Perth, WA – Ice Hockey fans in Perth got to finally see the new look Thunder tonight, and while the loss is hard to swallow, ice hockey is alive and well in WA.
Michael Forney, Matt Strueby, Joe Tolles and Ken Rolph. Remember those names, you’re going to be seeing them often over the next few months. The 2013 imports for the Perth Thunder possess hockey skills not seen in Perth before and from the moment the puck dropped, the fans knew they were seeing the start of something special.
The game started at a fierce pace, with Perth Thunder controlling much of the play. In front of a sellout crowd at Perth Ice Arena, the Thunder had come to play and had the Ice Dogs on the ropes early.
Matt Strueby (20), reinvigorated after finally having had a chance to recover from the demanding travel schedule of last week, looked like a new man. Playing on Michael Forney’s (7) wing, but often taking the draws, the Canadian looked comfortable in his role and was able to compliment Forney’s speed and passing.
An early hooking penalty to Ice Dogs import, Matt Puntereri (23), had the Thunder on the powerplay. While it couldn’t convert the chance, the puck movement by the first powerplay line showed confidence, with Forney showing his leadership during the play. The Thunder were relentlessly over the first 10 minutes of the first period. The speed of the squad seemed to surprise the Ice Dogs and while neither team could tally a goal, the crowd was surging, as they knew it was only a matter of time.
Import defensemen, Joe Tolles (27), was a revelation on the Blue Line. His speed and offensive focus highlighted the traits of the modern day hockey defender. Tolles plays a confident, two-way style of hockey and during the two Thunder powerplays of the first period, Tolles easily played the part of blue-line quarterback. While he tended to look for passes rather than take a shot, his ability to move active patrol the point allowed the forwards to cycle freely and create a vast amount of opportunities.
The second period opened and less than three minutes into the period, Matt Strueby was able to beat Ice Dogs goaltender, Anthony Kimlin’s (1) glove and score his first AIHL goal. In a moment of mixed relief and joy, Strueby looked to the sky, relishing his first goal in a Thunder jersey.
Not to be outdone, Michael Forney would strike two minutes later to move Thunder into a 2-0 lead. With Thunder on the Powerplay, quick passing from Tolles and Strueby left Kimlin vulnerable on his blocker side and Forney didn’t waste any time filling the net before Kimlin could get back into position.
The Ice Dogs were able to capitalize a few minutes later while Andrew Cox (24) served a minor penalty for Interference. Puntereri would score the Ice Dogs first goal, again impressing, as he continues to rack up the points. With only five minutes left in the period the Thunder would strike again, however the goal was disallowed after a hasty whistle. It would be the first of two disallowed goals and would leave fans wondering ‘what if’.
Before the period concluded, the Ice Dogs were able to score twice more, with the goals coming from Barg (24) and Malloy (20).
As the third got underway, the crowd made themselves known as they attempted to cheer the Thunder towards their first home win of the season. The ice was more balanced in the third and both teams were getting some great looks. Halfway through the extended period, the Ice Dogs were finally able to break the stalemate and score, with the puck again coming off Puntereri’s stick. He would score again before the close of the period to record a Hat-Trick.
Down 4-2, the Thunder kept driving forward and after a skirmish around the Ice Dogs net, Kenny Rolph (6) was able to slide the puck through the crowd of players and past Kimlin to close the gap to 1. The Thunder continued to fight for the puck and wouldn’t let the Ice Dogs cruise to an early victory, but with less than five minutes left in the period, Puntereri would score his final goal to put the result out of doubt.
It was another close game between the Thunder and Ice Dogs and if the Thunder can continue to build on the last few results, these two teams could very well be meeting at the tail end of the season.
While scoreless, Jonathon Bremner (16) continues to develop and logged some good minutes on the top line with Forney and Strueby. Captain, Sam Wilson (4), again showed how much he enjoys playing in front of the home crowd, using his physical presence to dictate play and picking up an assist on Rolph’s goal.
Speaking with Thunder goaltender, Michael Smart (1) after the game, he said:
‘Tough game, tough loss. The team played well, but we had a few breakdowns. The good thing is that most of our issues are problems we can solve’.
When asked about what needs to change for tomorrow’s game: ‘Not too much really. We need to tighten up and work on communicating a little better. The D [defense] didn’t take too many risks, a few passes that weren’t always there, but nothing too crazy.’
GAME STATS
Shots on Goal: 46 (Thunder) – 28 (Ice Dogs)
Goal Scorers (Thunder): Strueby (20), Forney (7), Rolph (6).
Goal Scorers (Ice Dogs): Puntereri 3 (23), Barg (24), Malloy (20).
Perth Thunder plays the second of back-to-back games against the Ice Dogs tomorrow at Perth Ice Arena. The puck drops at 4:30PM.