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Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
The puck stops here for Stampede
SkyCity Stampede goaltender Aston Brookes stops Phoenix Thunder's Cole Beckstead's penalty shot earlier this year. PHOTO: JAMES ALLAN PHOTOGRAPHY The top two inches may well be the difference between Queenstown's SkyCity Stampede lifting the Birgel Cup for the 10th time this weekend, or coming home second-best. Stampede will take on Botany Swarm in Auckland in the best-of-three 2025 New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) finals, this Saturday, Sunday and, if required, Monday night. Veteran Stampede goalie Aston Brookes, 32, the league's top goaltender this season with 512 shots against and a 91.02% save percentage, says while it's disappointing not to be hosting the final in Queenstown, "it's really only ourselves to blame". "We didn't deserve it with the way we played through the regular season." Brookes puts their "turbulent" year down to a season-long mental battle. Aside from games against cellar-dweller Canterbury Red Devils, Stampede's only back-to-back wins came against Phoenix Thunder in their semi. "We've struggled to really commit ourselves 100% to games, and then we'll lose and go, 'oh, shivers, we really can't be doing that', and then turn it round the next night," he says. "In my eyes, it's just been in our heads ... we've been known for never giving up and just battling all game, every game, and we have definitely not played like that all year." Though if the Stampede performance during their home semis is anything to go by, they may be clicking at the perfect time. Brookes is acutely aware of the battle ahead, though. Swarm, he says, were "shafted" by the West Auckland Admirals in last year's semi and are desperate for the win — they last lifted the Birgel in 2011, when they beat Stampede in Auckland. "They want it ... but they know we'll be coming for them. "I think if we can turn it on like we did for the semis, we'll have quite a good shot." While the games will be livestreamed, a watch party's being hosted at Queenstown Ice Arena, this Saturday, complete with goal lights, a snow machine, spot prizes and score prediction competition. That's free to attend — night skate tickets cost $20 per person, including skates.
Otago Daily Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Bringing fire to the ice
You can expect nine Queenstowners to help bring fire to the ice in Dunedin over the next 10 days. The New Zealand Ice Blacks, including SkyCity Stampede players Aston Brookes, brothers Lachlan and Mitchell Frear, Stefan Amston, Colin McIntosh, Jordan Challis, Callum Burns, Dylan Devlin and Axel Ruski-Jones, open their campaign in the IIHF Division 2 Group B world champs at the Dunedin ice rink on Sunday night. Head coach Cam Frear — who also coaches the Stampede — says the boys are fizzing represent NZ on "home ice", noting a lot of them either still live in Dunedin, or have during their uni days. And having the ability for their families to be in the crowd is an added bonus. Frear says his charges are also hugely motivated by the Ice Fernz silver medal at the recent IIHF Women's Division 2 Group B world champs, also played in Dunedin — the Fernz came second to Australia, a team they lost to 4-3 in an overtime shoot-out last Saturday night. "They did a great job," he says. "To be so close to gold against an Australian team ... I think NZ, as an ice hockey community, should be super-proud of that. "It gives us inspiration to hopefully go and win this thing." The Ice Blacks will play an exhibition game in Dunedin tonight, ahead of their first game, on Sunday night. Frear says all games are a must-win to guarantee a gold medal, but notes their biggest competition's likely to come from Iceland, which was relegated last year. But, he reckons his side's got a good blend of youth and experience — it boasts four or five players who brought gold home from the under-20 world champs earlier this year, including Ruski-Jones, who'll be on debut for the senior men's national team. He got the call-up to replace fellow Stampede player Connor Harrison, who's been ruled out with injury, while fellow U20 player, Auckland's Markus MacDonald, was called in to replace Jackson Fontaine, also of Auckland, who's also pulled out due to injury. The Ice Blacks open their campaign in the IIHF Division 2 Group B world champs, being played at Dunedin Ice Stadium, on Sunday when they face Chinese Taipei. They'll then face Georgia on Monday, Thailand on Wednesday, Bulgaria on Friday and Iceland next Saturday. Puck drop for all games is 8pm — all will be livestreamed via Meantime, the Queenstown players, some of whom have personal sponsors, are also hugely grateful to all those who purchased raffle tickets to help fund their world championship campaign — in all, the raffle raised about $6800.
