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SUN JUN 4 at 2:00PM
ICE DOGS
8
MUSTANGS
9
SUN JUN 4 at 4:00PM
ADRENALINE
5
NORTHSTARS
6
SUN JUN 4 at 4:45PM
LIGHTNING
2
BRAVE
7
SAT JUN 10 at 4:30PM
RHINOS
6
ADRENALINE
3
SAT JUN 10 at 5:00PM
ICE
11
LIGHTNING
9
SAT JUN 10 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
2
NORTHSTARS
5
SAT JUN 10 at 5:00PM
THUNDER
3
BEARS
1
SUN JUN 11 at 12:30PM
RHINOS
6
ADRENALINE
5
SUN JUN 11 at 4:00PM
THUNDER
5
NORTHSTARS
6
SUN JUN 11 at 4:45PM
MUSTANGS
2
BRAVE
8
SUN JUN 11 at 5:00PM
ICE
4
ICE DOGS
8
SAT JUN 17 at 3:30PM
ICE
14
RHINOS
8
SAT JUN 17 at 4:30PM
LIGHTNING
0
ADRENALINE
4
SAT JUN 17 at 5:00PM
THUNDER
6
ICE DOGS
1
SAT JUN 17 at 5:15PM
NORTHSTARS
4
BRAVE
5
SUN JUN 18 at 12:30PM
LIGHTNING
7
ADRENALINE
4
SUN JUN 18 at 3:30PM
NORTHSTARS
6
RHINOS
2
SUN JUN 18 at 4:45PM
ICE
7
BRAVE
9
SUN JUN 18 at 5:00PM
THUNDER
6
BEARS
5
FRI JUN 23 at 7:30PM
ICE
3
MUSTANGS
6
SAT JUN 24 at 4:30PM
BRAVE
7
THUNDER
4
SAT JUN 24 at 5:00PM
BEARS
4
LIGHTNING
2
SAT JUN 24 at 5:00PM
RHINOS
4
ICE
11
SAT JUN 24 at 5:00PM
ADRENALINE
2
ICE DOGS
5
SUN JUN 25 at 2:00PM
RHINOS
3
MUSTANGS
4
SUN JUN 25 at 4:00PM
ADRENALINE
2
NORTHSTARS
11
SAT JUL 1 at 3:30PM
MUSTANGS
9
RHINOS
7
SAT JUL 1 at 4:30PM
THUNDER
6
ADRENALINE
2
SAT JUL 1 at 5:00PM
BRAVE
7
LIGHTNING
3
SAT JUL 1 at 5:00PM
ICE DOGS
2
NORTHSTARS
8
SAT JUL 1 at 5:00PM
ICE
2
BEARS
6
SUN JUL 2 at 3:00PM
ICE
3
NORTHSTARS
4
SUN JUL 2 at 3:30PM
ICE DOGS
9
RHINOS
5
SUN JUL 2 at 4:30PM
BRAVE
9
LIGHTNING
2
SUN JUL 2 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
3
BEARS
8
SAT JUL 8 at 4:30PM
ICE
4
THUNDER
5
SAT JUL 8 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
6
LIGHTNING
1
SAT JUL 8 at 5:00PM
NORTHSTARS
5
ICE DOGS
1
SAT JUL 8 at 5:15PM
ADRENALINE
3
BRAVE
8
SUN JUL 9 at 4:30PM
ICE
7
THUNDER
5
SUN JUL 9 at 4:45PM
ADRENALINE
1
BRAVE
8
SUN JUL 9 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
9
ICE DOGS
2
FRI JUL 14 at 7:30PM
BEARS
7
ICE DOGS
1
SAT JUL 15 at 4:30PM
NORTHSTARS
9
ADRENALINE
5
SAT JUL 15 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
