AIHL Week 8 Wrap

James Lane

Week 8 of the AIHL brought fireworks on and off the ice, with high-scoring thrillers, dramatic comebacks, and one team continuing a turnaround few would have predicted just a fortnight ago.

Ice Stay Top, Booth Shines Bright

Melbourne Ice reinforced their position as league leaders with back-to-back wins on the road, dispatching both the Rhinos and the Northstars in convincing style. Saturday’s 9–2 win over Central Coast saw David Booth notch a hat-trick, as the Ice wiped away an early deficit after trailing 1–0 at the first intermission.

They backed it up on Sunday with a clinical 5–3 victory against Newcastle. The Northstars jumped out to a 2–0 lead after the first period, but Ice turned it around with a dominant four-goal second term to shut the door.

With those two wins, Ice sit firmly atop the table at 32 points and are starting to look like the most consistent side in the league.

Brisbane Climb to Second

The Lightning had a weekend to remember, vaulting into second place after doing the double over the Mustangs. Saturday’s 5–3 win was solid, but it was Sunday’s 9–6 comeback thriller that underlined their attacking credentials.

Down 0–3 after the first period and still trailing by one at the second break, Brisbane exploded with a 5–1 final period to seal it. Carson Miller was near-unstoppable, racking up three goals and three assists in a six-point masterpiece that will put him firmly in the spotlight for Player of the Week honours.

Brisbane now sit tied on points with Perth (22), but edge them for second place. As for the Mustangs, they tumble from second to fourth on the table. Despite some positive passages of play, including a 3–0 opening period on Sunday, they ultimately couldn’t contain Brisbane’s late firepower.

Thunder Split in Perth as Adrenaline Hit Form

Perth Thunder looked rattled at home, losing 7–4 to an Adrenaline team that notched their second win of the season: and in back-to-back weeks. They managed to regroup on Sunday with a 7–4 win in the rematch.

For Adelaide, it marked a hopeful sign that last week's victory over Canberra could be the start of some form, instead of a mere blip. Saturday’s win, on the road in Perth no less, was arguably their most impressive performance of the year and suggests the Adrenaline may finally be finding their rhythm. They now sit just a single point behind the Rhinos on the table, and could soon finally life themselves out of bottom place when the two face each other next week.

Northstars’ Mixed Bag

It was a weekend of highs and lows for Newcastle. Saturday’s 6–4 win in Canberra was powered by a sensational four-goal effort from Francis Drolet, but they couldn’t carry the momentum into Sunday’s clash with Melbourne Ice.

Brave Fall, Rhinos Stuck in Reverse

Canberra Brave continue to struggle for traction, after their away loss to Newcastle. Meanwhile, the Rhinos are still searching for consistency and sit seventh on the ladder, having now dropped 9 of their 12 games.