Mustangs Road Trip Preview

As the AIHL season approaches the half way point the MOAT: Melbourne Mustangs are still a fair way from where they want to be. They have taken steps in the right direction with consecutive victories on home ice, the next step is to continue this form on the road. Much needed wins over the Adelaide Adrenaline last week will inspire confidence, but the Mustangs really need to keep the streak going when they head north to take on the Newcastle North Stars and Sydney Ice Dogs this weekend.

A hard fought 4-2 victory followed by shootout success the next day enabled the Mustangs to double their win tally for 2016. Two Pat O’Kane power play goals set the tone for the weekend, where the team showed up with a renewed focus at key moments to take five of the six points on offer. The wins were the result of a complete team effort where defencemen drove scoring plays and the forwards were equally committed to defence. In such a closely contested league, the Mustangs need to show this unity every week.

The Mustangs take on the North Stars on Saturday and the Ice Dogs on Sunday in the third and second meetings of the season respectively. The previous encounters featured high points mixed with very low ones.  The North Stars thoroughly dominated the first game, racing out to a five goal lead, before the Mustangs could get on the board.  Then in the second leg, the Mustangs finished stronger with three late goals helping them split the weekend one win apiece. As there is only one game this time it is crucial that the Mustangs get off to a good start and apply pressure from the opening face-off.

However, there is far more to success than through early dominance as the Mustangs found the following week when they played the Ice Dogs. Jamie Bourke opened the scoring within the first minute and for two periods they outplayed the Sydney team getting out to a 4-1 lead. Then the momentum changed, as the Ice Dogs scored quick goals in the third period to overrun the Mustangs 6-4. 

These games will be fresh in the minds of the players and they will be keen to avoid a repeat. They know that any lapse in concentration will be costly, as there is considerable strike power on both teams.

The North Stars and Ice Dogs played each other last week and, in another upset, the Ice Dogs emerged triumphant to continue their rise from the depths of 2015. It was the first time this year that the North Stars suffered back-to-back losses and they will be desperate to reverse the slide. The Mustangs will need to be prepared for an onslaught as the North Stars are exceedingly tough on their home ice. Leading local goaltender Dayne Davis is expected to be back in net after a rare night off to give young Nick Mizen his first AIHL start. 

AIHL leading point scorer Connor McLaughlin, who scored four goals in the previous two games against the Mustangs this year, collected another hat trick including the final two goals in a minute to put pressure on the Ice Dogs. Meanwhile Grant Toulmin, who scored three times against the Mustangs, netted another double, as the Ice Dogs asserted their dominance in the second period. These are just a couple of the players the Mustangs will need to shut down if they are to be successful over the weekend.

While the Mustangs first match up is against a team looking to bounce back, their second is against one that will be full of confidence. The Ice Dogs are improving with each week and will be determined to keep their point streak going. They do face a tough game against Perth Thunder the night before, but they rarely show signs of fatigue in back-to-backs and often look stronger in Sunday games.

There are no easy games in this competition and it is especially hard without the familiarity of home ice. However road trips always provide a chance for teams to bond together and form greater understanding between teammates. Every player has a role they must perform and for continued success these roles must be executed in combination with each other. It was promising to see the team working together last week and hopefully they can build on that effort across the upcoming games.