Final series is now a Best-of-Five

Game 1: Asiago – Ritten 2:3 OT (1:1, 1:1, 0:0, 0:1)

The ‘stellati’ from Asiago started with a lot of fire power and captain David Borelli had two huge chances to give his team the lead in the first few minutes. 9 minutes played and Asiago’s top line with Ulmer, Devergilio and Bentivoglio could strike for the first time in this series. Ritten though did not quit and was able to tie the game in the first period, thanks to a slap shot by 38-year old defenceman Ingemar Gruber.

Halfway through the game the South Tyroleans gained the lead with a short hander, scored by top scorer Eric Johansson in a 2 on 1 situation. It did not take long though for Asiago to reply, as Layne Ulmer used a 5 on 3 powerplay situation only 3 minutes later to beat Ritten’s goalkeeper Weinhandl.

In the 3^rd period neither team wanted to take a risk and so the game went to overtime. With 25 seconds to go in OT, topscorer Sean Bentivoglio was sent to the sin bin and it did not take Eric Johansson long to decide the game in OT.

It was a win with some sacrifices for Ritten though. Markus Spinell got suspended for 4 games following a hit to the head incident, whereas Luca Ansoldi could not play in Game 2 in Collalbo/Klobenstein.

Game 2: Ritten – Asiago 3:4 (2:3, 0:0, 1:1)

Ritten had the opportunity in Game 2 to go up by two games and they also had the first scoring chances, but neither Travis Ramsey nor Lorenz Daccordo were able to beat Vincenzo Marozzi. Asiago used their chance for the first goal of the game, as Bentivoglio only had to tip in DeVergliglio’s perfect backhand pass. It was not a first period the goalies were hoping for though. Simon Kostner and Emanuel Scelfo gave the home team the lead, before it was Asiago to turn the events within 1 minute and 17 seconds. Layne Ulmer was let alone in front of Weihnhandl to tie the game and Anthony Nigro scored a gorgeous spin-o-rama backhander goal to make it 3:2 Asiago after 20 minutes.

In the 1^st intermission the coaches probably addressed the team’s poor defensive play and it paid off. In the 2^nd period scoring chances became less frequent and in case of danger, Fabian Weinhandl and Vincenzo Marozzi were ready.

With less than 5 minutes played in the 3^rd period, Patrick Rissmiller capitalized on a PP-situation and the game was tied again. The home fans could only enjoy this for about four minutes though, as Layne Ulmer deflected a wrist shot from the blue line to score the go-ahead goal with 10 minutes to go. Ritten could not score again and so Ulmer’s goal resulted as the game winner in Game 2.

The series is now going back to Asiago, where the defending champions from Ritten will try again to spoil the home ice advantage.

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