Perth Thunder (3-5-0-0 – 9PTS)
vs
Melbourne Mustangs (3-4-1-0 – 11PTS)
Medibank Icehouse, Melbourne
Saturday June 1 @ 3.00PM (WST) and Sunday June 2 2013 @ 1.30PM (WST)
No live stream available
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After splitting the last three weekends of play, Perth Thunder travels to Melbourne to take on the Mustangs in a Saturday-Sunday double header. .
Both sides are sitting in the middle of the ladder, in 5th and 6th spots respectively. A strong weekend from either side would likely lead to a top four position and illustrate which side is likely to be battling for a trip to the finals come the end of the season.
Last week, the Thunder’s offense was rolling, scoring nine goals in two games. The high-flying first line of Forney-Strueby-Wilson was dominant, combining for five goals and 12 points in the Sunday-night win over the Ice Dogs.
Michael Forney is starting to really show the league what he’s capable of. After a quiet start, he has scored 13 points in the last four games, and sits 8th in the scoring race, having played two games less than the leaders.
Coach Stan Scott will have some different options on the Blue Line this week, with AIHL veteran Kevin Darcy joining the squad. Darcy last played in the league in the 2011 season with the Melbourne Ice. The 6’4” defender is an opposing physical presence and is best classed as a ‘stay-at-home’ defenseman, a role that could significantly benefit a ‘run-and-gun’ team like the Thunder.
Darcy has spent the last two years playing for Marian University in the NCAA Div.3 competition and represented Australia earlier this year at the World Championships. The 23 year old Australian arrived in Perth yesterday and will travel with the team to Melbourne today (Friday). His experience playing at the Icehouse in 2011 and winning a championship with the Ice will be invaluable to the Thunder. .
For the Mustang’s, the return of Jamie Bourke looked to kick-start their offense in a strong win over Canberra at home last weekend. Bourke recorded a hat-trick in the win and looks to be in good shape heading into the middle of the season.
American Import Patrick O’Kane will be a player to watch. The collegiate player is enjoying success in his first year in the AIHL and has seven goals in his first seven games.
Like the Thunder, the Mustangs have had closely fought battles with some of the competitions top teams and will be looking to secure as many points from this weekend as possible..
After the win over the Ice Dogs, the Thunder are a team on the rise. With the new players starting to click, and the additional support on the blue line, it’s going to be fun to watch what this team is capable of over the coming weeks.
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