Week 7 Recap: Ice break record before Thunder stop streak

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Ice and Thunder win one each in the west

The Melbourne Ice set a club record for most wins to start the regular season with 10-in-a-row, before their streak was snapped by the Perth Thunder on Sunday in the west.

New arrival Austin Albrecht got the first goal of the game for the Ice on Saturday halfway through the first period, to put the visitors up 1-0, despite being outshot 16-11 for the entire period.

It would take nearly a full period for another goal, with defenceman Jeff Solow adding another for the Ice 1:11 from the end of the second for a 2-0 lead.

Perth turned up the pressure on Melbourne but could not find a way past Tatsunoshin Ishida, including two power play opportunities. Mac Caruana would then score his 6^th goal of the year on an Ice power play to put the game beyond doubt, while Albrecht added a late empty net goal and Melbourne would take a 4-0 win.

Ishida stopped all 37 shots he faced, for his first shutout of the year. Bertein made 32 saves on 36 shots at the other end.

Albrecht would again open the scoring for the Ice in game two, this time however the first period was goal-for goal. Zane Jones, Jamie Bourke, Ville Tenosalmi and Ben Breault all scored for 3-2 Thunder lead at the first change.

Albrecht got his third of the weekend on a power play, only to be answered moments later by Jeremiah Addison to maintain Perth’s one-goal lead in a period filled with penalties.

Caruana would pull the Ice level on the power play just 20 seconds into the final period, to give the visitors a glance at the full 6 points from the weekend. However, goals to Jones and Ben Berard sealed the win for Perth despite a late goal from Austin McKenzie.

The Ice return home to host the Adrenaline and Lightning, while the Thunder have the Ice Dogs and Rhinos on the road.
 


Mustangs, Rhinos split points in two completely different games

The Melbourne Mustangs and Central Coast Rhinos have split the points in two completely different AIHL games at the O’Brien Icehouse last weekend.

The Rhinos took it to the Mustangs on Saturday night, putting 12 shots on new Mustangs goaltender Logan Flodell in the opening stanza. However, the home team scored first through Dean Klomp with just 1:10 remaining to head to the intermission 1-0 up.

The Mustangs turned the tide in terms of the shots column to start the second frame, but Hayden Sayers would finally pull the visitors level with 5:26 remaining. Scott Timmins restored the one-goal lead for the Mustangs just before the second intermission.

However, the Rhinos would stun the hosts with two consecutive power play goals. Shai Rabinowitz got his first ever AIHL goal, despite making his debut back in 2013 for the Northstars after a long period overseas, to tie the game. Andrew Smardon put the Rhinos ahead for the first time 4 minutes later for 3-2 lead.

It looked to be a shortlived lead, as Mackenzie Bolger was given 5+GM for kneeing Evan Khroustalev leaving Central Coast short to close out the game. However, Danick Bouchard would get a short-handed goal past Flodell to stun the Mustangs 4-2. Klomp’s second goal would claw them back within one, but Aziz Baazzi sealed the victory with an empty-net goal and the Rhinos got their second regulation win of the year.

Sunday was a remarkably different affair as the Mustangs put the Rhinos to the sword.

A 7-goal first period was essentially the end of the game after 20 minutes. Oberoi was pulled in exchange for Justin Harrison, seeing his first AIHL minutes since 2018 for the Sydney Bears, but didn’t fare any better.

Brad Apps finished with 4 goals, Tom Flack with 3 and Vadim Virjassov amassed with 6 points.

The game ended with a demoralising 14-1 win for the Mustangs to keep pace with the Perth Thunder for third spot in the Hellyer Conference.


 
Brave get crucial wins in road series with Adelaide

The Canberra Brave have taken a crucial 5 points get their season back on track, after defeating the Adelaide Adrenaline in SA over the weekend.

Rylan Toth was shelled by the Brave during the first period in game one, facing a massive 20 shots as the visitors turned on the offence.

Jake Ratcliffe got the first of the game with 12:13 to go in the period, before Daniel Chen scored his first of the year just 5 minutes later. Austin Cangelosi then scored before the break to put the Brave back in front 2-1.

