Weekend Preview - Northstars & Bears

Seven weeks into the 2017 AIHL season The James Melbourne Mustangs will finally venture beyond the ice of the O’Brien Group Arena. Having opened the season with eight games in Melbourne, the Mustangs now face six of the next seven on the road, starting with games in Newcastle and Sydney this weekend. After a break for the All Star Weekend, the Mustangs will regroup and head north, hoping to build on their recent wins, with strong performances against the Newcastle Northstars and Sydney Bears.

The Mustangs who competed in the All Star events last weekend showed the team has some of the most skilful players in the AIHL.  Their players led the way in many categories, with Pat O’Kane winning the fastest skater contest, Jamie Bourke demonstrating some insanely accurate shooting, and Matt Beattie proving he has the hardest shot in the league. If they can replicate these skills in game situations, the Mustangs will be in a good position to take on every other team.

The Mustangs have also recruited a new goaltender since they last played. James Kruger will make his debut for the team against the Northstars and will be looking to make an immediate impact. Despite winning their last two games, the Mustangs conceded too many goals and realised they needed more experience, so they acquired the highly regarded Kruger to help guide the team and provide more reliability at the back.

In the same way the Mustangs have struggled to perform consistently this year, the Northstars too have had a rough start to the season. The Northstars have played more games than any other team but have failed to take advantage, and are just three points clear of the Mustangs in a three-way tie for fifth. They have only one win from five games on home ice this year and will be desperate to improve this record when the Mustangs arrive in Newcastle on Saturday.

The Hunter Ice Skating Rink has been a happing hunting ground for the Mustangs recently, as they were victorious in both games there last year. However, it did take a huge fight to come away with those wins, requiring a last minute goal in one game and a shootout in the other, and it is expected this year will be no different. The Northstars always recruit well and yet again their imports, Matt Marantz and Felix Poulin are among the leaders in points scored this season. 

On Sunday the Mustangs will travel to the Macquarie Centre to face the Bears for the third time in four games. The Bears will be out for revenge after narrowly being defeated by the Mustangs in Melbourne two weeks ago. Aided by new goalie, Kruger, the Mustangs will need to limit the Bears scoring as they cannot afford to give up five or six goals again. There were eight different scorers for the Bears over the previous games, and their All Star players Nick Rivait and Tyler Noseworthy each scored a double, so the Mustangs will need to be prepared to work hard in defence no matter who is on the ice.

The Mustangs will take a lot of confidence from the second game in particular, as they fought back from 5-2 to tie the game with eight seconds left. With five goals across the weekend, and two more in the shootout, Jamie Bourke was key to the Mustangs success over the Bears and he will need to bring that form again this weekend.

A good road trip for the Mustangs could see them finally rise from last place, as they are only three points behind the Northstars and four behind the Bears with games in hand. They showed two weeks ago that they do possess the determination and tenacity required to be competitive, and if they can maintain that desire, then they have the skills to match anyone in the league.