Stampede brings down Thunder 51
FIVE consecutive goals helped the Stampede down the Thunder 51 in Dunedin last night to take the early advantage in their twogame provincial derby.
The Otago sides were closely matched early in a game that featured plenty of intense and physical play in their National Ice Hockey League match.
Neither team could break through to score during the first period.
The two teams came out fired up in the second period.
The walls of the Dunedin rink got a good working over as players from both sides shouldered each other into it heavily.
Less than four minutes into the second stanza the scores would eventually be broken.
The Thunder’s Charles Plaisir put his side in front after a quickly worked move with Jacob Hurring and Jo Orr.
That goal broke the game’s scoring drought and set off three more quickfire goals.
Harrison Macharg slotted the Stampede’s first goal less than a minute later.
Mike McRae and Matt Schneider added two more goals for the visitors to give the Stampede a handy lead midway through the second period.
Later in the second period a minor scuffle broke out between the two teams.
It was quickly broken up by the referees.
The Stampede’s Kory Helowka and Machard and the Thunder’s Plaisir were charged with rough ing after the incident.
The teams went into the final period with the Stampede leading 31.
The physicality seen in the second period did not let up in the third period.
The Stampede extended its lead with Schneider slotting his second goal.
An endtoend solo move from Callum Burns took the Stampede to 51 with what would be the final goal of the match by the midway mark in the final stanza.
Late in the game the Stampede’s Stephen Johnson went down in a heavy collision and left the ice.
The Thunder’s Shaun Brown was charged with checking to the head and neck.
The Stampede’s Braden Lee was charged with unsports manlike conduct.
A nasty incident also occurred earlier in the match came when Thunder player Dylan Devlin took the butt of an opponent’s stick to the eye region.
Devlin dropped to the floor in anguish immediately before leaving the ice.
He was examined by medical staff and returned to the game.
The most bizarre events during the match came when a spectator loudly chanted ‘‘Otago’’ periodically through the first two periods.
The spectator may have been confused about the provincial allegiances of the Dunedin and Queenstown sides or was showing his support for both teams.
The Thunder and Stampede play the second of their roundrobin doubleheader in Dunedin at 5.30pm today.