Week 12 Recap: Thunder down Brave in overtime thriller

---

Thunder get past Brave in overtime

The Perth Thunder have gotten past the Canberra Brave in a thriller at the Brave Cave, with a 3-2 overtime win.

The Brave got off to a great start thanks to a goal from Casey Kubara less than 90 seconds into the game, until Ben Berard tied it for the visitors on the power play 5 minutes later, to make it 1-1.

The second period was a tight-checking affair, with both Leo Bertein and Aleksi Toivonen providing some outstanding goaltending to keep both teams off the scoresheet. Jake Ratcliffe managed to find the back of the net with 5:18 remaining after a set-up from Austin Cangelosi, and the Brave went into the second intermission 2-1 up.

Natan Vertes made it all square at even strength to bring the scoreline back to 2-2 where it would remain for the period, despite a spectacular last second save from Bertein to ensure overtime.

Yu Hikosaka continued his impressive run for the Thunder with the overtime winner just 22 seconds into the 3-on-3 period, to give him his 4^th goal of the year and the Thunder two points.

The Brave host the Northstars on Saturday night before heading to Macquarie for a fixture with the Ice Dogs on Sunday. The Thunder have the weekend off.


 
Northstars and Lightning split points in Brisbane

The Newcastle Northstars and Brisbane Lightning have split the points up in Queensland, with each team taking home a victory this past weekend.

Brisbane opened the scoring in the first game on Saturday through Julian Fodor’s 9th goal of the year, for a 1-0 score midway through the first. Mongolian national Batu Gendunov made it 2-0 just 90 seconds later, where it would remain after 20 minutes despite Newcastle pouring on 14 shots to 7.

Newcastle responded on the scoreboard almost instantly in the second through Beau Taylor under a minute in, to bring it back to 2-1. Francis Drolet tied it up with 9:33 to go and the Northstars were back in it. Sacaha Rapchuk got a power play goal before the break to re-establish the Lightning lead going into the third.

Arum Rapchuk made it a familial affair with his 8^th of the year at the start of the third for a 4-2 Brisbane lead. However, Ethan Hawes came to the rescue for Newcastle as the defenceman grabbed a power play goal midway through the period. He would then strike with just 28 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, until Chance Adrian snuffed out the comeback with a 3-on-3 goal and give Brisbane a 5-4 overtime win.

Newcastle took their energy into Sunday’s game where they dominated from the get go.

The Northstars outshot Brisbane 19-12 through two periods and led 2-1 after 40 minutes, thanks to a first period power play goal from Daniel Berno and a second period tally from Taylor. Adrian’s second of the weekend was the lone response of the game for Brisbane, as Newcastle poured on three unanswered goals from Taylor, Drew Robson and Alex Yuill in the third period to take a 5-1 win.

Newcastle remain on top of the Rurak Conference with 34 points and will face the Brave in Canberra, before a rematch with the Lightning at home. Brisbane also take on the Rhinos at Erina on Saturday.


Photo: Krause Sports Photography

Bears take final Battle of Sydney, eclipse Mustangs

The Sydney Bears powered on through week 12 of the AIHL, taking the final Battle of Sydney on Friday night 7-5 over the Sydney Ice Dogs, before beating a spirited Melbourne Mustangs outfit 3-2 on Saturday.

A sold-out crowd at Macquarie crowd witnessed 4 goals in the first period. Ivan Kuleshov and Cam Todd stunned the league-leaders for a 2-0 lead, before Adam Kadlec and Noah Moncrieff responded before the first intermission to make it 2-2.

The goals didn’t stop in an offensive battle, as Alex Macdonald’s 13^th of the year restored the lead for Sydney halfway through the second. Tomas Landa responded for the red and black, before Kadlec’s 27^th on the year gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 4-3.

It was far from over, as the two NSW teams went goal-for-goal in the final 20 minutes. Kale Costa’s pair managed to tie the game after Landa extended the Bears’ lead. However, captain Ryan Annesley got the game-winner 6:29 minutes from time, before Landa completed the hat-trick and sealed a 7-5 win and three points for the Bears.

