SUMMARY: Cortina starts wild against the Rittner Buam, who have to do without Jari Sailio. So, after a few seconds, if Smith wasn't careful, the guests could score the 0:1. Moreover after 64 seconds of the game Pechlaner has to go to the penalty box. But the power play of the Ampezzo team didn't have any consequences for the blue-red, on the contrary: as soon as the house masters came back to their full ranks, Julian Kostner took advantage of a mistake in the adversaries' game construction and with a wrister shot the puck under the crossbar for the goal of the flattering advantage (4'35"). Now Heiskanen's team is in the game and shortly after misses a second goal with Lutz taking the frame. It continued with a back and forth, with occasions on both sides. At the end of the 20th minute, however, it is still 1:0 for the Rittner Buam.

The central period could not start better for Simon Kostner and his mates. After 48 seconds, in fact, the Rittner Buam extend the lead (2:0). Fink grabs the puck, starts the counterattack, makes a double pass with Sharp and beats De Filippo. The house masters continue to press to close the game and look for the third goal.  Spinell (26th) misses the goal with a backhand and then a shot of the Buam's number 22 is neutralized by De Filippo's stick (29th). From the middle of the second period, the guests came back. First Smith manages to parry Johansson's (36th) and Basaraba's shots, then Alverà shoots from behind Renon's goal and serves Lacedelli who shortens the distances (2:1, 36'29"). Cortina has not given up the game yet.

But the house masters have the situation under control and are unlucky when, at the 43rd minute, Lutz takes the goal frame again. Machacka's team, on the other hand, ran out of time, however Cortina didn't give up. In the 55th minute, Adami equalized, scoring between Smith's legs from short distance. At 135 seconds from the final siren, the Ampezzo team calls a time out and then removes from the ice goalie De Filippo for a sixth skater. But no more goals arrived before the siren, also because Adami had to go to the penalty bench after having landed Simon Kostner who was heading towards the victory goal. So the outcome of the game was decided in the extra time when, after 49 seconds, Sharp successfully deviated a shot of Di Perna.

Rittner Buam - S.G. Cortina Hafro 3:2 OT (1:0, 1:1, 0:1, 1:0)

Goals: 1:0 Julian Kostner (3'35"), 2:0 Kevin Fink (20'48"), 2:1 Lacedelli (36'29"), 2:2 Adami (54'03"), 3:2 MacGregor Sharp (60'49" /PP)

Photo: Max Pattis