AIHL Week 10 Wrap

James Lane

Melbourne Ice made yet another dominant statement in Week 10 of the AIHL, sweeping the Brisbane Lightning and piling on 12 goals in a Sunday rout. Elsewhere, Perth and Central Coast had mixed weekends, while the Mustangs will be nervously looking over their shoulder at Newcastle.

Ice Still Imperious

As seems almost routine now, the Ice spent their weekend reminding everyone exactly why they sit atop the table, and just how dangerous their forward depth can be. A dramatic overtime win on Saturday over the second-placed Brisbane Lightning was followed by a 12-5 demolition of the same opponent on Sunday, stretching the Ice’s lead at the top to 17 points.

David Booth was at the centre of the action all weekend, piling up four goals and six assists across both games. But the headlines arguably belonged to Joakim Erdugan, whose absurd one goal, seven assist performance on Sunday tore Brisbane apart. Mackenzie Carauna (3G, 1A), Bolton Shingle (2G, 3A) and Jamie Bourke (hat trick) also got in on the fun as the Lightning’s defensive frailties, flagged last week, once again came back to haunt them.

Brisbane had their chances Saturday, leading 4-2 after two periods in Saturday's game, thanks in large part to Tanner Hopps’ hat trick and assist. But they couldn’t close the door, conceding twice in the third before Booth sealed it in overtime for Melbourne. The heavy Sunday loss leaves plenty of questions for the Lightning, still second on the table but now level on points with Perth Thunder.

Thunder Return to Third, Northstars Rising

Perth Thunder had a mixed weekend but managed to climb, leapfrogging the Mustangs into third, just the latest of many weeks that sees those two alternating places. A fast-starting 6-5 win over Central Coast on Saturday, built entirely on a 4-0 opening period, earned their eighth win of the season. Robert Lachowicz led the charge with a goal and three assists.

But Sunday saw them come up short in a gritty overtime loss to Newcastle Northstars. The game was locked even after all three periods, before Evgenii Skachkov played hero in OT. Teammate Kim Tallberg chipped in with a hat trick in that win as well.

Rhinos Stay Bottom, Mustangs Slip

It’s been a tough year for the Central Coast Rhinos, who find themselves unable to climb off bottom, despite Adelaide above them not even playing. Despite giving Perth a big lead early on Saturday, they nearly pulled off the comeback, falling just 6-5 in the end. Aziz Baazzi starred with two goals and two assists. The Rhinos built on that on Sunday, exploding for a 4-0 second period en route to a 6-3 win over the Mustangs.

Melbourne’s second club, meanwhile, has now dropped to fourth on the table, unable to halt a two-game slide. After a bright first period Sunday, defensive lapses again proved costly. Losing to both the Northstars and Rhinos continues a worrying trend for a team challenging for first just a few weeks ago. Newcastle, for their part, were notably impressive in defeating the third and fourth-placed teams, and have risen to prim striking distance to break into the top four, now just a single point behind the Mustangs.

The Rest

Canberra Brave and Adelaide Adrenaline had the weekend off, but both nonetheless maintained their positions on the ladder. The Ice look in a league of their own, but there is plenty of drama below them, with Newcastle on the verge of entering the top four, and the Thunder and Mustangs seemingly content to continue swapping places each week.