The long road back to the Odegar concluded exactly as Hockey Club Asiago intended: with the season's first trophy hoisted high on home ice. On Saturday evening, September 12, Asiago opened their official campaign in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, earning a hard-fought victory over Kaltern SV to secure the Supercoppa Italiana.
For a squad that spent the initial weeks of late-summer preparation operating as nomads across regional rinks, lifting silverware at the Stadio Odegar represented both immediate validation and tactical progression. The transition from displaced pre-season workouts to polished home performances was far from instantaneous, but the trajectory into Saturday's final provided clear evidence of a side finding its rhythm at the crucial moment.
Nomadic Preparation: Navigating Pre-Season Setbacks
Before stepping onto the Odegar ice for official competition, Asiago's preparation required patience and adaptability. Facilities in Roana, Trento, and Feltre hosted the team's practice sessions while their home surface was readied, forcing the roster to build chemistry and physical conditioning entirely on the road.
That nomadic stretch exposed early operational flaws. In a 60-minute test match against Milano Hockey Club, Asiago stumbled into a 2-5 defeat as the Milanese side asserted control across all three periods. The loss highlighted defensive lapses and a lack of fluidity in transition—expected hurdles for a group working through irregular training locations.
The Turnaround: Palafeltre Shutdown Sets the Tone
The turning point in Asiago's pre-season trajectory arrived on Tuesday, September 8, at 20:00 at the Palafeltre in Feltre. Facing Rittner Buam in their final exhibition fixture, Asiago delivered a pristine performance at both ends of the ice, storming to a 6-0 victory.
The shutout against Rittner Buam signaled crucial structural adjustments. Defensively, Asiago clogged high-danger entry paths, while their attacking units exploited open ice with sharp execution. The clean sheet generated the exact momentum needed as the club finally returned to train on their native Odegar ice later that week.
Supercoppa Triumph at the Odegar
When the puck dropped at 20:30 on Saturday night, the crowd inside the Odegar set an intense backdrop for the season's official kickoff. Facing a resolute Kaltern SV lineup, Asiago were pushed through a physical, tightly contested match that demanded steady positional play and strong game management.
Kaltern contested spatial corridors aggressively throughout the evening, keeping the outcome in the balance. However, Asiago maintained structural coordination when under pressure, making key defensive stops and capitalizing on critical moments to edge out their opponents. The final buzzer confirmed Asiago as Supercoppa Italiana champions, giving the home supporters a championship start to the campaign.
Lifting the Supercoppa caps an intensive stretch of travel and rapid tactical adjustments. With the first trophy of the year locked in the cabinet, Asiago have established a high benchmark for their defensive control and team cohesion as the main schedule begins.
Sources
These sources formed the evidence pack for this article. Links open the original publisher; inclusion does not imply endorsement.
- tgacv.cz original
- studiociprian.com original
- hcasiago.net original
