Georgia Proves Too Strong As Ice Blacks Fall 5-0 In Dunedin
The New Zealand Ice Blacks faced a formidable challenge last night at the IIHF World Championship Division II B, going down 5-0 to a powerful Georgian side at Dunedin Ice Stadium.
From the opening face-off, Georgia asserted their dominance with a fast, physical game, controlling much of the play and keeping the Ice Blacks pinned in their defensive zone for long stretches. Georgia, who have become an increasingly competitive force in international ice hockey, showed their class, strength, and clinical finishing ability, and now sit unbeaten at the top of the tournament table with two wins from two games.
Despite the scoreline, the Ice Blacks showed heart and grit in a bruising contest. Stand-out performances came from forward Colin McIntosh, Justin Daigle, Jacob Carey, and the tireless Joe Orr, who was named New Zealand's Player of the Game.
After two games, New Zealand sits in fourth place with one win and one loss. Today is a scheduled rest day for all teams, offering a chance for recovery and regrouping with low-impact on-ice sessions.
The Ice Blacks will look to bounce back tomorrow when they face Thailand, who are still searching for their first win of the tournament. New Zealand will be aiming to reignite their campaign and climb back up the standings.
The puck drops for New Zealand vs Thailand tomorrow at 8pm - a crucial game as the second half of the tournament unfolds.
About the Ice Blacks
The Ice Blacks are New Zealand's national men's ice hockey team, representing the country on the world stage in IIHF competition. Known for their grit, determination, and fast-paced style of play, the Ice Blacks are a proud symbol of the growth of ice hockey in New Zealand. They regularly compete in the IIHF World Championship Division II tournaments and have a strong following at home and abroad.
About the IIHF World Championship Division II B
The IIHF World Championship Division II B is an international tournament featuring emerging hockey nations from around the globe. Teams compete for promotion to higher divisions, with each game offering valuable world ranking points. The 2025 tournament is being held in Dunedin, New Zealand, providing a rare opportunity for local fans to see world championship action on home ice. Teams include: New Zealand (Ice Blacks), Chinese Taipei, Georgia, Thailand, Iceland and Bulgaria
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 days ago
- RNZ News
World Cup dreams come true for rising young chess stars
Two 11-year-old Aucklanders are excited to compete in the Chess World Cup later this month. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu will compete in the Under 12 Open and Under 12 Girls competitions at the FIDE world cup in Batumi, Georgia. Having won numerous titles in New Zealand and abroad, the pair aren't unfamiliar names in the domestic chess community. The duo was supposed to attend the 2023 World Cup in Egypt but dropped out at the last minute due to concerns about hostilities in Gaza. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu play a game of chess in May. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Born in Madanapalle, India, Sai came to New Zealand when he was 7 months old and was introduced to chess by his grandfather at the age of 6. "When I started chess, I was playing with my grandfather, and I used to lose to him consistently. Then I got my determination to beat him and eventually I did," Sai said. "And also, my uncle. He used to beat me even after I started beating my grandfather. That's where I got my real chess play after beating both of them." His recent achievements include second place in the Asian Championship in Australia in 2023 for Under 12 and a gold medal for under 10. Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju is excited to compete at the upcoming Chess World Cup. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Sai said he attended club nights at different places around Auckland every week and did puzzles and read books to prepare for the competition. "I'm nervous, but I'm confident," he said. "I'm hoping to at least get in the top three." Sai said lessons could be learnt from chess. "It teaches you about patience and it helps you in real life as well," the 11-year-old said. "I want to go in business when I grow up and there's a lot to do with business chess. If you know chess well, then you can make good moves in business." Sai's mum, Vyshnavi Bandi, said representing New Zealand was a "dream come true" for the young boy. "When he was 7 years old, I can still remember that he wanted to represent New Zealand," Bandi said. "He wanted to go out of the country. ... I'm very proud of him." Sai Vivan Karthikeya Somaraju and Luna Lu stand with their parents at the Auckland Chess Centre in May. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Luna Lu came to New Zealand from Hangzhou, China, when she was 2 years old. She became intrigued by chess pieces when the then-8-year-old was reading a book about board games during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although Luna haven't been playing chess for long, she has won a lot of awards. Luna came ninth in the world cup in Georgia last year. "I remember the food was really yummy. ... It was like a buffet, and every day it was like different food, so you don't get bored of it," Luna said. "I think maybe now that I'm older, I think I might feel more confident than last year." Luna Lu also participated at the Chess World Cup last year. