Ice Dogs returning to the pinnacle

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The Sydney Ice Dogs didn’t have the easiest of starts to the 2014 season. The defence of the Goodall Cup was in serious doubt early when they went 4-7 in their first 11 games.

The organisation battled back office issues and it took a toll on the team and the performance on the ice suffered. However, soon after all these issues were pushed aside and the team was re-focused and set course to right their wrongs.
 
The Ice Dogs are one of the hottest teams in the league now and are showing the league why they won the competition last season. Their skill, determination and resilience in the eye of diversity are bringing them success. Their will against all odds to grind out results and - more importantly - snatch much needed points from the grasp of the opposition helped them rise to second on the ladder. They are re-creating that winning formula which made them a force last season.
 
After last weekend’s crucial come from behind victory over the CBR Brave, they backed up their form the following night with a shoot-out win over the Newcastle North Stars on the road. Head coach Andrew Petrie was motivated and inspired by his team's efforts against the Brave.
 
“It speaks volumes about the character of our dressing room,” he said. “The commitment, determination and effort to get back in the game, to get the lead and then to protect the lead was exceptional.”
 
There’s no doubt that as this season has progressed the Ice Dogs have unified with a common goal and commitment. Andrew Petrie emphasises this point and that it has been the single most important factor to the team's return to the upper half of the ladder.
 
“You need guys to do special things in any team sport but your cohesion as a team shows up most in your defensive play and this has been by far the biggest area of improvement for us in the last 15 games,” he said.
 
Petrie stressed the important role his defencemen have played in the team’s turnaround. In the last nine games, the Ice Dogs have only allowed 21 goals, fewest in the AIHL.

“We are playing for each other and it’s great to see from the bench,” Petrie said. We have a core group of highly mobile defenders who do a great job for us night in and night out and get very little praise for it. I can assure you the guys in the dressing room are well aware of their efforts and their value to our success.”
 
One player in particular that has earned high praise from his coach is Paul Baranzelli, the Ice Dogs versatile defenceman.
 
“Paul is, in my opinion, among the top two best utility players in the league,” Petrie said. “I ask him to play defence and he does it against the top opposition players. I ask him to play forward - occasionally in the same period/game - and he gets clutch goals in tight games.”

“I feel like if I asked Paul to play goalie one day he would do it and do it well,” Petrie laughed.
 
Another contributing factor to the Ice Dogs' recent turnaround is consistent goal production from their ‘go-to’ players, including four of the top 12 point scorers: Simon Barg, David Dunwoodie, captain Robert Malloy and John Clewlow to name just a few. These four players have contributed to 55 of the Ice Dogs’ 83 goals scored, and have contributed a phenomenal 139 points between them.

Coach Petrie shared his thoughts on David Dunwoodie and Simon Barg.
 
“David is a local player who I believe has only ever played in Australia and he finds himself the lone local among a number of very highly capable, highly-credentialed imports in the top 10 scorers in the league. It’s a phenomenal effort,” Petrie said.
 
“Simon leads from the front and does all the little things well too. He is posting incredible numbers but he is also killing penalties, backchecking and showing defensive responsibilities in every game. He's a genuine team player and it’s hard to be on a team with a guy like that and not feel driven to imitate his work - we are very lucky to have him.”
 
All the focus is on this weekend’s clash with the fast-rising Perth Thunder, who are eight points behind in the play-off race. However, with four games in hand on the Ice Dogs and two on the rest of the teams in the league, the Thunder are a dangerous proposition.

With the post-season looming and all teams vying for the last playoff spots, the wins are even more important. Petrie just wants the team to face each game as “the biggest game of the season”.
 
“Our Captain and core leaders keep everyone grounded,” Petrie said. “It’s a cliché but we really do look at the next game as the biggest game of the season for us and play it accordingly. If we all do our job on the next shift then that period will take care of itself. As long as we continue to work hard for each other we will be fine. That's our greatest asset.”

The Sydney Ice Dogs clash with the Perth Thunder this Sunday, 20^th July at Liverpool Catholic Club. Puck drop is 5pm AEST.