Preview Round 18 – Melbourne Mustangs v Sydney Bears

Sport, as in life, rarely goes as planned, but that is all part of the learning and building process. As the MOAT: Melbourne Mustangs 2015 season is about to conclude one week earlier than hoped there is bound to be some disappointment and reflection on what could have been, especially given the expectations put on the team from the previous season. However the season hasn’t been without highlights, including some outstanding comebacks both in individual games and in the competition standings. There were numerous times where the Mustangs looked dead and buried, but showed a determined fighting spirit to keep themselves in contention. This will set the team in a great position going forward, when the heavy expectations move on to the team that succeeds in this year’s finals, the Mustangs will be under less pressure and this will make it easier to turn those heartbreaking one goal losses into enough victories to qualify for the AIHL Finals.

While it is not the ending the Mustangs desired they can still close the season out on a high note with a win over the Sydney Bears this Saturday. The Bears make their second trip to Melbourne and they too will be looking to finish their season strongly. With two wins on home ice the Bears lead the season series 2-1 and the Mustangs will be looking to square it up at two wins apiece. The evenly matched teams are separated by a single point going into the final round of games, and a Mustangs regulation victory would ensure they finish higher than their opponents.

The Mustangs and Bears last met in Sydney two weeks ago and despite scoring two of the first three goals, the Mustangs found themselves in a huge hole when they allowed six unanswered goals through the middle of the game. A hat trick from the Bears leading scorer Joseph Harcharik helped put his team in a commanding position at 7-2 up. Needing a win to keep their finals hopes alive, the Mustangs pulled back four goals in the final six minutes, but in the story of their season, it was too little too late. If they are to reverse the result this weekend the Mustangs will need to ensure they keep the momentum in their favour as in the previous encounters the Bears have managed to turn one goal into several consecutive goals.

The Mustangs cannot afford any ill-discipline that could swing the game in the opposite direction as in the three games played in 2015 the Bears have had the stronger special teams. They successfully converted four out of five power plays against the Mustangs, while their penalty kill unit only allowed goals on two of the Mustangs nine power play opportunities.

One of the reasons that neither side will be playing in the finals this year is that their defences has not quite been on par with the teams that are leading the AIHL. The Mustangs have already conceded 104 goals this season, compared with only 88 at the completion of the final round last year. The Bears, with 101 goals against, have leaked an even higher average goals per game. It is something that both teams will want to improve upon, and whoever can uphold the strongest defence will come out on top.

It may be a premature end to the season after the highs of 2014, but this is the last chance fans will have to see the Mustangs in action for 2015 so do get out and support the team. They have frequently played better than results suggest, with a number of highlight reel goals and saves. They have brought on some future stars of Australian ice hockey, and they have shown a desire to overcome any obstacles. As they watch the 2015 finals from the sidelines you can be sure the Mustangs will be hungrier than ever to get back there in 2016.