NZIHL 2009 Skate of Origin - Game Report

The 2009 NZIHL Skate of Origin was so close 60 minute of ice hockey and a 3-man Shoot Out still came up with no decision. After regulation time both teams were knotted on 5 goals apiece. It wasn’t until the seventh shooter for the Easton North Stars, Charlie Huber, finally broke through that the celebrations and bragging rights for the North Island as holders of the inaugural Glass Family Shield could begin.

The game began with a bang, as within the two-minute mark, Braden Lee from Queenstown slotted home a nifty pass from Paris Heyd out of the corner into the slot passed North Island starting goalie, Zak Nothling. The play began on a solid rush by Lee up the wing and great support play from centre Dale Harrop.

The lead was short lived as the North Island answered back with a couple shifts with Hamilton’s best ice hockey played Brett Spiers netting a Charlie Huber pass past South Island starter and NZIHL Finals MVP Justin Findlay of Christchurch.

A few minutes later Jordan Challis of Auckland busted in on the right wing seeming to slam the puck over Findlay an into the top shelf only to be denied the tally by the officials. This unrecorded snipe would serve as food for the fire for the Northerners for the rest of the game.

The first period ended locked up at one with Joshua Hay of the North Island playing a great game, looking dangerous every time a pass was made in his direction.  For the Bauer South Stars the line of Simon Glass, Adam Soffer and Loren Nowland kept continued pressure of the Northern defensemen.

The second period saw a new pair of goaltenders enter the game with Stephen Reid taking the crease for the South Islanders and Andre Dowman pulling pipe duty for the North.

The south came out ahead after the second frame with goals going to Queenstowners Jamie Moore-Carter and Ryan O’Keefe, followed by Adam Soffer getting a very deserved goal overpowering Dowman with a 5-hole rip.

This spurred the Northern boys into action with Josh Hay finally netting one on a break with less than three minutes to play in the frame. Jordan Challis made a great on-side pass up the middle of the ice, freezing the d-men to a streaking KC Ball who made no mistake with a nifty forehand move less than 30 seconds later to close the gap to within one after two periods of play.

The Southerners pulled ahead on a great conversion by Heyd off another strong move by Lee just before the midway mark of the third putting just one passed Whangarei’s Rick Parry in goal for the North. This brought the intensity of the game to a boil as the North Islanders came back with a must win attitude in the last ten minutes.

Andrew Hay scored his first goal of the season in timely fashion with a well-placed wrister from the top of the face off circle passed Michael Parsons between the pipes for the South. A last second, goalie-pulled goal-mouth scramble in front of Parsons resulted in miraculous goal credited to Ice Blacks Captain, Corey Down playing out of Paraparaumu. The goal sent the fans into a frenzy knowing extra time would be needed to separate these two great New Zealand teams.

Finally after the seventh North Island shooter, Huber scored the North Stars could pour on the ice and celebrate in style. Both Parry and Parsons put up walls in their respective goals.

NZIHF Past President Graeme Glass and SIHL Patron,Ben Glass presented the Easton North Stars with the Glass Shield for 2009, in a touching ceremony to honor the contribution of the Glass Family as builders in New Zealand Ice Hockey with three generations of hockey players in the family.

Game MVP Honors went to Braden Lee for the South Stars in front of the 200 strong crowd at Paradice Botany.

Easton North Stars 6- Bauer South Stars 5 (SO)

North Goals- Brett Speirs, Josh hay, KC Ball, Andrew Hay, Corey Down, Charlie Huber

North Assists- Huber (3), Robert Chamberlain, Speirs, Jordan Chllis, Richard Idoine

South Goals- Braden Lee, Jamie Moore-Carter, Ryan O’Keefe, Adam Soffer, Paris Heyd

South Assists- Heyd (2), Dale Harrop (2), Ryan Ruddle, Steven Vlok, Simon Glass, Lee, Daniel Nicholls