No Games Scheduled
The Ice Dogs have just the one game scheduled this weekend and it's a big one. The Sydney Bears will be the visiting team in this second instalment of the Sydney Derby on Saturday evening.
Ice Dogs' fans will likely want to forget the first Sydney Derby where they fell behind quickly, losing 12-2. The team was without their starting goaltender Jakob Doornbos, who was attending the Global Goaltending Retreat, and he will be a welcome presence between the pipes.
Head Coach Ondrej Cervenka said about the last game against the Bears, "we did not manage to start the match and we were clearly the worse team, we deserved such a defeat. This weekend we have a new opportunity to fix the balance."
The team had mixed results last weekend against the two Melbourne teams. After falling behind to the Melbourne Ice 1-3, the Ice Dogs fought back and held a 4-3 lead in the third period. However, the Ice took the lead and held on for the victory.
"Every member of the the Ice Dogs team was aware that such a situation could not be repeated," said Cervenka. The team responded in a big way the following night against the Melbourne Mustangs.
One of the positives for the Ice Dogs was getting secondary scoring on the weekend. "I'm very happy that our new attacking lines succeeded in scoring," Cervenka said.
Daniel Pataky scored his first of the season on Saturday against the Ice, Aleksandr Dvinianinov scored his first, a shorthanded beauty, against the Mustangs, and Jeremy Vasquez also scored his first of the season on Sunday.
"It felt very relieving to get the first goal," said Vasquez, "but definitely felt better to get the win." Looking ahead to the Sydney Derby this weekend Vasquez added, "We will need to stick to our systems and make sure we keep our focus to play hard for the full 60 minutes."
After Saturday's game, the Ice Dogs will be at the halfway point of their season, having played 10 of 20 games. They are currently just three points out of the fourth and final playoff spot. It will be a great opportunity for the young team to be playing meaningful games down the stretch.
Coach Cervenka stressed the importance of focusing on each match, which will lead to long-term success. This next match against the Bears will be a huge test for this young Ice Dogs team. Vasquez said, "The team is excited to have the opportunity to move closer to that playoff spot and beat our Sydney rivals."
Make sure that you're a part of the action Saturday night. You will also be able to meet and greet the players and get autographs at the Ice Dogs bar underneath the big screen after the game until 8:30 pm. Gates open at 4:30 pm and puck drop is at 5 pm. Get your tickets at icedogsshop.com.au and we'll see you there!
Follow me on Twitter - @GordGoodenough
Player | Points |
---|---|
Grant Toulmin | 52 |
Dmitri Kuleshov | 39 |
Mike Dalhuisen | 34 |
Cameron Todd | 26 |
Bray Crowder | 19 |
Daniel Pataky | 12 |
Michael Douglas | 12 |
Kale Costa | 11 |
Strat Allen | 8 |
Team | GP | W | L | OTW | OTL | CP | PTS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 30 | 23 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 72 |
Ice | 30 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 3 | -3 | 58 |
Thunder | 30 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | -3 | 53 |
Mustangs | 30 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 44 |
Ice Dogs | 30 | 9 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
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