In a possible precursor of the 2014 Australian Ice Hockey League grand final, the top of the table Melbourne Mustangs will travel to Australia’s capital to face off with the second-placed Canberra Brave.
With just six weeks left in the regular season they’ll be aiming to secure their spot in this doubleheader. Momentum is key at this stage of the competition hence the sides will need to be at their best, as both are riding four-game winning streaks since their last meeting.
After it looked like Canberra would not be fielding a team at all in 2014, they fought back thanks to the dedication and hard work of its playing group, the fans, and Australia’s hockey community to keep them afloat.
From that dire situation to a finals berth this is a fairytale in the making. The question is, will it have a happy ending? They have proven they’re ready for the challenges having overcome the biggest by far and are turning into a real strike force of this competition.
As for the Mustangs, this team can do no wrong right now. They have just gone from strength to strength and are in great form. With points production coming from all lines, a defensive crops standing up and shouldering great responsibility, and a goaltender who is looking more and more like a world beater, the young bucks deserved to be ladder leaders.
It’s taken some time but at last they are stepping out of the shadows of their great foes, the Melbourne Ice, craving out a history, a legacy of their own. 2014, according to the Chinese astrology is the Year of the Horse. So it seems fitting these guys are reaping those honours to perfection.
Expect it to be a very tight encounter between the Mustangs and Brave on the weekend. Against other options they’ve racked up the points offensively, this is going to be a war of defence, goaltender and brains.
Players to watch: Mustangs
Joey Hughes 15 goals and 29 points is currently third in the team. In the last three games alone he’s produced five goals and two assists. Look for him to added to those totals with potentially a double or hatrick in the offering.
Fraser Carson is 12-6 with a GAA of 2.92, fans have referred to him as the brick wall, he’s been playing like it as well. The stats only tell part of the story his performance every game is of extremely high quality.
Brave
Stephen Blunden 31 goals and 57 points, T-1st with Mathieu Ouellette on the team, in particular his last two games where he’s earned eight goals and one assist. Much like Hughes, Blunden will certainly be on the scorer sheet again.
Petri Pitkanen has too is playing outstanding in the crease posting 13-8 and GAA 2.82. He’s robbed some quality players of great scoring chances, stood tall in the net making life difficult for the opposition.
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