Last season, EK Die Zeller Eisbären had taken a year off from the Alps Hockey League. With the start of the 2021/22 season, the historic club from the state of Salzburg returned to compete in the cross-border league and did so successfully. In the seven games played so far, the team coached by Jaka Avgustincic has scored 14 points. The blue-yellow team is now fourth in the standings, one position ahead of the Rittner Buam who have scored 13 points in the six games played. So far, in the ranks of Zell am See, Philip Putnik and Henrik Neubauer have been particularly dangerous in attack with 11 points each. On the eve of the ninth game between the Rittner Buam and the Eisbären, the statistics speak in favour of the South Tyroleans, with six victories to two. Renon is almost fully healthy and will have to play only without Manuel Öhler.
"Zell am See has had a surprisingly good start to the season and has little to do with the Eisbären teams that played two or three years ago. In facing this direct opponent we will have to be hungry and give our all in all three periods. We won't lack strength after the break", underlines Adolf Insam, sports director of the Rittner Buam, in sight of the game that will start on Thursday at 8 pm. The club has thought of a nice initiative for all the season ticket holders of the Rittner Buam: all the subscribers will be able to be accompanied to the stadium by a person, their "best buddy", who will enter for free.
After the home game against EK Die Zeller Eisbären, on Saturday Santeri Heiskanen's team will be away at the Red Bull Hockey Juniors. At the moment, the "young bulls" from Salzburg are ninth in the standings with 11 points. "It is a young team, which still lacks consistency, however, it runs a lot in every game. We also have many young people in our ranks, but we also have experienced players. In the coming games the task of the more experienced ones will be to bring calm and control. In the last games we have been too little patient and we have given too many chances to our opponents", concludes Insam. The match at the Eisarena Volksgarten in Salzburg will start at 7.15 pm. In the 17 games played against Salzburg 12 have been won by the Rittner Buam.
Alps Hockey League 2021/22
Thursday, October 7 - 8 pm, Ritten Arena
Rittner Buam - EK Die Zeller Eisbären