Seasons on ice edge for Stampede, Wild
SkyCity Stampede ice hockey stalwart Lachlan Frear celebrated his 200th game in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League with two goals — and added a third during his 201st — helping his team move into second place, outright, on the table.
The Stampede enjoyed a convincing 7-1 win against the Canterbury Red Devils in Queenstown last Friday — Colin McIntosh and Nolan Ross both also scored twice, while Max Macharg got one — but it was a more even contest last Saturday.
The home side was up 3-2 at the end of the first period, thanks to goals from Connor Harrison, Ross and Frear, before Jordan Challis and McIntosh put them out to a 5-2 lead going into the third period.
While Canterbury scored two unanswered goals in the final period, the Stampede managed to hang on for the win.
The result puts the Stampede one point behind competition leaders Botany Swarm, and six points clear of the West Auckland Admirals — those two teams will play each other, in Auckland, next weekend.
Meantime the third-place Wakatipu Wild women's ice hockey team travels to Auckland to take on leaders the Steel this Saturday and Sunday.
They last faced each other in the first round of the New Zealand Women's Ice Hockey League, where the Wild came off second-best.
While Polly Bennetts, Inge Kemp and Zanzee Pielak-Jones are all back in action for the Wild, they'll be without Abbey Heale and Gracie Hellmrich, two "big holes to fill".
Coach McIntosh is acutely aware of what's at stake this weekend.
They're four points behind Auckland, so two wins will put them into first place. They're also two points behind Christchurch, with two games in hand, so a split result will put them into second. Two losses, though, mean the Wild's "in a battle for second, third and fourth for the last weekend".
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