Latest news with #SkyCityStampede
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
‘Taste of Art' launches studio show
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.
Otago Daily Times
4 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
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
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Amston freezes out doubters
When you ask SkyCity Stampede defenceman Stefan Amston how he honestly rates his team's chances coming to the skinny end of the New Zealand Ice Hockey League season, he doesn't pull any punches. "I really feel we've played as bad as we could, and it can only get better." So far this season, the nine-time national champions have only had two back-to-back wins — both times against fifth-placed Canterbury Red Devils. Yet, the Stampede are still second on the table, with just two rounds left in the regular season, including this weekend's Battle of the Titans in Auckland, against top-of-the-table Botany Swarm. Amston, 31, Queenstown council's facilities and fleet manager, is in his 10th season for the Stampede, initially intending to play just one. He and his sister, former Wakatipu Wild women's ice hockey player Kimberley Helmersson, were both born in Christchurch, though his dad's from Sweden and his mum's from the UK. His parents met backpacking in Australia, went back to Sweden, and applied for residency to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. "Whoever replied first they went to — which was NZ." When Amston was about 6 the family relocated to Sweden — he'd already had his first crack at skating by then, but wasn't a fan. "There is a video of me crying, profusely, on skates when I'm, like, 3, and [I] pretty much say, 'take them off'," he laughs. In Sweden, though, he frothed for it, and played for about 16 years, including for a Division 1 pro team the year before he moved to Queenstown, at 21, just three months after meeting his now-wife, Felicia. "The intention was always to move back at some stage, and it just got expedited when I met her. "I thought she took a right gamble on me, but it worked out." As to why they picked Queenstown, it came down to Amston's desire to play that 'one' season of hockey. Wanting to play for the best team, he Googled who won the 2015 NZIHL championship, "and it just happened to be the Stampede". "So I emailed Ross Burns — he actually declined me to come and play until I told him I was a NZ citizen," he laughs. "I came down here, really loved it, and just stuck around." Despite the rocky road to the finals so far, Amston believes the Stampede has a great chance of lifting the Birgel Cup for the 10th time. He notes between injuries, illness, the birth of some future Stampede players, work and personal commitments, "I don't think we've actually played with a full team a single weekend". "We still have a great chance. "I'd be surprised if we weren't the top contender this year as well and, hopefully, we'll show that this weekend — that we can actually play quite well, and we do deserve to be the no.1 seed."
Otago Daily Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Seasons on ice edge for Stampede, Wild
Canterbury Red Devils' Noah Moncrieff hits SkyCity Stampede's Jett McCullum during last Saturday's game. PHOTO: SUPPLIED 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".
