Mustangs Climb Standings

The James Melbourne Mustangs have entered the AIHL top four for the first time this season, after a 4 point weekend in the capital against the CBR Brave.

On Saturday the Mustangs second line - newly bolstered by the addition of Mitch Humphries alongside Brendan McDowell and Jamie Bourke - got the team out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. With less than four minutes left to go the Brave took advantage of their old favourite Anton Kokkonen being in the penalty box, with Wehebe Darge scoring on the power play and on a following penalty shot to leave it tied 2-2 at the intermission.

The Mustangs retook the lead just one minute into the second period as the second line once again took over the game. Matt Beattie scored the Mustangs fourth goal and with this Aleksi Toivonen was relieved from the Brave net, after allowing the four goals on just eight shots. A Pat O'Kane short handed goal past Toivonen's replacement Alex Tetrault seemed to put the game out of reach for the Brave. Darge completed his hat trick later in the second period, but no other boys in blue managing to get past James Kruger all night. The Brave outshot the Mustangs 42-25, but the Mustangs came away with the 5-2 win.

With Brave leading scorer Geordie Wudrick sitting out the weekend with a suspension, and Saturday's only scorer Wehebe Darge visibly limping before Sunday's game, the home team realised they'd need to find some scoring in the second game.

They looked to have succeeded as Jan Safar, Dominic Jalbert and Matthew Harvey all scored one goal each to give the Brave a 3-0 lead at the end of the first period.

Four penalties to the Brave in a row gave the Mustangs an extended time playing five-on-three to start the second period. Kokkonen and Bourke capitalised on these power plays, to cut the lead to one, and when Mitch Humphries scored again two minutes later, the Mustangs come back was on. The next Brave goal was again answered by Bourke, to leave the scores tied 4-4 at the second break.

Matti Luoma, back on the ice after starting the year as assistant coach, put the Brave ahead by one less than one minute into the final period. The Mustangs chances of another comeback looked slim as most play was in the Mustangs end and the team was outshot 19-9. Pulling James Kruger for an extra attacker worked almost instantly however, with an O'Kane shot deflecting off Bourke's skate to tie the game with 51 seconds left.

The Mustangs ensured they'd go home with one point, but couldn't get their hands on a second as all three shooters in the shootout couldn't get past Tetrault. Safar was the only scorer for the Brave.

"If you'd told me on Friday night we'd go home from here with four points I would have been very happy," said Mustangs head coach Michael Flaherty "but I think we should've got three today. We're now in fourth place, but only one point ahead of the Ice Dogs who have a game in hand. It makes next weekend huge for us." 

Flaherty isn't wrong. In what is our biggest weekend of the year so far we take on the Ice Dogs this Saturday and Sunday with a very crucial six points on the line. Make sure you're at O'Brien Group Arena 5pm Saturday and 4pm Sunday to cheer us on! Get your tickets now.