Mustangs v Bears Preview

This Saturday will be the third time in as many weeks that the MOAT: Melbourne Mustangs take on the Sydney Bears in a must-win game. They will be aiming to continue their winning streak against the Bears following a tight victory in Sydney last weekend. The successful road trip enabled the Mustangs to move four points clear of the Bears in the standings, however the teams above also added to their points tally. Therefore, it is vital that the Mustangs maintain their winning form in order to keep pace with the top four.

The Mustangs and Bears match up very well against each other and on the two previous occasions they have met this season, the game could have gone either way. Fortunately for the Mustangs, they were the side that was able to take control in the decisive moments to turn both games in their favour.

There was a similar narrative to both games between the Mustangs and Bears in which the Sydney side started stronger and opened the scoring. Each time the Mustangs found themselves behind 2-1 midway through the game. Last Saturday it was a short-handed goal to Nic Kawasaki that had the Mustangs on the back foot, and after conceding multiple short-handed goals in their previous game, it was important that the Mustangs fought back quickly.

While it took them until late in the third period to gain the upper hand over the Bears in the first game, the comeback started a little earlier last week. A goal to Jamie Bourke, with under two minutes left on the clock in the second period, then another as Pat O’Kane put away a buzzer beater, ensured the Mustangs took a 3-2 lead into the final period.

A second goal from Bourke extended the lead and proved crucial in the end, as with three minutes to play Bears leading scorer Tomas Landa scored his second of the night, to get his side back within a goal. However, as they had done two weeks prior the Mustangs were able to maintain composure in the final minutes as the Bears fought to get something out of the game.

After witnessing the way they battle to the end of the games, it is evident how the Bears have been involved in so many shootouts this season. They do not give up easily and if the Mustangs are to continue the winning record against them they will have to compete until the final siren. Unsurprisingly, a day after losing to the Mustangs, the Bears again went to a shootout despite being down 2-0 to the Adelaide Adrenaline midway through the final period. Landa was again heavily involved setting up Michael Schlamp on a power play before tying the game with under three minutes to go.

Meanwhile the Mustangs backed their win up with a dominant 8-3 victory over the Ice Dogs in which Bourke scored another four goals. The six goal haul across the road trip saw Bourke pass 200 points in his AIHL career and he was recognised with the Skaters Network Local Player of the Week Award for his effort. It certainly helps for both individual and team success when he is not drawn into cheap penalties and can focus on driving the offence.

While the Mustangs can be pleased with the results on the road last week, they will be looking for a stronger start in front of their home fans. The Bears will be out for swift revenge and the Mustangs will need to be ready from the opening puck drop. They have shown the ability to fight back if necessary, but would rather dictate the game from the start, because there is only so many times you can chase a team down.

When you play a series of games against the one opponent in a short space of time you become familiar with their style. As both previous games have gone down to the wire, the Bears will know exactly what they need to do to reverse the result. That means the Mustangs will have to perform at an even higher level than they have thus far if they are to obtain a third successive victory over the Bears.