6
BEARS
4
SAT JUL 15 at 5:15PM
THUNDER
4
BRAVE
3
SUN JUL 16 at 12:30PM
NORTHSTARS
5
ADRENALINE
2
SUN JUL 16 at 5:00PM
MUSTANGS
5
ICE DOGS
2
FRI JUL 21 at 7:30PM
MUSTANGS
11
ICE
4
SAT JUL 22 at 4:30PM
ICE DOGS
2
THUNDER
11
SAT JUL 22 at 5:00PM
NORTHSTARS
5
LIGHTNING
8
SAT JUL 22 at 5:00PM
BEARS
4
MUSTANGS
2
SUN JUL 23 at 2:00PM
BEARS
9
ICE
7
SUN JUL 23 at 3:30PM
NORTHSTARS
5
LIGHTNING
5
SUN JUL 23 at 4:30PM
ICE DOGS
2
THUNDER
7
SUN JUL 23 at 4:45PM
RHINOS
0
BRAVE
10
SAT JUL 29 at 3:30PM
THUNDER
13
RHINOS
1
SAT JUL 29 at 5:00PM
BRAVE
6
NORTHSTARS
2
SAT JUL 29 at 5:00PM
ADRENALINE
2
MUSTANGS
5
SAT JUL 29 at 5:00PM
ICE DOGS
3
BEARS
5
SUN JUL 30 at 2:00PM
ADRENALINE
5
ICE
7
SUN JUL 30 at 3:00PM  
LIGHTNING
4
NORTHSTARS
7
SUN JUL 30 at 3:30PM
BEARS
4
RHINOS
2
SUN JUL 30 at 5:00PM
THUNDER
8
ICE DOGS
4
SAT AUG 5 at 3:30PM
LIGHTNING
20
RHINOS
1
SAT AUG 5 at 4:30PM
BRAVE
13
ADRENALINE
3
SAT AUG 5 at 5:00PM
ICE DOGS
8
ICE
10
SAT AUG 5 at 5:00PM
BEARS
6
NORTHSTARS
5
SUN AUG 6 at 12:30PM
BRAVE
6
ADRENALINE
2
SUN AUG 6 at 2:00PM
ICE DOGS
3
MUSTANGS
7
SUN AUG 6 at 3:30PM
NORTHSTARS
18
RHINOS
5
SUN AUG 6 at 5:00PM
LIGHTNING
4
BEARS
6
SAT AUG 12 at 4:30PM
BEARS
3
THUNDER
2
SAT AUG 12 at 4:30PM
MUSTANGS
2
ADRENALINE
5
SAT AUG 12 at 5:00PM
ICE DOGS
8
LIGHTNING
5
SAT AUG 12 at 5:15PM
RHINOS
1
BRAVE
12
SUN AUG 13 at 4:00PM
BRAVE
5
NORTHSTARS
7
SUN AUG 13 at 4:30PM
BEARS
1
THUNDER
6
SAT AUG 19 at 5:00PM  
THUNDER
4
NORTHSTARS
1
SUN AUG 20 at 2:00PM  
LIGHTNING
3
MUSTANGS
8
SAT AUG 26 at 2:00PM  
MUSTANGS
4
BEARS
0
SAT AUG 26 at 6:30PM  
THUNDER
1
BRAVE
4
SUN AUG 27 at 2:00PM  
MUSTANGS
1
BRAVE
0
HELLYER LADDER
Team GP W L OTW OTL PTS
Bears 26 21 5 0 0 60
Mustangs 26 17 7 2 0 55
Thunder 26 17 8 0 1 52
Ice 26 10 16 0 0 30
Ice Dogs 26 7 17 0 2 23
RURAK LADDER
Team GP W L OTW OTL PTS
Brave 26 20 4 1 1 63
Northstars 26 18 7 1 0 56
Lightning 26 9 15 1 1 30
Adrenaline 26 4 21 0 1 13
Rhinos 26 1 24 1 0 5
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Mind Games
Thursday, August 31, 2017 - Submitted by Will Brodie

