AIHL Week 3: Rhinos and Thunder surge as unbeaten Northstars fall and Perth run riot

James Lane

Newcastle’s perfect start came to an end, while Central Coast and Perth surged into a share of top spot off the back of statement wins and some of the most explosive scoring of the young season.

Melbourne Ice 4 – 5 Melbourne Mustangs (SO)

Friday night delivered a tense all-Melbourne clash that needed a shootout to split the sides. The Mustangs edged it 5–4, but it could easily have gone the other way.

Melbourne Ice looked in control after Jamie Bourke converted in the shootout and Philippe Caron missed early for the Mustangs. But back-to-back misses from Kolton Shindle and Mackenzie Carauna turned the tide, handing the Mustangs the win in a momentum-swinging finish.

Central Coast Rhinos 6 – 3 Newcastle Northstars

The headline result of the weekend came on Saturday, as the Rhinos handed Newcastle their first loss of the season — meaning there are no unbeaten teams left.

It started tight at 1–1, but Central Coast gradually pulled away, with Danick Bouchard orchestrating everything with four assists in a composed attacking performance.

Melbourne Ice 4 – 3 Canberra Brave

The Ice bounced back from Friday’s shootout heartbreak with a strong comeback win over Canberra. The Brave led 1–0 after the first and 3–2 after the second, but couldn’t find another goal late. Kolton Shindle responded in the best possible way after his shootout miss, exploding for three goals and an assist to drag the Ice over the line.

Adelaide Adrenaline 3 – 4 Sydney Bears

The Bears did their damage in a decisive second period, scoring twice to overturn a tight contest and secure a 4–3 win over Adelaide.

Perth Thunder 7 – 4 Brisbane Lightning

Perth’s big weekend started here, with a powerful 7–4 win over Brisbane. Their top line fired again — Yu Hikosaka (3G, 2A), Peter Hrehorcak (2G, 2A), and Felix Plouffe (1G, 3A) all featuring heavily in a relentless attacking display.

Canberra Brave 8 – 5 Melbourne Mustangs

Sunday saw Canberra produce one of their best performances of the season, outscoring the Mustangs 8–5 in a wide-open contest. Jake Ratcliffe led the way with two goals and three assists, while Bray Crowder added two goals and two assists. For Melbourne, Colin McIntosh fought hard with a goal and three assists, but the Mustangs couldn’t contain Canberra’s firepower.

Central Coast Rhinos 6 – 3 Sydney Ice Dogs

The Rhinos backed up their win over Newcastle with another strong performance, overcoming an early deficit to beat the Ice Dogs 6–3. Sydney led 1–0 after the first, but Central Coast took control from there, winning both remaining periods 3–1. Alexandre Boivin was again influential with a goal and three assists.

Adelaide Adrenaline 3 – 2 Sydney Bears (SO)

Adelaide finally found a way to get on the board, edging the Bears in a shootout after one of the tightest games of the round. It was level at every break - 1–1, 1–1, 2–2 - and still locked after overtime. But the shootout told a different story, with Sydney missing all three attempts, allowing Josh Adkins to win it with the only successful conversion.

Perth Thunder 10 – 3 Brisbane Lightning

Perth closed the round with the most dominant performance of the season so far, crushing Brisbane 10–3. The scoreline blew out in a massive 6–2 third period, but the signs were already there. Yu Hikosaka (3G, 1A), Peter Hrehorcak (2G, 3A), and Felix Plouffe (1G, 5A) all produced huge numbers as the Thunder overwhelmed the Lightning.

Standings

After three weeks, the Rhinos and Thunder sit level at the top on 12 points, with Newcastle just behind on 11 after their first loss. The Mustangs (8) and Bears (7) remain in the hunt, while Canberra and Brisbane sit mid-table on 6.

Further down, the Ice Dogs and Ice are tied on 5, while Adelaide, despite finally getting a win, remain last on 3 points.