AIHL Week 17 Wrap

James Lane

With just two gameweeks left in the AIHL regular season, the race for finals seeding tightened up after a dramatic Week 17 that saw momentum swings, high scores, and the Canberra Brave leapfrogging into second place.

Adelaide Close But Fall to Newcastle

Saturday’s action began in Newcastle, where the Adrenaline’s fast start couldn’t hold against the Newcastle Northstars. Leading 3–1 after the first period, Adelaide saw their advantage erased by the second break at 4–4, before Newcastle delivered a clinical 2–0 third period to seal a 6–4 win.

Down in Canberra, the lowly Central Coast Rhinos went toe-to-toe with the Brave, falling just short in a 4–3 defeat.

Bottom-table Clash and Playoff Preview

Sunday brought two games that flipped scripts in spectacular fashion. Adelaide and the Rhinos traded blows for two periods in a high-scoring affair. The Adrenaline were ahead 2–1 after the first, then down 4–3 after the second, before they erupted with a 5–1 final period to claim an 8–5 victory. Josh Adkins (1G, 3A) and Romans Nekludovs (2G, 2A) led the way for Adelaide, while Dmitri Kuleshov posted 1G, 3A for the Rhinos.

The weekend closed in Canberra, where the Northstars seemed in control, leading 2–0 after one and 4–2 after two. But the Brave produced one of the comebacks of the season, hammering home five unanswered goals in the final period to win 7–4. Nils Carnback starred for the visitors with 2G, 3A.

Looking Ahead

The results keep Melbourne Ice (61 points) untouched at the top despite sitting out the weekend, while the Brave’s two wins push them into second on 46 points, three ahead of idle Perth Thunder. Newcastle remain fourth on 42, with the Mustangs (34), Lightning (33), Adrenaline (26), and Rhinos (12) holding station.