Week 5 recap: Ice on top after derby win while Brave, Adrenaline winless

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The tiers of competition are starting to take shape after the fifth weekend of AIHL action, with the 49^th Melbourne derby establishing not just bragging rights, but a firm grasp on top spot of the ladder.

One pre-season favourite has slipped in a weekend to forget while up north, a number of fresh star imports made instant impacts for their Australian clubs.

Here are the key moments from the six games of Week 5 of the AIHL season.



Ice secure statement victory in first Melbourne derby of 2025

The Ice have established a stranglehold at the pinnacle of the AIHL standings with a complete performance against the Mustangs during Friday night’s blockbuster derby. The Ice handed their in-state rivals their first defeat of the season in the 5-2 win, an early three goal advantage too much to overcome for the Mustangs.

In front of a raucous, sold-out O’Brien Icehouse, the Ice’s top line was buzzing from puck drop - outshooting the Mustangs 13-8 in the opening frame. They would capitalise on the powerplay to snare their first, a quick puck cycle giving Tyrone Bronte his first of two goals for the match.

Thankfully for the Ice, their penalty kill was just as exceptional, ensuring an undisciplined first period did not get them into any trouble on the scoreboard. They killed off four penalties, including an early 5-on-3, to hold a single goal advantage in the first intermission.

Joey Hughes would double the margin moments into the second period before Jamie Bourke would add another minutes later, providing the ice with a 3-0 advantage. The Mustangs provided a spirited mini comeback, outshooting the Ice for the remainder of the period. They would be eventually rewarded for their efforts via Scott Timmins, the top line of Wishart, Warren and Timmins combining to knock a goal off the deficit entering the final break.

However, the Ice held firm against the Mustangs third period surges and knocked the wind out of their sails with a clinical goal from Bronte, giving the Mustangs a near-impossible catch-up task. The Mustangs rallied to score through Brody Lindal with six minutes remaining, but Joakim Erdugan killed any momentum a minute later, quietly notching his third point of the game and 13^th for the season in eight games played.

The win sets the Ice up as now the team to beat, having won six games consecutively since losing their first two in overtime. Their overall head-to-head margin on the Mustangs now extends, 29 wins to 20. The Mustangs can remain confident, however, sitting just six points behind the Ice with two games in hand. Last year they also lost the first derby of the season, before smacking the Ice brutally in the next three.

Time will tell if 2025 plays out differently, but it appears we could be on pace for a playoff game of some sort between the two, which is an incredibly exciting prospect.



Brave no match for Ice, Mustangs

It was a weekend to forget for Canberra as their trip to Melbourne turned sour with two crushing losses at the hands of the Ice and Mustangs, 10-2 each respectively.

The Ice piled on four first period goals Saturday afternoon, two of which came on the powerplay. The Brave’s undisciplined play would haunt them this weekend as it has for the majority of the season, gifting Melbourne seven powerplays for the match, which they ultimately converted on three times. Canberra’s total penalty minutes now sits at 153 for the year, only outdone by Perth’s 168. It’s an area that needs drastic improvement going forward if they are to find themselves back inside the playoff picture.

On the flip side, Tatsu Ishida had a weekend to remember for the Ice, saving 59 of the 63 shots that headed his way, including 26/28 in this match. His continued success off the back of a dominant 2024 campaign will provide Ice faithful with hope they can find themselves back in the Grand Final, settling in after a rocky first weekend.

The Mustangs 10-2 win over Canberra was closer than it appears on paper, with Canberra actually outshooting Melbourne for the match and only trailing by two goals at the first intermission. However, Anthony Kimlin has asserted himself as a top goalie of the competition, recording 29 saves on 31 shots to bolster his save percentage to 0.929 for the season, which ranks third in the league behind Ishida and Brisbane’s Jakob Doornbos.

It was an ugly afternoon for the Brave overall, conceding two goals on Melbourne’s first four shots and failing to put one behind Kimlin until they were 8-0 down. Perhaps thankfully, they now have a week off to recalibrate before facing the winless Adelaide at home on May 31.



Adrenaline still seeking first victory as Rhinos, Northstars clinch home wins

While Adelaide managed to snare a point on the road this weekend, their shaky start to 2025 has continued, failing to record a win through their opening six games.

The Adrenaline came closest on Saturday, falling in overtime to the Central Coast Rhinos 5-4. Adelaide’s Nathaniel Benson scored in the final minutes, combining with one of Australia’s brightest young talents Daniel Chen to send the game to an extra period.

However, it would be the Kuleshov brothers again establishing themselves as some of the best 3v3 talents this league has to offer, Dmitri netting the game winner this time around. He was also involved in three of the Rhinos four regulation goals for the Rhinos (1 goal, 2 assists), including a sweet connection with Ivan on the powerplay. You simply cannot give these two any extra room on the ice - they continuously have punished on the man-advantage or in overtime as their breakout seasons have gone on.

On Sunday, the wooden spoon battle between Newcastle and Adelaide unfolded in anticlimactic fashion, the Northstars simply too good at home, winning 6-1. It gives Newcastle their first regulation win for the season and what will be some much-needed confidence as they prepare to travel to Adelaide for a weekend series rematch.

The difference maker in this one was execution on the man advantage. Newcastle scored shorthanded twice on the same powerplay in the first period, first through Francis Drolet and then via imported Swedish winger Kim Tallberg, who ultimately tallied three points in his AIHL debut. Those goals completely demoralised an already struggling Adrenaline attack, who managed just fifteen shots total in this contest, while also providing Newcastle reward for their dominance – they outshot Adelaide 27-6 in the first 20 minutes alone.

Credit where it is due, however, Newcastle’s defence absolutely lifted this weekend after some questionable efforts in front of their goaltending tandem the week prior. Led by Ethan Hawes, starting goaltender Charles Smart got support from his defenceman with their relentless pressure on puck carriers as they entered Newcastle’s defensive zone. It enabled him to have his most confident performance of 2025, his 0.933 save percentage the closest he’s been to a shutout since July last year.

Adelaide will seek revenge against Newcastle on home ice next weekend, still in search of their first win of 2025. As for the Rhinos, they are now on pace to double their points total from 2024, suggesting that the growing pains for the AIHL’s latest expansion club may soon be over. With a fixture against the Lightning looming, Central Coast’s combination of exhilarating young talent and stoic veteran leaders will have a chance to prove their legitimacy as a playoff threat against one of the league’s premier defensive units.