Northstars hold onto season with shootout win against Adrenaline

The Newcastle Northstars have held onto their 2017 season chances with a bottom of the table clash against the never-say-die Adelaide Adrenaline at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium. With both teams focused on a win, trading tight checking and goals until the end, they forced the game to a shootout.

Northstars get on the board first with a succession of quick goals by Rob Malloy and Steve Kuhn. Photo: Rhys Lavender.

The Northstars got on the board 13 minutes into the first period when their Captain Robert Malloy picked up a rebound from teammate Kale Kerbashian and fired it home.

A Northstars’ rapid-fire onslaught of shots on Adrenaline goaltender Matt Murphy resulted in Steve Kuhn scoring less than 20 seconds later. The home game was Kuhn’s first following a month-long absence from the lineup.

A reprieve in the game’s momentum came for Adrenaline when the third Northstars goal was waved off as the Ref found the net knocked off its moorings. With an unsportsman-like conduct call against Northstars’ Matt Wetini, the Adrenaline’s Josef Rezek was able to convert on the power play. Adelaide’s Greg Oddy took an unfortunate shot to the elbow and did not return to the game.  It’s unsure if Oddy will take the ice on Sunday against the Bears in Sydney.

Adrenaline's Josef Rezek continues to apply pressure to the Northstars. Photo: Rhys Lavender.

The second period saw the action heat up again around the 13-minute mark: League-leading goal scorer Cameron Critchlow leveled Adelaide at 2-2; followed quickly by teammate Casey Babineau scoring a short-handed goal after Newcastle had too many players on the ice.  A snapshot from Newcastle defencemen Felix Poulin however, evened the scores with two minutes to go.

Heading into the third, power play goals to each team – first from Northstars’ Joseph Harcharik and another from Adrenaline’s Rezek – kept the teams tied at the final horn.  

Both goalies stood tall against the three rounds of shootout pressure, with Steve Kuhn’s single goal in the first round the ultimate decider.  The two-point result marks the Northstars’ third shootout win of the season after a rocky start from the defending Goodall Cup champions.

The Northstars clinch the game with Steve Kuhn's shootout goal. Photos: Rhys Lavender. 

Sporting a younger team with fresh talent, Adelaide’s Head Coach Sami Mantere was appreciative of his team’s work ethic, feeling everyone played well, despite the outcome.

“The boys really stepped up both on the bench and on the ice,” said Mantere. “They did far beyond what was expected and had a great attitude.”

Northstars’ Coach Andrew Petrie noted that with mounting pressure to place in the final four the team continues to focus on the future.

“We’ve had a bit of a gut check from me down this week,” said Petrie.

“We had a team meeting and I made a bit of a speech about what I thought it would take for us to turn our season around and took some ownership for the position we’re in, which I think is fair.”

Remarking on the Northstars’ attitude, Petrie was positive about the team’s dynamic.

“They played as a team, they were in a good frame of mind and confident regardless of the score, regardless of how to the bounces were going, regardless how the calls were going.”

The Northstars rest now until Sunday 2 July where they’ll play at home against Perth Thunder, while the Adrenaline travel directly to Sydney to play the Bears at Macquarie Ice Rink Sunday 4pm AEST.