A Redbull V8 Supercar, an NHL signed jersey giveaway, and back-to-back wins were things that fans got to experience firsthand as the Adelaide Adrenaline took on the Central Coast Rhinos at the Ice ArenA over the long weekend.
On Saturday, the Adrenaline took control of the puck early on with Josh Adkins opening the scoring within minutes of hitting the ice. Moments later, Rhinos defenceman Aziz Baazzi took advantage of their faceoff win and moved in to even up the score by sneaking the puck past Toth.
Adkins and Elder continued to work together to force the puck into the offensive zone and put continuous pressure onto Rhinos goalie Anand Oberoi. Rounding out the first period was a beautiful set up from Steve Best to Zach Boyle who scored the go-ahead goal from the blue line and gave the Adrenaline a 2-1 lead.
A scoreless second period followed as the Rhinos were determined to keep the Adrenaline at bay, consistently forcing them into the boards and ending the period in a team scuffle leading to seven individual penalties and giving the Adrenaline a powerplay to start the third.
Energy from the sold-out crowd was high throughout the game even as the third period was delayed by nearly 30 minutes due to a crack in centre ice. Skaters were given a three-minute warmup once the ice was safe to play on again and both teams picked up where they left off, notably Daniel Chen pushing the puck forward and setting up more scoring chances for the Adrenaline. Ultimately, neither team would be able to put the puck in the net again but the Adrenaline secured a much needed 2-1 win.
A new wave of import goalies has hit the AIHL this year, and the Adrenaline’s own Rylan Toth is currently 5
th in saves overall. He’s confident that the Adrenaline have the skills and the drive to make up ground as we enter the second half of the regular season.
“It’s important that we make the most of our practices and play as though our season is on the line every game for the rest of the season,” Toth says. “If we can do that, I like our chances moving forward.”
Sunday was NHL jersey day at the Arena and we saw much of the same teamwork and grit shine through for the Adrenaline, kicking things off with a shorthanded goal from Daniel Chen early in the first period which brought another sold out crowd to their feet. The strong offensive front continued as the Adrenaline dominated the first period and finished with Josh Adkins scoring his ninth goal of the season with assists from familiar linemates Nate Benson and Daniel O’Handley.
Chen, O’Handley, and Joey MacDougall proved to be a strong line throughout the weekend as they were able to successfully clear the puck and create a number of two-on-one chances for the Adrenaline. Forwards Ryan Foll and Nikita Loria rounded out the fourth line for the Adrenaline and were effective to hold the Rhinos from advancing throughout the game.
The highlight of Sunday’s game was most certainly the four goals scored by Kaden Elder (including two unassisted goals), leading the Adrenaline to a triumphant 6-2 win over the Rhinos and gaining six points overall.
“The atmosphere in the locker room afterwards was a definite sense of relief, as well as excitement,” Toth says. “It’s been a tough go the past few weeks and we all felt that things were going to turn around. It was a nice reset.”
Adding to the team’s success was Daniel Chen being named the AIHL’s Skaters Network Australian player of the Week.
Be sure to catch the Adrenaline as they try to extend their winning streak this weekend with another double header at the Ice ArenA against the Perth Thunder.
Joanna Gruenberg
ADRENALINE
BEARS
LIGHTNING
ICE DOGS
BRAVE
