The CBR Brave have hit 10 in a big 10-2 win over the Sydney Ice Dogs at the Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Centre on Saturday night.
In a relocated Ice Dogs home game, what has been dubbed the Brave Cave still felt like home for the Canberrans as Stephen Blunden starring with five goals and three assists in what is now the Brave's fourth win in a row and third under new coach Josh Unice.
Blunden had four of the first five goals of the night in the Canadian’s best night of the year leaving the Ice Dogs side behind, who were far from disgraced on the night.
Blunden's 2015 goal tally was taken to 22, with fellow import Kelly Geoffrey notching up his 18th and 19th goals of the year. But it was Blunden's play which left CBR Brave coach Josh Unice purring post-match.
"Stephen Blunden's one of the best players in the league,” Unice said. “I don't think he lacks much confidence, but he did the right things all night, got the puck on net and was rewarded.”
His first reward came just over five minutes in to the game, despite the effort of young Jake Burgess in goal for Sydney.
Kelly Geoffrey was the key in a beautiful set up play with Dave Dunwoodie helping to open the account for night.
The Ice Dogs refused to roll over, frustrating the Brave for most of the first period and after the game Unice had praise for the Sydneysiders
"You’ve got to give the Ice Dogs credit, they never back down, they never quit," Unice said.
However with the first period coming to an end, Blunden added a second, with newly acquired teammate Jordan Peddle flying down the boards to find Blunden in the slot.
An undermanned Ice Dogs found themselves a man down early in the second, and a blue-line bomb from Kyle Mariani - his eighth of the year and fifth power play goal - punished the Dogs for their transgression.
Mariani's goal would be the meat in a Blunden sandwich, as he scored twice in the space of 30 seconds to power the Brave to a five-goal advantage with six minutes left in the second.
Despite the best efforts from Sydney, CBR would pile on five more goals in the third, with Blunden scoring his fifth of the night, Geoffrey his second and third, and Matt Harvey adding his seventh of his shortened year.
But it would be the last CBR goal, scored by Jordie Gavin, which would be the most significant of the night.
The Brave wore black armbands after the death of a close friend to most of the team, and it would be that black armband Gavin would tap twice after he scored.
His following embrace with captain Mark Rummukainen summed up just what it meant to the both of them.
The goal would also be the first point in debutant Jayden Lewis' AIHL career. At just 16, Lewis would provide Gavin with the pass for him to score, with proud father and Brave alternate captain Dave on the ice at the time as well.
A debut was also handed to 15-year old Jordan Brunt, who has starred for the Junior Brave midget side.
The Ice Dogs also got themselves on the board twice in the final period with Jackson Knott adding the second of his AIHL career to ruined Aleksi Toivonen's shutout attempt before Mario Passarelli, who continues to impress in the coach-player role, scored his second of the year.
For Mario, it was a tough night, but there were positives.
"To finish strong, to come out in the third and score two goals, try and do our best, I guess we want to give a full effort the whole game,” Passarelli said. “People are here to watch us play and we want to do our best for them."
It was also a rough night for young Jake Burgess, after he conceded ten goals.
"He's taken it in stride; he's taking it the best he can" Passarelli said. "He just knows he needs to come to the rink and give us the best opportunity possible. Sometimes he plays out of his mind, you know he's a small goalie, sometimes he plays like he's 6"6'"
But Passarelli defended Burgess when it came to the Ice Dogs defensive woes.
"We can't rely on him, his responsibility is the first shot and the second shot is the responsibility of the defencemen to collapse on the net to clear it out".
The Ice Dogs will host both Melbourne sides next weekend with the Ice on Saturday before the Mustangs on Sunday, while the Brave will welcome the Perth Thunder to town for a double header.
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