After a close first period, the AIHL-leading CBR Brave turned on the pressure and ran away with the first game of this weekend’s double-header at the Phillip Ice Skating Rink on Saturday evening – a 9 goals to 1 win against the visiting Melbourne Ice.
Hat-tricks to local forward Casey Kubara and import Mario Trabucco, five assists to Wehebe Darge, and an outstanding goaltending performance from Alex Tetreault were the standout performances in this game.
The visitors were the first to score with a strike from their captain, Austin McKenzie, at the half way mark of the first period. The Ice continued to pile the pressure on the home team and it was not until very late in the period that the Brave were able to even the score, courtesy of Tyler Kubara. Right on the stroke of the first intermission another goal was scored, the first of a hat-trick of strike by League-leading scorer, CBR Brave’s Casey Kubara.
The Brave picked up the tempo in the second period and this paid dividends early with import Mario Trabucco scoring in his first home game. Dual strikes in the middle of the second period to Casey Kubara completed his hat-trick and made the score 5 to 1, and that was stretched to 6-1 near the end of the period with another goal to Casey’s brother Tyler.
An early goal to Trabucco set the tone for the final period, and he completed his own hat-trick with another strike at the mid-way point of the period. The scoring was completed by forward Wehebe Darge soon after.
Assistant coach Andrew Brunt, standing in for head coach Stu Philps, who is on coaching duties with the Australian Women’s team, was pleased with the performance: “I was happy with the way we stepped up after the first period. After being down 1-0 and coming back to end the first period 2-1 – that was awesome.”
This game gave some of the younger members of the team the chance for more ice time.
“We were very happy with the way the fourth line [the Brave’s younger players] stepped up. They didn’t get scored on – and they made a real impression,” Brunt said.
The second game of the double-header will be played today, Sunday 15 May, at the Phillip Ice Skating Centre. Puck drop is 5pm.
Match Report by: Scott Stevenson