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Luna's mother, Sandy Wen, also expressed pride in her daughter, noting that she worked hard for the opportunity. "I always feel that chess is like a calm and wise guide, gently leading Luna to discover more possibilities on her journey of growth," Wen said. "She has learned to face challenges bravely, to be tenacious in difficult situations and not to give up easily. ... These qualities are more precious than winning or losing and will make her more confident and resilient in life. "I didn't like setting a high expectation for her. ... I think as long as she is doing her best and she is having fun, that's great." Auckland Chess Centre president Bruce Wheeler Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin Auckland Chess Centre president Bruce Wheeler said chess had become more popular in New Zealand in recent years. "More people realise it gives their children a form of advantage, helping them to learn about concentration, discipline, competition, visualisation and the rewards of hard work," he said. Wheeler said it was "excellent" that Sai and Luna were going to this event, and his advice was to "play hard". "The only thing you can control in the game is how much effort you put in," he said. New Zealand Chess Federation president Craig Hall said it was an honour that New Zealand was invited to participate in the world cup. "Just qualifying at all is difficult and is a testament to the work put in by players, parents, coaches, clubs, volunteers, the New Zealand Chess Federation Council, sponsors and donors," Hall said. He also said both Sai and Luna were "very strong juniors with excellent results in NZ tournaments". "It's a tough field - making the top 10 would be a very strong performance," he said.
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Stampede win two from two over Makos
Photo: file The Southern Stampede are back at their best. The Stampede recorded two big wins against the Auckland Mako for the defending champions to remain at the top of the national men's ice hockey league table. Playing at home in Queenstown, the Stampede thumped the Mako 11-2 on Friday. It was a red-hot start where Colin McIntosh and Axel Ruski-Jones each had a double in the first period to add to team-mates Jack Robbie and Jett McCullum's goals. Thomas Clark scored for the Makos to trail 6-1. Ruski-Jones added another two in the second period and Maxwell Macharg, Connor Harrison and McIntosh added another to round out the big win. The Stampeded followed up with a 6-1 victory on Saturday. Harrison and Nolan Ross scored a brace and Ruski-Jones and Ollie Ruski-Jones added the others. The Dunedin Thunder had a 6-3 loss to the West Auckland Admirals. They played again yesterday and the Admirals won again, 4-3. In the national women's league, the Wakatipu Wild had a 4-2 win against the Thunder. Former Thunder player and Ice Fern Caitlin-Judith Heale got the Wild under way 17 minutes in with the opening goal. But Ice Fern team-mate Sammy Heyward struck back for the Thunder to be 1-1 at the end of the first period. Kellye Nelson added another for the Wild in the only points in the second period. French import Lea Mullender levelled the score for the Thunder early in the final period. But the Wild hit back with late goals to Inge Kemp and Kelli Burstein to seal the victory. The Wild and the Thunder played again yesterday. The Thunder won 3-1.
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Bronze medal ‘bittersweet'
SkyCity Stampede's Colin McIntosh was named player of the tourney for the NZ Ice Blacks following last week's world champs in Dunedin. PHOTO: SUPPLIED While Ice Blacks head coach Queenstowner Cam Frear is stoked his charges secured the bronze medal at last week's IIHF Division 2 Group B champs in Dunedin, he admits it's "a bit bittersweet". "I think all of us went there with the goal of gaining promotion and getting gold, but Georgia and Iceland were both very good teams and they definitely deserved to come away with gold and silver, respectively. "[But] any time you go to worlds and you're able to get a medal, you've got to be pretty happy." The Ice Blacks boasted nine SkyCity Stampede players, including forward Colin McIntosh who was named Ice Blacks' player of the tourney. Across the five games, he scored three goals and assisted in five — overall, he was 12th-equal in goal-scoring leaders, ninth-equal in assists and second in face-off leaders — Stampede's Dylan Devlin was 14th. Frear: "He [McIntosh] was so good for us, in every single game he stepped up and kind of led us, offensively. "He deserved New Zealand player of the tournament." Other Stampede standouts included Lachlan Frear (one goal, one assist), Stefan Amston (one goal, assisted by Jordan Challis), and debutant Axel Ruski-Jones (one assist). As to the atmosphere in Dunedin, Frear says it was "awesome". "Over 1000 people [came for] the last two games that we had, and having big crowds for all of the games isn't something that's normal any other time you go to world champs, anywhere else in the world. "For it to be family and friends and workmates ... was pretty special for the coaches and the players as well."
