AIHL Week 2 Wrap: Perth March On, OT Galore

James Lane

Week 2 of the 2025 AIHL season delivered another round of nail-biters, highlight-reel goals, and a whole lot of overtime as the league begins to take shape. With four of the six games going to extra time, parity remains the theme. Unless, of course, you’re Perth.

Perth Thunder Sweep Canberra, Sit Alone at the Top

The Thunder made short work of a struggling Brave outfit across the weekend, backing up Saturday’s 6–4 win with an emphatic 7–2 thumping on Sunday. Yu Hikosaka and Benjamin Berard continue to terrorise opposing defences: the Thunder forwards topping the chart for Goals and Assists repectively.

With a perfect record, Perth have made it clear they’re the team to beat.

Brisbane Splits Home Stand, Sits Second

Brisbane Lightning played host to both Melbourne clubs over the weekend and came away with mixed results in two games that both went down to the wire. Saturday saw them edge out the Ice 2–1 in overtime for their first win of the season, before falling 4–3 in OT to the Mustangs on Sunday. Still, the four points from the weekend push Brisbane to seven overall, enough for second place after four games.

It’s been an overtime-heavy start to the season for the Lightning, who have seen just a single game decided in regulation so far.

Newcastle Find Their Feet with Back-to-Back OT Wins

After two regulation defeats to open the season, the Northstars turned things around in Week 2, notching four points in dramatic fashion. Saturday’s 2–1 OT win over the Rhinos was followed by a wild 7–6 shootout on Sunday, again against Central Coast.

The twin overtime victories move Newcastle to fourth on the table, leapfrogging the Rhinos and the winless Melbourne Ice.

Central Coast Competitive but Can’t Find the Finish

The Rhinos have now taken three games to OT, as many as any other team, but have just one win to show for it. Despite a gritty effort, they twice fell to Newcastle over the weekend, first 2–1 and then 7–6. They sit just outside the playoff spots on four points, tied with the Northstars but behind on tiebreakers.

Melbourne Mustangs Stay Perfect in OT

The Mustangs have only played two games so far, but they’ve made them count. Sunday’s 4–3 OT road win in Brisbane puts them third with five points, keeping them right in the mix despite the lighter early schedule. Having played two games less than Brisbane, they look likely to leapfrog the Lightning into second.

Ice and Brave Left Searching for Spark

The Melbourne Ice sit sixth with two points after their loss to Brisbane. They've played twice so far, with both games ending in overtime defeat.

Canberra, however, are in deeper trouble. With just two points from four games and back-to-back hammerings from Perth, the Brave are at real risk of losing touch with the pack. Defensive issues are the biggest concern, having conceded 22 goals already.

Looking Ahead

Adelaide Adrenaline are the only team yet to hit the ice, but with Perth surging and the rest of the league locked in close battles, they’ll need to hit the ground running next week. With back-to-back games against leaky Canberra, they have a good opportunity to register two wins to open the season. For everyone else, the season is young, but the scramble for those top four playoff spots is already heating up.