The Bears had to work just as hard against the Melbourne Mustangs the following night, who were battling for their playoff lives.

Sydney piled on 16 shots to 10 in the first period, however only found the back of the net once thanks to Lucas Hermann. Vlad Rachinsky continued his hot-streak with his 8th on the year, to level the scores 1-1 at the change.

The second period saw a battle between Logal Flodell and James Downie between the pipes at either end. However, Todd Cutter and Brian Funes scored one each to end the second tied at 2-2.

Sydney turned up the pressure on the Mustangs in the final 20 minutes, outshooting Melbourne 18-8, with Kenshin Hayashi’s lone goal being the 3-2 game-winner and all but ending the Mustangs’ finals hopes.

Flodell made 43 saves on 46 shots in the loss, while Downie went 25 from 27.

The Mustangs play the Melbourne Ice on Friday night in the third Melbourne derby for 2024, followed by a rematch with the Bears on Sunday. The Bears will also take on the Ice on the Saturday.
 
Ice Dogs defeat Mustangs

The Sydney Ice Dogs have grabbed their 4^th regulation win of the season over the Melbourne Mustangs, with a 5-3 display on Sunday.

In an offensive showcase, both teams unloaded plenty of shots but only captain Daniel Pataky’s first goal of the year would be on the scoreboard after 20 minutes, for a 1-0 Ice Dogs lead.

1-0 then became 2-0 through Alex MacDonald’s 14^th goal of the season halfway through the second period. Vadim Virjassov responded less than a minute later for the Mustangs after a holding penalty to Pataky, to cut the deficit to one. It would be short-lived, as Max Miller restored the two-goal Sydney lead to make it 3-1 after 40 minutes.

MacDonald’s second of the game with 12:06 remaining made it 4-1 Sydney and the Mustangs’ looked down and out. A late fightback from Virjassov and Tom Flack was not enough for the orange and black, as Grant Toulmin sealed the game with an empty-net goal with 13 seconds remaining, to give Sydney a 5-3 win.

Flodell went 42 from 46 in the loss, while Arvid Ljung stopped 30 of 33 for the Ice Dogs.

The Ice Dogs host the Adelaide Adrenaline and Canberra Brave this weekend at Macquarie.


Photo: Hugh Whittle
 
Ice take 6 points over Adrenaline in feisty affair

The Melbourne Ice have taken a full 6 points over the Adelaide Adrenaline in a double header last weekend.

The Ice were held scoreless by Adelaide on Saturday until Roman Kraemer broke the deadlock with 5:20 to go in the first, for a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

The second period was almost a carbon copy of the first, with both goaltenders proving tough to beat for most of the duration. Again it was the Ice finding a way past Rylan Toth late in the second period, with Mac Caruana’s 14^th goal of the season with 1:37 to play for a 2-0 Ice lead after 40 mins.

Kaden Elder mustered an Adrenaline response less than 90 seconds into the final period assisted by Josh Adkins, however the Ice then proceeded to score three straight goals thanks to Austin Albrecht’s double and Kraemer’s second for a 5-1 Ice victory.

The Sunday game was a closer affair with Elder opening the scoring for the Adrenaline in the first, to put the hosts in front 1-0. Kraemer replied for the Ice three minutes later and it was a 1-1 game going into the first break.

Despite an even shot count of 11-a-piece for the second period, the Ice pulled away thanks to a pair of goals from Caruana and another to Kraemer for a 4-1 Melbourne lead, following two periods of hockey.

Josh Adkins stemmed the bleeding with his 10^th for 2024, but the wounds were opened up again by a Kraemer goal 11 seconds from the intermission with the visitors now up 5-2.

Elder clawed another back for the Adrenaline after the restart but it was too little, too late for Adelaide as Albrecht added another and Kraemer completed his hat-trick for a 7-4 Ice win. Noah Maley got his first goal of the season in consolation.
Toth stopped 24 of 30 in the loss, while Ishida stopped 32 from 36 shots.

The Ice return home for a battle with the Mustangs on Friday night followed by the Bears on Sunday, as the Adrenaline head to NSW for games against the Ice Dogs and Rhinos.