The CBR Brave will be looking to consolidate their place at the top of the Australian Ice Hockey League when they take on the Sydney Bears at the Phillip Swimming and Ice Skating Centre on Saturday afternoon.
Last weekend the Brave went to Sydney and had mixed results in their two games.
On Saturday, the Brave notched a 7 goals to 3 win against Sydney Ice Dogs. The Brave dominated the shot count in the game and it was a surprise to see them trailing at the First Intermission. Three quick goals at the start of the Second Period put the Brave in front and they were not headed again in the contest. Veteran Forward Joey Hughes scored two goals for the Brave.
Sunday proved to be a different type of game, with the Brave facing rivals the Sydney Bears for the second week in a row. As expected, the Bears started the game hard and the First Period was a tough, back-and-forth affair. The Brave did not get on the Scoreboard in the First and relied on an early blitz in the Second Period to even the scores at 2 goals apiece.
The teams traded chances for the rest of the game, but goals were hard-fought and difficult to come by. Early in the Final Period, the Bears edged ahead and ran out 5 goals to 4 winners.
For Defence-man and Alternate Captain, Bayley Kubara, Sunday’s result was a tough one. “On the bigger ice we were expecting to dominate with our speed but the Bears stretched out the ice really well. With a few key Brave Defence-men out, they made it hard on us for the full 60 minutes.”
Despite the two losses this season against the Bears – the only ones the Brave have suffered thus far – the quality of Hockey in games between these teams never disappoints.
“I enjoy playing the Bears. Close, hard games are more fun for both sides and for everyone watching. Even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, it’s good for the sport to have games like this where it can go either way.” said Kubara.
Although the Brave are sitting four points clear at the top of the AIHL ladder, their Schedule now becomes more challenging. There are a number of weekends coming up where the team is away from home and the support of the fans at the Brave Cave.
Bayley Kubara is in no doubt as far as this weekend and the Sydney Bears are concerned: “We are looking forward to having them back in Canberra and getting a better result at home to get things back on track.”
Written by: Scott Stevenson
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