Sydney Ice Dogs’ Swedish import goaltender Tim Noting is quite the character off the ice but on the ice, he is fighting to find his way in the AIHL. Noting has had his fair share of ups and downs in his professional career, but one thing about stands out above all else- resilience to get back up when the chips are stacked against him.

The season for Noting and the Ice Dogs hasn’t exactly gone to plan so far through 12 games. The Ice Dogs are currently sitting in sixth, four points out of the top four. Tim Noting is well aware of his struggles to date and is his own biggest critic.

“I haven't been good at all,” Noting concedes. “It’s far from what I’m capable of, but that's how it goes sometimes. You go through hard times in hockey and when you just feel like you suck and nothing is going your way you just have to keep working hard.”

Last start, the Ice Dogs defeated the Adrenaline 2-0, Noting’s first shutout on Australian soil. It’s the kind of victory that has left Noting feeling more confident and more optimistic about playing in this league.

“I'm finding my way back I feel,” Noting said. “My defencemen and the back-checking forwards are busting their arses to help me defend the net.”

The season has been up and down for the team. Launching out of the blocks against the Ice, the losses have been followed up by crushing wins including a 10-4 victory over the Adrenaline, a 7-2 defeat of the Mustangs at LCC and a 6-2 win against the Bears. The weekend against the Adrenaline in Adelaide exemplified the season that that the Dogs have been having, coming back several times on Saturday but falling short 7-2 before holding strong on Sunday 2-0. However, Noting said it was showing the team was learning a lot as they played together more often.

“They (Adelaide) had a lot of 3-on-1 and 3-on-2 chances Saturday which hurt us,” Noting recalled. “We blocked more shots, back-checked more and didn’t pinch in at all on Sunday. We came out and we owned the neutral zone and forced them to make dump-ins, which worked in our favour. We were able to break out fast and didn’t let them have as much time in our defensive zone.”

Noting faced a barrage of 39 shots in total from the loss on Saturday, yet he still remained upbeat about his performance and the outcome.

“I felt okay in the first game despite the score line,” he said. “Give credit where credit is due. They were following their game plan well. They (Adelaide) were luring us down low so they could take shots from the blue line; they got a bit lucky with some bounces. It felt like we had some bounces going our way too but couldn’t capitalise. We still thought we could’ve won that game.”

In contrast, Sunday’s game was a low scoring affair and one that was - for the most part - a dominating performance that reminded fans of the 2013 Ice Dogs.

The most memorable part was Noting getting his first shutout of the year.  Noting faced 33 shots and along with his defence, shut down seven Adrenaline power-play opportunities. Noting felt it was a positive start in the right direction and a confidence booster.

“Of course, getting the shutout helps me out from the average start I’ve had,” Noting continued. “Now I just have to keep working hard to maintain that level every game so I can help my hardworking teammates. They were the big factor in the shutout.”

Having had the weekend off, it’s given the Sydney Ice Dogs a chance to recover from a gruelling start to the season with multiple double headers. It’s also allowed Noting to take in some of the sights and sounds that Sydney has to offer.

“I've been to the Vivid light festival and that was pretty awesome. Sydney is a beautiful city,” Noting said. “I have also been to some footy games and a Socceroos game too. I still have much more on my agenda while I'm here.”

Noting and the Sydney Ice Dogs take on the Canberra Brave on Sunday, June 15 at Liverpool Catholic Club. Tickets can be purchased at the door.