AUSTRALIA – Sydney Bears have edged above Melbourne Ice on 23 points as the Australian Ice Hockey League gets into full flow. Pro Hockey News rounds up the weekends games.
Sydney Bears moved top of the AIHL with back to back wins over the weekend, firstly toppling Canberra Knights 4-3 with 30 seconds left to go on the clock.
Bears were the first to turn the goal light red, with Brett Nelson-Bond firing home a powerplay opportunity with less than two minutes gone. A strong Knights side came back hard though, until British defenceman Ali Band found himself sitting for two minutes giving Rob Franchini an opportunity to double the lead for the Bears.
With IHL league winning goaltender Nick Boucher (for UK fans, formerly of Basingstoke Bison), Bears were always going to be a hard unit to break down but Knights did get back into the game 2-1 with their 20th shot of the game, courtesy of American forward Sean Scarborough.
However, indiscipline hit the ACT side with Gavin sitting out for two minutes, Valda Pelikovsky rocketed past Ryan Lowe to restore a two goal advantage with seconds left in the second period.
Knights are a fighting team, and their gusto was repaid as Scarborough scored twice to tie the game late in the third period. Once again though it was a powerplay opportunity and a weak penalty kill from the Knights that handed an opportunity to Pelikovsky to slide a pass to high scoring defenceman Eric Begin to rifle home with just 30 seconds on the clock.
Top of the league and full of confidence, Bears took on reigning AIHL champs Adelaide Adrenaline on Sunday night.
The first period was dominated by the champions but star import Nick Boucher once again came to the Bears’ rescue, turning away shot after shot to keep the Sydney team in the period. Despite two high sticking penalties putting out the successful Bears’ powerplay unit the first period remained without score.
15 minutes in the company of player-coach Vlad Rubes meant a Bears powerplay unit right from the face off of the second period, with Franchini firing home for his second powerplay marker in as many nights. However, their hard work was un-done shortly afterwards as Nick Cleland went to the box for interference allowing James Keane to pop one home for the Adrenaline.
It was another powerplay opportunity that would once again prove decisive for the Bears, with Eric Begin scoring his second game winner in as many nights sending the teams in at 2-1.
The third period was once again largely dominated by Adelaide, but Boucher turned away 28 of their 29 shots all game including two shorthanded breakway attempts to ensure that Sydney Bears was the name remaining at the top of the AIHL today.
It wasn’t a good weekend for the Adrenaline who are trying to get their wavering season back on track as they went down 4-3 in a shootout to Newcastle North Stars. Meanwhile, elsewhere Gold Coast Blue Tongues notched massive 3-0 and 5-2 wins over Derek Campbell’s Sydney Ice Dogs on successive nights.
Jason Baclig, who spent the season with Nijmegen Devils atop the Dutch Elite League, currently leads the scoring charts in the colours of 2nd placed club Melbourne Ice. Baclig has hit 22 points in just 7 games.
Former Romford Raider Greg Oddy tops the charts for Adelaide with 16 points in 7 outings for the champions.
Promising young defenceman Eric Begin, straight out of the CIS is the top scoring defenceman with 12 points in 11 games for Sydney Bears.
For UK fans interest, former Romford Raiders forward Dallas Costanzo has 11 points (5+6) in 6 games with the Gold Coast Blue Tongues whilst Coventry Blaze forward Derek Campbell is on 9 points in 9 games with the league’s bottom club.
Former Peterborough defenceman Michel Lauko is 8 points in 5 games for the Sydney Bears.
Contact the writer: phil.andrews@prohockeynews.com
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