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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Discipline key focus for Stampede as finals series looms
Dunedin Thunder head coach Guillaume Leclancher watches over his team earlier this season. PHOTO: MIKE KINGDON If there is one message Stampede captain Mitchell Frear wants to slap home this weekend, it is for his team to stay out of the penalty box. They head north to play the Botany Swarm in the best-of-three New Zealand Ice Hockey League finals. The Swarm clinched their spot in the final with an aggregate win over the West Auckland Admirals in the semifinals last weekend. They won the opening game 4-0 but trailed the Admirals 6-2 in the second game. With the teams' aggregate total level, they played overtime and the Swarm nailed the winner. The Stampede had an easier road. They overpowered the Dunedin Thunder 7-3 and 9-3 the previous weekend, and are finally showing the sort of form that has carried them to four consecutive titles. "We've had a bit of an up-and-down season with our form this year, and I feel like we're kind of peaking at the right time," Frear said. "We've kind of set ourselves high standards throughout the years. And I feel like this year has been one of those years that we haven't quite met our standards. "But it's nice to start putting things together at the last minute." Star player Colin McIntosh banged in a hat-trick in both games. The Swarm will be wary of McIntosh and desperately plotting a plan to keep the game-winner quiet. They will have to work hard to defend Stampede centre Nolan Ross as well. The Swarm will lean on forwards Evan Carroll, Ivan Dalmatau and Balint Pakozdi, while Ice Fernz goalie Grace Harrison is a classy shot-stopper. Jackson Fontaine is returning from injury and he has been a key performer for the Swarm. The teams look even on paper, but it could come down to who holds their discipline longer. "That's one thing we've kind of struggled with throughout the year," Frear said. "We've kind of conceded a few games. It's just keeping our discipline, staying out of the box and playing at even strength." The Stampede and the Swarm shared the spoils during the regular season. The Swarm posted a 6-2 win in Queenstown in the opening game of the season. But the home side rallied the following day and recorded a 4-1 win. The two-game series in Auckland in July was also split. The Stampede won game one 4-2, but the Swarm snatched a 4-3 win the next day. The finals begin in Auckland tonight.
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Stampede amped for Thunder showdown
Queenstown's SkyCity Stampede ice hockey team are acutely aware of the mountain they have to climb this weekend. The reigning New Zealand Ice Hockey League champs will face their old foes, Phoenix Thunder, at the Queenstown Ice Arena tomorrow and Saturday nights in a new semifinal format. As Stampede coach Cam Frear explains, when the buzzer sounds at the end of tomorrow's game, it's essentially half-time. The winner of the semis will be determined by which team scores the most goals over two games — if it's all tied up on Saturday night, they'll go into overtime. While Stampede had a bit of a mare against Thunder at home during the final round almost a fortnight ago, losing their first game 7-5 before a huge 6-3 comeback in the second, Frear says his charges are confident. "The biggest thing for us is that we know where we need to improve. "We've been here before — we've been to finals hockey a lot and we have to lean on that experience ... we know what we're up for. "[But] we're going to have to bring our A-game to make it to the finals, for sure." It's often said you learn a lot more from losses, and that was certainly the case in the first game of the last round for Stampede. Fear admits there was a "tough conversation" in the changing rooms afterwards. "I felt like [that] game slipped through our fingers a little bit. "It was a good conversation, because it prompted a lot of chat within the team. "We were all saying the same stuff, it's just concentration lapses and decision-making ... we know when we're making good decisions and playing our style of hockey, we can win any game we play." Staying out of the penalty box will also be helpful, he notes. Frear's still not sure if Stampede stalwart Colin McIntosh — this week named NZIHL team MVP — will be in action this weekend, having returned to Canada following the death of his mum. "Ultimately, we'll prepare for him potentially not to be here, but if he is able to come, you can't think of a better person to insert and give you a bit of a morale boost, but also a skill boost, as well." Stampede will also again be boosted by the return of Mike McRae and Adam Soffer — the latter's been based in Christchurch for the past couple of years, working as one of the project managers on the One New Zealand Stadium, but has played half the season for Stampede. And while there may be a few nerves on the sidelines, Frear says there's nothing but anticipation within the team. "Playoff hockey at home is super-exciting ... I just wish we could fast-forward to Friday now." SkyCity Stampede v Phoenix Thunder, Queenstown Ice Arena, Friday and Saturday, puck drop 7pm — livestream via NZIHL's YouTube channel
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Stampede ready to charge
PHOTO: ODT FILES From friends to foes in less than a week. For the past couple of weeks, nine SkyCity Stampede ice hockey players were team-mates with four West Auckland Admirals players, representing the New Zealand Ice Blacks — under the guidance of Stampede coach Cam Frear — in the IIHF Division 2, Group B world champs in Dunedin. Come tomorrow night in Queenstown, they'll be arch rivals again, with Frear back on the yellow and blue bench in a rematch of last year's NZ Ice Hockey League final series, which Stampede won. While the Admirals have been able to train throughout the world champs, Stampede took a little break due to the number of players and support staff in Dunedin. That said, "I think we're pretty confident any time we play at home [and] the goal is always to win two games". Frear's looking forward to an almost full-strength team coming in to this weekend — Connor Harrison's still out following an injury during the Trans-Tasman Challenge in March, but will hopefully be back in the next month, "which will be huge for us going in to the crunch part of the season". As to progress on imports this season, Frear's coy. "You'll have to wait and see ... there might be some surprises this weekend."
Otago Daily Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- 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."
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.
