the conductor in the Bolzano defense team. The 34-year-old doesn't let anything go wrong at the back and skillfully intervenes in the offensive game again and again. In December he was on the top scorer list 4 times and prepared 2 goals. Plastino is an excellent technician who almost never falters. He has the best plus-minus statistic in the league (+22).

Dennis Robertson: 8,5 The Canadian impresses with his fight and tireless commitment. The all-rounder with almost perfect characteristics has very good duel skills and was the Bolzano defender with the highest points in December (one goal and 7 assists). The 29-year-old is omnipresent and indispensable both when outnumbered and when outnumbered. “Mr. Reliable” can read the game very well and feels like he is on the ice for 30 minutes.

Dennis Robertson has long been one of the key figures at HC Bozen. © V. Antonello

Ben Youds: 7 The US boy plays very inconspicuously, but is largely responsible for the South Tyroleans' good defensive work. He is a solid defender who is very secure at the back and usually stays out of the attack (0 points in December). The 32-year-old is a calm player with leadership qualities who still has room for improvement.

Not rated: Ivan Tauferer, Alex Trivellato and Gregorio Gios

STRIKER Domenico Alberga: 7,5 The Italian-Canadian is an all-rounder who rarely makes a mistake and can sometimes hold the target. Alberga is also very good at tackling in the corners. He also shone with his overview and passing ability. Although he failed to score a goal, he did provide an impressive assist (6).

Anthony Bardaro: 8 The Italian-Canadian is a striker with a built-in goal guarantee. He is a classic goal scorer who knows exactly where he has to be on the ice and when. The wing repeatedly slipped into the role of the center. The 28-year-old hit the mark four times in December and also had three assists.

Anton Bernard: 7,5 The Kalterer is the HCB's best defensive striker and is therefore indispensable, especially in penalty killing. He also made his way into the scorer rankings with a goal and 3 assists. The 31-year-old captain is a real leader and role model for his teammates. A team player with exemplary commitment

Anton Bernard leads the way as captain with exemplary commitment. © V. Antonello

Daniel Catenacci: 7,5 The Italian-Canadian was never a two-way striker – it was thought. But Catenacci can now be found on both sides of the ice without his scoring threat suffering. The 2-year-old is an excellent face-off player and an outspoken sniper who is usually ice cold in front of the opponent's goal. However, compared to the strong start to the season, he has declined slightly - also due to injury.

Ivan Deluca: 6,5 The Sterzinger works tirelessly and doesn't shy away from anything or anyone. He repeatedly stands in front of the opposing goalkeeper like a tree and skillfully blocks his view. Deluca is a typical role player who is very useful for the team. In the last game of the year, the 23-year-old ended his goal ban.

Brett Findlay: 9 The Canadian was the linchpin of the Bolzano offensive. The center forward with goalscoring qualities scored in 11 of the 13 games (9 goals and 6 assists). The 28-year-old impressed above all with his creativity and target safety. Together with Dustin Gazley formed the dream duo of the front runner.

Daniel Frank: 7,5 The Meraner is a real workhorse, which is extremely important when outnumbered. The 26-year-old doesn't shy away from a duel and always goes where it hurts. He inspires his teammates and is an important factor in the Bolzano dressing room. Frank had 3 points (1 goal and 2 assists).

Luca Frigo: 7 The winger usually acts inconspicuously and is used for penalty killing. Mostly has an eye for his teammates, as his 6 assists for goals in the past month impressively demonstrate. Frigo is very helpful to the team and can play on any line.

Dustin Gazley: 9 The Italian-American made a big impression alongside Brett Findlay in December. The lightning-fast winger, who scored 2 goals himself and prepared 8 more, has a lot of wit, brilliant shooting technique and a good overview of the game. The 32-year-old whirlwind is a tireless driver.

Stefano Giliati: 7 The Italian-Canadian's bad luck kept sticking to his bat. In 13 games he didn't manage a single goal (4 assists), which also had to do with the talented player's lack of luck. In any case, one cannot deny the commitment of the 33-year-old, who has lost little of his speed. He is highly regarded as a leader within the team.

Mike Halmo: 6 Between genius and madness. The candidate is the type of player you would rather have on your team than have to play against him. Patrick Björkstrand (Villach), who Halmo sent to the hospital with a check, can particularly speak of. However, the referees have their eyes specifically on him. 2 goals and an assist are not enough for the supposed royal transfer.

Marco Insam: 7,5 The 31-year-old is very valuable for the team as he can also be used as a defender. He directs the power play from the blue line, where he repeatedly brings out his dreaded hammer. Insam shone as a four-goal scorer in December.

Angelo Miceli: 6,5 The lively Italian-Canadian is a gifted technician, but sometimes acts too stubbornly. Miceli gets along almost blindly with Daniel Frank and Anton Bernard, but has to improve his defensive behavior. His yield in December: 2 goals and one assist.

Simon Pitschieler: 6,5 The man from Val Gardena had to languish on the bench or in the stands for a long time, but was then needed due to the numerous absences and did not disappoint his coach with his youthful carefree attitude. The (provisional) highlight was certainly Pitschieler's debut goal in the ICEHL on December 28th in Innsbruck.

TRAINER Greg Ireland: 9 The Canadian is excellent at keeping his players happy. The game system he demanded quickly bore fruit. The 55-year-old has formed a close-knit unit in a short space of time and is not the only reason why he played a key role in the HCB's successful run in the last month of the year.

Only the performances in the month of December were evaluated.

ICE Regular Season ICE	SP	TV	P
1. Klagenfurt	47	183:101	102
2. Fehervar	46	146:126	89
3. Salzburg	46	142:107	87
4. HCB South Tyrol	46	137:125	76
5. Linz	46	146:116	75
6. Villach	46	155:136	74
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The monthly report from the HCB: There are almost only winners

Our own fans, proven experts and even our opponents – they all rave highly about HCB Südtirol Alperia. With a points average of 2,25 points, no other team in the ICE Hockey League can hold a candle to the “White-Reds”. But how do the HCB cracks perform in the individual criticism?

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