Ritten beat Merano 4:1 in the Alpine Hockey League on Friday evening at the Merano arena. The result keeps the visitors top of the table while the hosts drop further behind. It was a convincing performance from the side that had already beaten the hosts 6:1 earlier this month.
And here's the thing about this one — you could see the difference in how each team approached the opening period. Ritten controlled the tempo from the start, while Merano looked like they were still trying to find their rhythm. By then it was clear this wouldn't be a tight contest.
Merano had been on a decent run themselves, winning three of their last four matches against Unterland, Cortina and Salzburg 2. They'd also beaten Vipiteno Broncos 5:2 at home. To be fair, they'd earned the right to feel confident before this game.
But the prediction of a Merano victory — we'd given them 43 per cent confidence — simply didn't materialise. What shifted it was the way Ritten opened the scoring early and never looked back. Once that first goal went in, the hosts never really got their footing back.
Ritten's form has been impressive, with six wins from seven games. Their last five results showed wins over Gherdëina, Salzburg 2 and Klagenfurt II, with only a narrow loss to Eisbären breaking the pattern. They've stretched the back line consistently and kept their lead intact.
The gap between the two sides is now wider than before. Merano sit fifth with five wins and two defeats, while Ritten move further clear at the summit with only one loss to show for their campaign so far.
