THE SUMMARY: For the top game Uusivirta and Eisath return to the Rittner Buam ranks, while coach Heiskanen must still do without Spinell, Sailio and Quinz. After a minute and a half of play, the blue-reds can play with an extra man on the ice, but it is the guests who score. On a big mistake made by Lutz, Elo grabs the puck, throws himself towards Renon's goal and tricks Smith scoring the 1:0 for Jesenice (2'36"). After that, the occasions are rare for several minutes, then towards the end of the first period the game revives. First Pance and shortly after Svetina force goalie Smith to make some masterpieces (17th), then the house masters succeed in equalizing. Lutz takes courage and sends the puck into the net (16'49"). With the draw goal, the number 24 of the Rittner Buam makes up for his previous mistake. The score goes into the locker room at 1:1. 

The middle period is difficult. After many chances from both sides, Rajsar scores from the shortest distance the 2:1 for the guests (26'44"). The goal is assigned after a long consultation of the video proof. And maybe it is just this pause that makes Heiskanen's team lose their momentum. After that, in fact, nothing works anymore in the blue-reds. At first Pance - again on the penalty kill - scores the third goal for the Slovenian guests (29'37"), who then take advantage of the double minor suffered by Pechlaner scoring two more goals, assigned to Ulamec (34'06" / deviation) and Glavic (34'34"). Shortly after comes the goal of the half-dozen with a masterful wrister of Pance in the long corner (35'55"). Then Treibenreif, who in the meantime replaced Smith between the posts, had to surrender to Glavic when the latter scored again in power play (37'08"). Thus, a Heiskanen's rant in the second intermission is now announced. 

In the final third the blue-red reacted, but it was Jesenice that scored again. Rajsar lengthens the distances with 8:1 (44th). Shortly after, with the Rittner Buam in power play, Simon Kostner starts alone and scores the final 2:8. The hosts will have the chance to make up for it on Thursday night in the next home game against the Wipptal Broncos Weihenstephan. The match will start at 8 pm.   

Rittner Buam - HDD SIJ Acroni Jesenice 2:8 (1:1, 0:6, 1:1)

Goals: 0:1 Elo (2'36" /SH), 1:1 Andreas Lutz (16'49"), 1:2 Rajsar (26'44"), 1:3 Pance (29'37" /SH), 1:4 Ulamec (34'06" /PP), 1: 5 Glavic (34'34" /PP), 1:6 Pance (35'55"), 1:7 Glavic (37'08" /PP), 1:8 Rajsar (43'45"), 2:8 Simon Kostner (47'58" /PP)

MVPs of the match - powered by Loacker: Jakob Prast (RB) & Eric Pance (JES)

Photo: Max Pattis