A wild second period saw a goalfest unfold. Daniel O’Handley scored his first for 2024 less than 30 seconds into the period to pull Adelaide level. However, Ratcliffe answered for Canberra moments later on the power play following a hooking penalty to Joey MacDougall. Cangelosi got another on a short-handed mark, which was responded to by Josh Adkins moments later. Casey Kubara and Kaden Elder also scored to close out the second period 5-4 in favour of Canberra.

A temporary lull in the scoring would be undone by Elder’s second before Kai Miettinen re-established the Brave lead 30 seconds later. Adkins sent the game to overtime when he banked the tying goal for the Adrenaline with 6 minutes to go, finishing 6-6 after 60 minutes.

In a scoreless overtime period, it took Casey Kubara scoring twice in the shootout to seal the two points for Canberra and get them back in the winners’ column.

The Brave took the momentum from the win into Sunday’s game, where Cangelosi would open the scoring with a shorthanded goal. Casey Kubara added a power play goal two minutes later, to take a 2-0 Brave lead into the first intermission.

Kubara added another power play tally as the lone goal of the second period, despite the Adrenaline pouring on 17 shots to 4 in the middle frame. Tyler Kubara put the game out of reach with the 4^th and final Brave goal midway through the period for a 4-1 Brave win, as Adkins added a late consolation goal.

The wins see the Brave and Adrenaline exchange places at the bottom of the Hellyer Conference. Adelaide travel to Melbourne for a couple of road games with the Ice and Mustangs, while the Brave head to Newcastle and then host the Ice Dogs.
 


Bears take top spot after defeats of Ice Dogs, Lightning

The Sydney Bears are now the top team in the AIHL, after a comeback win against the Sydney Ice Dogs and a defeat of the Brisbane Lightning.

The Bears took the third Battle of Sydney in front of a sold out Macquarie Ice Arena on Saturday night.

The Ice Dogs jumped out to a 3-goal lead in the first period, thanks to a pair from Cam Todd and another from Dmitri Kuleshov.

The Bears flipped the script and battled back in the second, scoring 3 unanswered goals of their own, thanks to Adam Kadlec and Chris Eaden with a pair, to tie the game 3-3 and setting the stage for a thrilling third period.

Both teams traded chances in the third, however it wasn’t until Kadlec broke through with 7 minutes remaining to score the eventual game winner and complete the Bears’ 4-3 victory.

The Lightning paid the Bears a visit the following evening at Macquarie with the Bears gaining a 2-1 lead in the first period thanks to goals from Eaden and Brody Lindal, as Sacha Rapchuk got the Lighting on the board.

Kadlec made the game 3-1 from the first intermission, but the Lightning would then score three unanswered goals from Batu Gendunov, Julian Fodor and Rapchuk getting his second to go ahead 4-3 at the final change.

However, the Bears accelerated away in the third with six goals including a hat-trick to Kadlec and another to Lindal to complete a 9-6 rout. Gendunov added another for Brisbane while Rapchuk completed a hat-trick of his own.

The Bears face the Rhinos at Erina and host the Northstars next weekend, while Brisbane head to Melbourne for a double-header with the Ice and Mustangs.


 
Northstars defeat Lightning to stay on top of Hellyer Conference

The Newcastle Northstars have had another strong performance at home, with a comprehensive 9-1 win over the Brisbane Lightning on Saturday night at HISS.

Newcastle ended the first period with a 3-0 lead with goals to Alex Yuill, Kyler Matthews and returning player Riley Klugerman.

Klugerman got a short-handed goal to open the second period, which would be followed by three straight Newcastle goals from Matthews, Berno and Drolet for a 7-0 score line at the second intermission.

Klugerman completed the hat-trick in the third period and Yuill added another as the Northstars demolished Brisbane to remain top of the Hellyer Conference. Luka Ouimette scored the lone goal for the Lightning.

Matt Montgomery stopped 26 of 27 shots in his first ever AIHL win.