Game Summary
The Red Bull Hockey Juniors came out strong against the reigning Alps Hockey League champions. Val Gardena, for its part, remained a threat; Hannes Kasslatter found Vlastimil Dostalek with a cross-ice pass, but Juniors goaltender Luca Haitzmann was there to make the save (6th minute). At the other end, Nico Koschek and Florian Lanzinger tested Val Gardena goalie Cody Jordan Porter (8th minute). An open, back-and-forth battle ensued with quick changes of direction, in which the Red Bulls held their own in physical play. In the closing minutes, Gröden increased the pressure; Tobias Moroder hit the post (16th minute), and Alberto Colli tried his luck from distance (18th minute), but the first period remained scoreless.
The Juniors started the second period with a flurry of pressure and sought the opening goal with several shots on goal. At the other end, Stephan Deluca was denied by Haitzmann on a breakaway (24th minute). Val Gardena became increasingly dangerous on quick counterattacks, and Tobias Moroder gave the home team a 0–1 lead (27th minute). Just 89 seconds later (28th minute), Simon Pitschieler set up Nicolo Fabio Esposito on a 2-on-1 break, and Esposito scored to make it 0–2. The South Tyroleans created further chances, but Haitzmann kept the Juniors in the game with several saves. Shortly before the second intermission, the Salzburg team was rewarded: Luca Fischer converted a pass from Tobias Koller and Paul Oberhauser to make it 1–2 (39th minute).
Jayden Sinner opened the final period with his first goal in the Alps Hockey League, tying the score at 2–2 following an offensive faceoff (41st minute). The home team responded shortly thereafter: Stephan Deluca intercepted a wayward pass and scored to make it 2–3 (43rd minute). The Juniors reacted immediately, and Luca Fischer found Paul Oberhauser in front of the net, who tied the game at 3–3 with a tip-in (45th minute). Just under three minutes later, Oberhauser completed his two-goal performance with a shot from the slot, giving the Red Bulls their first lead at 4–3 (48th minute). Shortly thereafter, the Salzburg team earned their first power play and capitalized on it after just five seconds: Isak Norlin scored off passes from Oberhauser and Antons Macijevskis to make it 5–3 (49th minute). Gröden, however, refused to give up. Simon Pitschieler cut the lead to 5–4 (55th minute), before both teams found themselves facing off with four skaters each shortly afterward. In the 59th minute, Vlastimil Dostalek finally tied the game at 5–5, forcing overtime. There, both teams canceled each other out, so the game had to be decided in a shootout. Lukas Greil converted the decisive shot and secured a 6–5 road victory for the Juniors.
