The Australian Ice Hockey League returned to Phillip Ice Skating Centre last night, and the standing room only crowd were treated to two close, hard-fought periods before the home team CBR Brave turned it on and blew the scoreline out, winning 9 goals to 5 against the Sydney Ice Dogs.
Both sides featured new players in their rosters and the new Brave signings all impressed in their first home game.
The Brave started strongly – an early penalty to Hayden Dawes led to the Brave’s first goal: a clinical strike from the wing by Casey Kubara. A few short minutes later the lead was doubled by a strike from veteran Forward Andy Camenzind.
Playing in their first game for Goodall Cup points in 2022, the Ice Dogs were slow to start – but eventually found their stride and scored twice late to level the scores at the end of the first period.
The second period was a see-sawing affair with chances for both teams early. A penalty stroke was awarded to the Brave and Andy Camenzind was unlucky his shot did not go in after beating the goaltender. He would make up for that unlucky miss seconds later with a snipe from close range that made the score 3-2.
Late in the period, another strike from close range by Wehebe Darge on an errant rebound off the goaltender made the score 4-2. The lead was reduced to one by the Ice Dogs before the end of the second period.
After an early goal to the visitors, the final period was one way traffic for the Brave, as they piled on five unanswered goals before the Ice Dogs scored a consolation with seconds remaining. Goals to Tyler Kubara, Wehebe Darge, Casey Kubara and new recruit Lynden Lodge all put the result beyond doubt.
The icing on the cake was a goal to Jackson Gallagher, who celebrated his 21st birthday with a stellar strike after being stripped by a defender, fighting to retrieve the puck and then beating the goaltender.
Of Gallagher’s goal, Brave forward Tyler Kubara was effusive: “That was the best goal of the night. He just scores big goals.”
The Brave sit firmly atop the AIHL Ladder and play the Sydney Ice Dogs in Sydney on Sunday before hosting a double header next weekend against the Melbourne Ice at the Brave Cave in Canberra.
Match report by Scott Stevenson
