Preview: Grand Final - Ice @ North Stars – August 30, 2015

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Date & Time:	August 30, 2015 @ 3pm AEST / 2.30pm ACST / 1pm AWST
Location:	Medibank Icehouse, Docklands, Victoria
Tickets:	Tickets available at - http://aihl.net/2015FinalsTix (subject to availability - have to contact Icehouse directly).
Livestream:	http://aihl.net/streamgrandfinal

 
History (Note: all stats above are from 2005 to current)
 
Last meeting: Game 85 - 26/07/2015 - Newcastle North Stars 4 @ Melbourne Ice 2, Medibank Icehouse - http://aihl.net/1EpIdcO
 
Previous Grand Final Meetings:
2011 GF – 04/09 – Melbourne Ice 3 – Newcastle North Stars 2, Medibank Icehouse – http://aihl.net/1KlAG1x
2012 GF – 02/09 – Melbourne Ice 4 – Newcastle North Stars 3, Hunter Ice Skating Stadium - http://aihl.net/1LJV901
 

Melbourne Ice	Teams	Newcastle North Stars
41 games (14-20-1-6-0)	Head-to-Head (Overall – W-L-SOW-SOL-D)	41 games (20-14-1-6-0)
100 games (62-20-9-9-0)	Record at Rink (W-L-SOW-SOL-D)	26 games (11-12-0-3-0)
14 games (8-6-0-0)	Finals Record (Since 2005)	22 games (14-7-1-0)
154 (3.76)	Head-to-Head Goals For (Per Game)	165 (4.02)
471 (4.71) - 290 (2.90)	GF-GA At Rink (Per Game)	90 (3.46) - 100 (3.85)
Game 16 - 04/05/2008 - Newcastle North Stars 2 @ Melbourne Ice 7, Olympic Ice Skating Centre -http://aihl.net/1JzINkG	Biggest Win	Game 94 - 20/08/2005 - Melbourne Ice 4 @ Newcastle North Stars 10, Hunter Ice Skating Stadium - http://aihl.net/1OnL5Xy

 
Season

29, 16-7-5-1 (2nd)	Season (GP, W-L-SOW-SOL (Rank))	29, 20-4-1-4 (1st)
SOW-SOW-W-W-W	Last Five Games (5-4-3-2-1)	SOW-SOL-W-W-W
122 (4th)	Goals For	156 (1st)
83 (1st)	Goals Against	86 (2nd)
Tommy Powell: 29GP, 21G, 31A, 52P (=6th)	Leading Scorer (Overall Rank)	Geordie Wudrick: 29GP, 47G, 48A, 91P (1st)
Tommy Powell: 29GP, 21G, 31A, 52P (=6th)	Leading Local Scorer (Overall Rank)	Brian Bales: 15GP, 10G, 20A, 30P (=23rd)
Alex Leclerc: 10GP, 1.80GAA (2nd), 0.944 SV% (=1st)	Leading Goalkeeper (6GP Minimum)	Dayne Davis: 24GP, 2.80GAA (3rd), 0.911 SV% (4th)
33 from 113 - 29.20% (2nd)	Power Play	37 from 127 - 29.13% (2nd)
26 from 145 - 82.07% (3rd)	Penalty Kill	20 from 109 - 81.65% (4th)
4 (2.75%)	Shorthanded Goals For	9 (8.26%)
3 (2.65%)	Shorthanded Goal Against	1 (2.36%)

 
Star performers
Newcastle North Stars: Geordie Wudrick
The new all-time point scorer and goal scorer in a season, Geordie Wudrick came to the rescue yesterday against the CBR Brave, claiming a third period hat-trick to complete the huge comeback from the minor premiers. The Canadian import could be looking at a few other records with a huge game in the Grand Final. If he scores three goals, he will tie the season play-off record of six goals, held by the North Stars' Darcy Corcoran from 2007. It would also mean he is the first player to pass 50 goals for the season. If he can beat the points record of eight, set by Viktor Gibbs Sjödin and Jamie Bourke last season. If he can do this, he will be the first player to pass 100 points for the season. While these records might just be too far to achieve, Wudrick has shown this season that the perceived impossible is indeed possible.
 
Melbourne Ice: Alex Leclerc
Alex Leclerc is undefeated in net after 10 straight wins in the AIHL. The Ice netminder has been phenomenal, holding a 1.80 GAA and 0.944 SV% in what has been a phenomenal season. Leclerc showed his skill with a shutout in a tense semi-final showdown with the Thunder last night. As it stands now, Leclerc is looking to break an import goalie hoodoo that goes back to Pekka Kankaanranta, who was the Bears goalie in their Goodall Cup win in 2007. Having completed the first finals shutout since the Newcastle North Stars' Matt Ezzy in the 2006 Grand Final, the signs bode well for Leclerc to follow in Ezzy's footsteps, although the firepower of the North Stars' potent offence still stands in his way.
 
Cold Hard Stats
1. This is will be the fifth meeting between the North Stars and the Ice in 2015. The North Stars currently lead the season series 3-0-0-1.
 
2. The North Stars and Ice have met four times in the finals, currently having won two each
 
3. The North Stars and Ice have met in two Grand Finals, with the Ice winning both en route to the three-peat in 2011 and 2012.
 
4. North Stars alternate captain Robert Malloy passed 30 points for the third straight season with the first North Stars goal in the semi final yesterday.
 
5. The Ice's Matt Armstrong could be the game-breaker, having scored 15 points in just 10 AIHL Finals, including two game-winning goals in eight finals wins (25%).