Team | GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | CP | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adrenaline | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lightning | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Brave | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rhinos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Northstars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player | Points |
---|---|
Ryan Annesley (SBR) | 0 |
Anthony Barnes (BRE) | 0 |
Connor Bartholomew (SID) | 0 |
Connor Bolger (CCR) | 0 |
Goalie | SV% |
---|---|
Justin Harrison (CCR) | - |
Anthony Kimlin (SBR) | - |
Matthew Montgomery (NNS) | - |
Nicholas Novysedlak (BRE) | - |
Bears fly in Canada Day Classic |
|
|
|
The Sydney Bears have claimed a second straight Canada Day Classic over the Melbourne Ice, defeating the home team 6-4 at Medibank Icehouse on Saturday night.
The hard fought battle also featured place during Melbourne’s annual teddy bear toss in honour of the charity Very Special Kids, supported by the league’s major sponsor of Air Canada and the Canada Club of Victoria.
After a ceremonial puck drop with a representative from the charity and the Canadian Consulate General, the game got off to a flying start.
It was an even battle throughout the first period with the Bears taking only seven shots on goal compared to the Ice’s 13.
Despite the lack of scoring early, the action was end-to-end and fast paced with a collision at centre ice leaving Ice’s Sam Hodic and Bears Tomas Landa licking their wounds.
The siren for the end of the first had teddy bears being launched from the crowd, with over 200 bears landing on the ice to be donated to the cause.
But it was Joseph Harcharik for the Sydney Bears who opened the scoring early in the second, crashing the net and slotting the goal.
The Bears doubled the advantage with five minutes remaining in the period, a scramble in front of the Ice’s net saw the Bears up 2-0 through Jan Bejcek.
Only 67 seconds later, Harcharik claimed a power play goal to give the visitors a 3-0 lead with time running down in the second.
The Ice were not going lay down and let the Bears take the easy win, forward Mitch Humphries set up captain Lliam Webster to get Melbourne on the board less than a minute later.
After a string of penalties in the final minutes of the second, the Ice had a five-on-three man advantage going into the final period with the Bears leading 3-1.
Bears coach Vlad Rubes said after the game it was a close game.
“We starting scoring in the second period and being two goals up after two periods, which is exciting for us but in a two-goal game, if they get one back it’s a one-goal game and you get a bit nervous,” Rubes explained. “It’s good to win but you get a little bit nervous.”
The nervous were perhaps warranted for the Bears after the Ice got a quick goal within the first minute of the third, with an unassisted goal from Humphries.
In a 3-2 game, there was more than just a little hope let in the Melbourne camp.
However, the Bears extended their lead to 5-2 with Richard Tesarik and Harcharik’s hat-trick goal the eventual game-winner.
Both teams seemed to lift moving into the late stages of the final period, the Ice fighting hard to close the gap, the Bears staying on their toes to keep the Ice at bay.
The hard work paid off for Melbourne just over a minute later, with Tommy Powell getting a tip-in shot past the Bear’s goalie, with the help of Jeremy Brown and Todd Graham, with Graham playing his 100th AIHL game.
Penalties to the Bears saw the Ice on consecutive power plays and Ice forward Jason Baclig again reduced the deficit to one after getting his stick on a rebound from teammate Jeremy Brown.
It set the scene for a tense final eight minutes.
However, despite the Ice’s refusal to go down without a fight, an empty net goal from the Bears Richard Tesarik with just one second remaining sealed the Canada Day Classic for Sydney.
Bears coach Rubes highlighted that with winning six of their last eight games, things were flowing well now for his team as they move towards the business end of the season.
“Starting the second half of the season with the wins is exciting for us but we are just focusing on our game,” Rubes said. “The boys have got used to each other and our imports are playing well and we have strong goal tending and we have started scoring goals. It’s exciting.”
Next week, the Ice travel to Adelaide to take on the Adelaide Adrenaline, while the Bears play the Ice Dogs at home on Saturday. |
|
Contact Information
Australian Ice Hockey League Ltd
Level 1
7 Lonsdale Street
Braddon, Australian Capital Territory
2612 Australia
Design, Hosting, Online Registration & Administration Tools By:Powered By: