Sunday 15 August
After Saturday nights thriller that saw the West
Auckland Admirals secure a crucial win in overtime
to keep their finals hope alive, Sundays rematch
was really a 'do or die' situation for the home team
and the visiting Canterbury Red Devils. An
excellent crowd turned up as they knew that this would be a
contest to savour, and they were not disappointed.
Both teams hit the ice in a positive and determined
frame of mind, with the game being played at at
frantic pace, as befitting a contest of this importance.
Both teams attacked the oppositions goal with the
net minders having to make some excellent saves
early on to keep the opposition out, and Canterbury
opened the scoring after almost 4 minutes with
winger Chris Eaden netting the first of his 2 goals
after a defensive error by the home team. The
Admirals replied less than a minute later with an
excellent goal by Robbie Chamberlain, assisted by two
of the Finnish imports, Joonas Markko and Aleksi
Rantalainen. Chris Eaden scored his second goal of
the night 5 minutes later, with assists to Mitchell
Oak and Justin Fuller, to retake the lead. The game
stepped up yet another notch, as the Admirals knew
they could not let the Red Devils get too much
of a lead, and were finally rewarded with just over
3 minutes left in the period with a goal to import
Rantalainen, assisted by the third Finnish player,
Jouni Kivela and Steven Huish. Canterbury replied
with 1.18 on the clock with a goal to defenceman
Bergeron and followed up with only 40 seconds left in
the period with Stefan Speck scoring to go into the
break 4-2 ahead.
The second period began at the same pace as the
first, and the Admirals edged closer with a goal half-
way through to Aleksi Rantalainen to give him his
second for the night, and Joonas Markko his second
assist. The period ended with the score at 4-3 to
the visitors, and while both teams had penalties with
gave their opposition an opportunity with them
having the extra man on the ice, neither were able
to take advantage of the situation.
The third period was a real test of the commitment
and desparation of both teams; Canterbury
holding a one goal lead and the Admirals knowing it
was now or never. Canterbury scored first after
7 minutes with Captain Adam Soffer scoring off
assists by Hayden Argyle and Stefan Speck to give
the visitors a 5-3 lead, and the Admirals knew they
had to dig deep to have any chance of winning the
game. The home team, in front of an increasingly
boisterous and supportive crowd, pulled the score
back with a goal to American defenseman turned
forward Garrett Russell with 12 minutes left on the
clock ,and then Jouni Kivela, who had assisted the
previous goal, scoring less than 4 minutes later
to tie it up at 5-all. Both sides knew they needed
the win in regular time to take maximum points, and
Admirals Captain Steven Huish, assisted by Kivela
obliged with just 1.24 left in regulation time to send
the crowd into a frenzy, and give the home team the
lead for the first time.
Canterbury pulled their goalie from the ice to get
an extra skater on the rink to try for the equalizer but it
was to no avail, with the game finishing with a 6-5
victory to the Admirals.
The win sends the West Auckland Admirals to the
final for the first time since they played on the
biggest of all hockey occasions in the first year
of the competition.
Tararua Real Iced Coffee Southern Stampede vs.
Dunedin Thunder
Held at: Queenstown Ice Centre
Saturday 14 August
The Dunedin Thunder outclassed the Tararua Real
Iced Coffee Southern Stampede in Queenstown
on Saturday night but still couldn't silence the
Stampede supporters. There was only one team in it and
although the Stampede outshot Thunder 51-45 most of
these shots were into the body of Rick Parry
and easy to stop.
The first period saw the Thunder up 4 - 1.
The second period the Stampede leaked 7 goals to
1.
In the third period the Stampede fought back and
although having an 11-6 shots on advantage still lost
the period 2-0. Final Score 13:2 to Thunder
Goals to the Stampede scored by Gareth Lloyd and
Brett Speirs
Goals to Thunder Vlok 5, Pepy 3, Enright 2,
Christos, Davies, Heyd 1.
Penalty minutes Stampede 51 Thunder 45
Sunday 15 August
The Tararua Real Iced Coffee Southern Stampede came
out fired up after Saturdays hiding and were
keen to turn the tables on the Dunedin
Thunder.
At the end of the first period the Stampede lead by
2-0 with goals to Brett Speirs and Gareth Lloyd.
Shots on goal 23-9 in favour of Stampede.
The second period saw the Thunder come back hard
and tie it up with goals to Cameron Frear and
Lenstra. Shots on goal 13-12 in favour of the
Stampede.
The third period was hotly contested with both
sides fighting for the win. Brett Speirs got a breakaway
and broke the deadlock with a shorthanded goal to
put the Stampede in front at 17.38. The Thunder
peppered the Stampede goal and eventually found a
way through when Heath Dunlop squeezed
one past the Stampede goalie in a goal mouth
scramble at 5.56. Shots on goal 5-16 in favour of the
Thunder.
The game went into overtime with both teams
fighting for the ascendency but the Stampede couldn't
get shots on net. Quentin Pepy got a clear break
and made no mistake and sealed the win for the
Thunder. Final Score 4:3 To Dunedin Thunder.
Shots on goal Stampede 41 Thunder 39
After Saturday nights thriller that saw the West Auckland
Admirals secure a crucial win in overtime�to keep their finals hope
alive, Sundays rematch was really a 'do or die' situation for the
home team�and the visiting Canterbury Red Devils. An excellent
crowd turned up as they knew that this would be a�contest to
savour, and they were not disappointed. Both teams hit the ice in a
positive and determined�frame of mind, with the game being played
at at frantic pace, as befitting a contest of this importance.
Both teams attacked the oppositions goal with the net minders
having to make some excellent saves�early on to keep the opposition
out, and Canterbury opened the scoring after almost 4 minutes
with�winger Chris Eaden netting the first of his 2 goals after a
defensive error by the home team. The�Admirals replied less than a
minute later with an excellent goal by Robbie Chamberlain, assisted
by two�of the Finnish imports, Joonas Markko and Aleksi
Rantalainen. Chris Eaden scored his second goal of�the night 5
minutes later, with assists to Mitchell Oak and Justin Fuller, to
retake the lead. The game�stepped up yet another notch, as the
Admirals knew they could not let the Red Devils get too much�of a
lead, and were finally rewarded with just over 3 minutes left in
the period with a goal to import�Rantalainen, assisted by the third
Finnish player, Jouni Kivela and Steven Huish. Canterbury
replied�with 1.18 on the clock with a goal to defenceman Bergeron
and followed up with only 40 seconds left in�the period with Stefan
Speck scoring to go into the break 4-2 ahead.
The second period began at the same pace as the first, and the
Admirals edged closer with a goal half-way through to Aleksi
Rantalainen to give him his second for the night, and Joonas Markko
his second�assist. The period ended with the score at 4-3 to the
visitors, and while both teams had penalties with�gave their
opposition an opportunity with them having the extra man on the
ice, neither were able�to take advantage of the situation.
The third period was a real test of the commitment and
desparation of both teams; Canterbury�holding a one goal lead and
the Admirals knowing it was now or never. Canterbury scored first
after�7 minutes with Captain Adam Soffer scoring off assists by
Hayden Argyle and Stefan Speck to give�the visitors a 5-3 lead, and
the Admirals knew they had to dig deep to have any chance of
winning the�game. The home team, in front of an increasingly
boisterous and supportive crowd, pulled the score�back with a goal
to American defenseman turned forward Garrett Russell with 12
minutes left on the�clock ,and then Jouni Kivela, who had assisted
the previous goal, scoring less than 4 minutes later�to tie it up
at 5-all. Both sides knew they needed the win in regular time to
take maximum points, and�Admirals Captain Steven Huish, assisted by
Kivela obliged with just 1.24 left in regulation time to send�the
crowd into a frenzy, and give the home team the lead for the first
time.
Canterbury pulled their goalie from the ice to get an extra
skater on the rink to try for the equalizer but it�was to no avail,
with the game finishing with a 6-5 victory to the Admirals.
The win sends the West Auckland Admirals to the final for the
first time since they played on the�biggest of all hockey occasions
in the first year of the competition.
Tararua Real Iced Coffee Southern Stampede vs. Dunedin
Thunder
Held at: Queenstown Ice Centre
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