The AIHL Finals are unique in the ice hockey world. Sudden death. Every game a Game Seven. Only at the finals of the Winter Olympics do individual games eliminate well-performed teams so brutally.

After twenty-eight games and six road trips over five months, whether you’re fourth or first, bring your A-game for two games and you could take home the iconic Goodall Cup. Anything less and no matter how good you’ve been all year, you’re going to be sad.

Fox Sports commentator Stephen White says belief is the most important factor on finals weekend “because of the cut-throat, one-and-done nature of the AIHL Finals”.

“You have to throw caution to the wind and have a go because there’s no second chance.”

Stan Scott, Perth Thunder general manager and former coach, agrees.

“A hot goalie helps a lot but the most important factor is a belief in your teammates and yourself. That will get you to play on Sunday.”

Peter Di Salvo

#35 Peter Di Salvo stretching during a break in play

Newcastle North Stars coach Andrew Petrie knows this terrain better than most. His team won the past two titles, once as a favourite, once as an underdog. Last year, the North Stars were rated fourth of the four finalists by many pundits and they won.

Both 2016 semi-finals went to overtime and all three Finals games were one-goal thrillers. The previous year, his North Stars won the decider in overtime. So Andrew knows how much little things matter on this weekend.

“Come Finals weekend, all the hard coaching work is done in terms of systems, structures, and skills development. It’s all about the individual and collective man-management now.

“Keep the deep-thinkers out of their own heads, relax the stressors, invigorate the calmer guys, empower the worriers.”

In a league which becomes more even by the year and each team is confident it can topple the other, team mindset is key.

Andrew says on this high-stakes weekend, it’s only when “genuine adversity” impacts the group that he intervenes.

Andrew aims to keep things light within the team to avoid over-analysis. He strives to give his players plenty of mental downtime where hockey is not the focus. He keeps his meetings short and at times appropriate to the games.

Stan Scott says focus is paramount.

“The secret is to not look at Sunday but focus on the game at hand. If you can convince players to win every shift they play and focus on each shift only, the rest will take care of itself.

“Playing Finals should give them enough motivation… It’s focus that you need to give them.”

Such mind games loom as the biggest challenge for the league’s best-performed team, Melbourne Ice.  Last season, the Ice broke the regular season points record, losing only three games. But they were a little flat in their semi-final. Their opponents CBR Brave found a new level, and Ice were toppled in overtime. After winning nineteen times during the season, they were out.

The previous year, a penalty shot in overtime of the grand final denied them the title. Before that, they had an off day in the grand final against upstart rivals the Melbourne Mustangs.

Again, in 2017, Ice have been runaway leaders all season. National men’s senior coach Brad Vigon says Ice’s main threat this year is in their heads.

“I think their challenge is that they’re supposed to win. That’s a hard mindset to have. If you win everybody says ‘yeah, you were supposed to win’ and if you lose, it’s a complete disaster.”

Tommy Powell

#12 Tommy Powell is keeping the atmosphere light

Brad knows this better than most. He coached the Mustangs to that fairy-tale upset win over Ice in 2014.  He says the 2017 Ice is the strongest team he’s ever seen in the AIHL. But despite being a “crazy strong” team possessing “an embarrassment of riches”, Ice is under more pressure than their opponents.

“I wonder if that is something that might be ticking in their heads. It’s almost like a jinx – ‘how come this keeps happening?’

“If you played a seven-game series nobody would beat them. No one would have a prayer against them. But when it’s the one game, a hot goaltender, a couple of calls that don’t go your way, or a couple of bad bounces and it’s game over. You lose.”

Brad feels Ice are well placed to counter any nerves, as they have turned over plenty of players. The newbies won’t be spooked by history.

However, Ice’s opponents will be painting a target on the back of the Melbourne behemoth. None more so than rink mates the Melbourne Mustangs, who Brad says thrive on an underdog mentality. 

“I think the Melbourne Ice don’t really like derbies because, for the Mustangs, they’re the be-all-and-end-all. Someone once said the Mustangs would rather beat Ice than win the championship and I don’t think that’s too far from the truth.”

Pat O'Kane

 

 

The mental challenge is less complicated for rising powers CBR Brave and Perth Thunder, which have both impressed in recent Finals series without taking the ultimate prize. 

Brave is motivated by the pain of a one-goal defeat to the North Stars last season, and the feeling that they are destined, after three years of progress, to go one step further. 

Casey Kubara

#15 Casey Kubara wins the puck along the boards for CBR Brave

Thunder also have a sense of unfinished business after losing semi-finals in the past two seasons by just a goal. It took overtime to send them out last year.

Brad Vigon leaves us with something to ponder.

“For me, the Melbourne Ice just seem to play well enough to win. They could be in a game that’s really close and at the end, they turn it on, almost at will.

“I’m not sure you can do that in the Finals.

“I haven’t seen them play their best hockey. Maybe they’re saving for the Finals. But you don’t want to wait until that point to turn it on.”

If Ice does turn it on and play their best hockey, all talk of mind games and jinxes will be smashed. 

That’s the beauty and horror of sudden death finals. Actions, moment by moment, shift by shift, determine how you will be regarded, whether you win.

No second chances.

For two days, it’s a whole different season.

 
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