AIHL Week 5: Northstars pull clear as Ice Dogs explode late and Rhinos edge Thunder classic

James Lane

Another packed AIHL weekend brought more overtime drama, and a Newcastle side beginning to put real daylight between themselves and the rest of the competition.

The Northstars sit alone on top after another perfect round, while Central Coast went second thanks to a tense overtime win against Perth.

Melbourne Ice 7 – 4 Melbourne Mustangs

Friday night belonged to the Ice, who stunned the Mustangs with a fast start that Melbourne never recovered from.

A 4–1 opening period set the tone, with Joakim Erdugan orchestrating everything through a goal and four assists. Jed Lake was equally clinical, finishing with three goals and an assist.

For the Mustangs, Philippe Caron did everything he could, assisting all four of their goals in a losing effort.

Sydney Bears 6 – 5 Brisbane Lightning (OT)

Saturday’s opener turned into one of the games of the season so far.

Brisbane led 3–2 after the first period before the game opened up completely, tied 4–4 after the second and 5–5 after regulation. Finn Withey eventually sealed it in overtime for the Bears after a frantic back-and-forth contest.

Melbourne Mustangs 6 – 4 Sydney Ice Dogs

The Mustangs rebounded strongly later in the day with a high-scoring win over the Ice Dogs.

Brody Lindal and Davide Gaeta each produced two goals and two assists, while Jung Ahn kept Sydney in the contest with three goals and an assist.

Newcastle Northstars 6 – 1 Canberra Brave

Newcastle continued to look like the league’s most complete side, controlling Canberra from start to finish.

The Northstars scored two goals in every period in a balanced performance that never allowed the Brave into the game.

Central Coast Rhinos 4 – 1 Adelaide Adrenaline

The Rhinos stayed in touch near the top thanks largely to Alexandre Boivin, who continued his outstanding season with a hat-trick in a composed win over Adelaide.

Sydney Ice Dogs 8 – 5 Melbourne Ice

Sunday produced one of the wildest games of the season.

The Ice Dogs trailed 3–2 entering the third period before exploding for six goals in a chaotic final frame to defeat the Ice 8–5.

Kale Costa produced an extraordinary playmaking performance, scoring once and assisting the other seven goals. Shane Hanna finished with four goals and two assists, while Joakim Erdugan again fought hard for the Ice with a goal and three assists.

Newcastle Northstars 3 – 2 Canberra Brave

The rematch between Newcastle and Canberra was far tighter than Saturday’s result.

The game sat level at 1–1 after the first and 2–2 after the second before the Northstars eventually found the breakthrough to complete another four-point weekend.

Sydney Bears 7 – 4 Brisbane Lightning

The Bears completed a sweep of Brisbane after breaking open a tight game in the middle period.

It was locked 1–1 after the first before Sydney took control with a 3–1 second period that ultimately separated the sides.

Central Coast Rhinos 4 – 3 Perth Thunder (OT)

The final game of the round delivered another heavyweight clash, with the Rhinos edging Perth in overtime.

Central Coast burst out to a 2–0 first-period lead, but the Thunder clawed their way back through the final two periods to force extra time. Raphael Bastille eventually won it in overtime to secure a huge result for the Rhinos.

Standings

Newcastle now lead the competition on 20 points and are beginning to look increasingly difficult to catch. Central Coast remain second on 17 after another strong weekend, while the Mustangs sit on 14 and Perth close behind on 13.

The Bears continue to climb with 10 points, just ahead of the Ice Dogs on 11 after their explosive Sunday performance. Melbourne Ice move to 8, Brisbane sit on 7, Canberra remain on 6, and Adelaide are still last on 3.