Last week, Rittner Buam obtained two victories against EHC Lustenau (5:0 forfeit) and Fassa Falcons (5:1). However, the next challenges on the calendar include two tough opponents, Jesenice and Asiago, against whom Simon Kostner and his teammates have rarely scored this season.
Against HDD Jesenice the Rittner Buam lost 2:3 the first match of the Master Round and suffered two defeats during the regular season (2:8 and 2:5). "Against Jesenice we have to play with a lot of concentration. They have a strong offense with individual players who can make the difference," Adam Giacomuzzi notes while analyzing the upcoming opponents. "The last game was tight. We have to try to stand up to their strengths and minimize our mistakes. That way we can do it," the 19-year-old is sure. The Rittner Buam can also rely on the support from the stands, as on Thursday, February 24, at 8 p.m., the blue-reds will play the match against the Slovenians at home in the Ritten Arena.
Two days later, the official bus of the Rittner Buam will be used. Saturday, in fact, the hockey players of the South Tyrolean plateau will be away in Asiago. The last commitment of the Rittner Buam at the Odegar stadium dates back to two weeks ago, when they had suffered a 2:1 defeat that had confirmed Asiago as Italian champion. "We really want to take a revenge. The defeat in the IHL Serie A was painful," says captain Simon Kostner. Besides the game lost in the Italian championship, the Rittner Buam had to surrender to Asiago twice more this season, once in the Master Round (3:5) and once in the regular season (1:8). On October 28, 2021 instead, in the first seasonal challenge between the two teams, the South Tyroleans had triumphed 5:1. "We know them well, just as they know us well. The last game was hard fought, we are getting closer and closer to them. They have a strong offense, but we are also playing very well lately. If we continue like this, we can beat them," Kostner stated with conviction.
Alps Hockey League - Master Round 21/22
Thursday, February 24, 2022 - 8 pm, Ritten Arena
Rittner Buam - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice
Saturday, February 26 - 8.30 pm, Odegar Stadium, Asiago
Migross Supermarkets Asiago Hockey - Rittner Buam
Photo: Max Pattis