There are no easy games in the AIHL and road game points are vital. In what was a real bump and grind battle, an under strength Thunder secured two valuable points and a first win.
“It is on the road where you earn your finals spots … I think this year teams will need nine road wins to secure finals, it is going to be a very tough season. I think most teams will be solid at home so road wins will be crucial in shaping the season. A split in Adelaide is a good start to our games on the road … there are not many tougher places to take points” said GM Stan Scott.
How did the new imports go and what is their role?
“Newly signed Finnish imports Kim and Aku, did a solid job considering they haven’t trained with the team yet. They have joined the squad to add depth with our forward line. Fox is still another week away and Toy is out injured and we won’t know the time frame until after his operation so we needed more scoring options. Both are quick players with good hand skills and we feel they can do a job for us in front of goal.”
Is the lack of goals becoming an issue or concern?
It is a simple fact we need to score goals to win, and as the fans know we have always been a high scoring team and that is what they pay for and expect. Yes it is a concern, but our main goal scorer still has yet to arrive, we have a lot of faith when Fox comes and the lines are restructured goals will arrive. We have also focused a lot on solidifying our defensive structure which has been improved greatly.
How did the Rookies perform on the road?
Jaime woodman and Shaun Tobin both played fantastic and both played regular shifts, they had as much ice time as anyone on the team and they are adapting to the level very fast.