The game against Lustenau will be the first time the Rittner Buam will face the Vorarlberg team in the Master Round. The two teams were supposed to meet two weeks ago, but Lustenau had to declare themselves ineligible to play and lost 5:0 forfeit. "Lustenau urgently needs points to finish in the Top 4 and get direct access to the playoffs," says forward MacGregor Sharp analyzing the upcoming opponents. "That's why we expect a very difficult game. We also want to score points to get the best possible position for the playoffs," Sharp notes. In the two regular season challenges the Rittner Buam had defeated Lustenau (7:3 und 4:0).

Also the last game against Cortina ended in favor of the Rittner Buam. Never the blue-reds have to be careful: "Cortina is a tough adversary that has always been difficult for us. They are a very strong team in defense and ruthless in attack", Manuel Öhler observes. But in the last game before the playoffs, the South Tyrolean team will aim for victory, the young South Tyrolean forward promises: "We want to get to the playoffs with as much momentum as possible and gain altitude." The balance of the challenges with Cortina in the regular season is one win each. In the first match, the Rittner Buam had lost 1:4 and in the second one they made up for it with the same result.

Alps Hockey League - Master Round 21/22

Thursday, March 3, 2022 - 7 pm Rheinhalle Lustenau

EHC Lustenau - Rittner Buam

Saturday, March 5, 2022 - 7 pm, Ritten Arena

Rittner Buam - SG Cortina Hafro

Photo: Max Pattis