A DEPLETED Newcastle Northstars returned with a win and a loss after their Australian Ice Hockey League double-header against Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs in the Victorian capital on the weekend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Northstars travelled to Melbourne without skipper Bert Malloy (unavailable), Liam Manwarring (injured) and Thomas Landa (injured).
Their resources were further stretched when Paddy Ward suffered an injury that ruled him out of Sunday's clash with the Mustangs.
After three previous losses to the Northstars this season, the Ice hit back on Saturday with a 4-3 victory.
The Ice opened the scoring before Richie Tesarik equalised for the visitors.
Jayden Ryan then put Northstars into the lead, but Ice came back to even it up at two goals apiece.
Leading Northstars scorer Sammy Banga broke the deadlock in the third period, but the Ice struck close to full-time with consecutive goals from John Piotrowski and Tommy Powel.
The Northstars rergrouped on Sunday and showed their true colours in a 4-1 win against the Mustangs.
Goals from Shane Southwood (first period), import Trey Phillips and Hamish Powell (second period) lifted the Northstars to a 3-0 lead before the Mustangs replied, sneaking a goal past Charlie Smart. One more goal from import Francis Droelt, on an empty Mustangs net, sealed the game for the Newcastle team.
The Northstars remain second on the ladder and take on third-placed Sydney Bears at Macquarie Ice Rink on Friday.
The following weekend they face a home-and-away double-header against league leaders CBR Brave in Canberra on Saturday and in Newcastle on Sunday.
Newcastle won their only previous clash with Canberra this season.
