Northstars hitting Career Milestones

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In the first half of the 2024 Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL), members of the Newcastle Northstars have achieved career milestones.
 
PATRICK NADIN
 
Pat Nadin has played in the AIHL for the Northstars for ten years. Nadin says, “It’s a huge honour getting to play with a lot of great players over the last decade. Now, I’m the senior player of the team, and I hope to be a role model for those younger players who are coming through. Watching the league grow over the last ten years, from local talent to the fan base, is great to see.”
 
“The local guys have a massive impact on the league, which is a great step in the right direction”.
 
This season, Nadin has reached 200 games and 100 points. Reflecting on these milestones, Nadin said, “As a local junior growing up and watching the Northstars, it was always a dream, and here I am hitting ten years and 200 games; it’s pretty special.
 
DANIEL BERNO
 
Daniel Berno, a fan favourite, has racked up 100 points and is playing his third season with the Northstars.
 
Berno reflected on his time with the Northstars and said, “The organisation is run great from the top down, you get treated like true professionals, and the fans are the best in the league”.
 
One game that sticks in Berno’s mind is the 2022 semi-final: “We were down by a goal with a few minutes left, but we were able to tie it up, force overtime, and take the game.” For the record, it was Berno who scored the tying goal!
 
Reaching the 100-point milestone, he credits the team for helping him get there: “I do put a lot of work into my game, but if it wasn’t for the guys around me, it would definitely be a tough milestone to hit.” Berno says he loves many things about Newcastle, and one that stands out is his teammates: “My teammates are just such great people, always there when you need them, and it’s always a pleasure to step on the ice with them.”
 
BEAU TAYLOR
 
Beau Taylor is a veteran of the Northstars. He first played in 2011 and divided his time between Canada and Newcastle, reaching 150 games in the 2024 season.
 
With Taylor in Canada for part of the AIHL season each year, he wasn’t able to play full seasons, and the milestone took a little longer to achieve. Now that he is in Australia full-time, Taylor is looking forward to the next milestone of 200 games.
 
Another milestone Taylor has achieved is 200 points, which he says “is very exciting.” Taylor credits our amazing fans: “The atmosphere in this rink gets better every single game. I think I've been a part of the team on and off for 14 years. It's just amazing to see how that atmosphere has changed. We've always been one of the best atmospheres in the league, and it just continues to climb."
 
WEHEBE DARGE
 
Wehebe Darge has an impressive 450 points against his name across 15 years in the AIHL. Wehebe first played for Adelaide Adrenaline and CBR Brave before joining the Northstars in 2023.
 
Darge reflects on what he loves about Newcastle, “I love the organisation as a whole, from the rink staff to the volunteers to our medical staff, and of course our fans. Everyone makes such a big sacrifice to support us, and they do it all with a smile on their face. As players in a mature league, we’re very lucky to have such a dedicated group of people showing up for us week in and week out”.
 
Speaking of achieving this milestone, he didn’t realise its significance: “A few people pointed out how few players have managed to accomplish it. Now I feel honoured to have reached such a milestone, and hopefully, there will be more to come.”
 
SHANE SOUTHWOOD
 
Shane Southwood joined the Northstars in 2015 following a season with the Sydney Ice Dogs and has reached his 200-game milestone this season.
 
Shane says despite suffering injury during the game, “the milestone was pretty special. I heard that the Melbourne Ice player came to see how I was after the game, and I think that’s what makes this league unique. It’s quite a tight-knit community, and it’s made 200 games a really enjoyable experience”.
 
Southwood feels a sense of pride in achieving this milestone: “It’s no secret that I’m not putting up four points a night, so I’ve had to carve out a role for myself and train accordingly. To do that for 200 games (mostly with Newcastle) has been great. The Northstars have given me a lot of the tools to be able to do that successfully”.
 
For Southwood, being in Newcastle means a great deal. He says, “It is a testament to a great organisation. I’ve got the Northstars to thank for some of my best friends and greatest memories”.
 
SEAN OULTRAM
 
Sean Oultram has been playing with the Northstars since 2003, returning to the team in 2022 after a ten-year break. Oultram reached the 200-game milestone at the season’s halfway point but didn’t have a clue! He shared, “I actually had no idea I was approaching 200 games until Tonksy (Craig Tonks – Equipment Manager) congratulated me. I’m really stoked to have hit that number with the club I’ve been involved in since I was a kid”.
 
TIM STANGER
 
Tim Stanger achieved 250 games in June and has played with the Northstars since 2010. He says, “To still be playing with the Northstars is an honour and a privilege; we have the best organisation in the league, and to still be a part of it is special to me”.
 
Stanger reflects on achieving this milestone: “It felt really good knowing that I’ve finally got there. My family was there to see it, too, and at (our) home (rink), it was even more special.”
 
Another veteran of the Newcastle organisation, Stanger credits the Northstars for his tenure. He says the milestone “means a lot to me, and I think it is more of a reflection of how good of a club and family we are at the Northstars. I guess if people don’t like something they stop coming or showing up but I can’t stop showing up every week for practice and looking forward to every game.”
 
“Every new hockey season, it’s always exciting time and time again to know how we will grow again as a playing group and a family. I’m very blessed to be playing for Newcastle, and I only ever will play for them - it’s my home”.
 
 
Looking ahead to the remainder of the 2024 season, several players are on the verge of achieving further game, goal, and point milestones. We look forward to celebrating them in the second half of the season!