Vintage display sees the Brave dreaming of back-to-back Championships

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Photo: Brave captain Kai Miettinen celebrates scoring the team’s second goal - David Tate

Caribou CBR Brave defeat Goodall Cup rivals Melbourne Mustangs 8-2 in convincing fashion to maintain top spot in Rurak Conference and move up to second place in the combined league standings.
 
Everyone braced themselves in line at the Phillip Ice Skating Centre entrance on Sunday. It was a bitterly cold Canberra winter’s day. There were heavy jackets, scarves, gloves and beanies as far as the eye could see. A good contingent of travelling fans from Melbourne, kitted out in distinctive orange and black, were in attendance, no doubt taking advantage of the long weekend to make the trip up on a Sunday. The game was sold-out, with the regular ticket line snaking and wrapping back around to the other side of the rink entrance next to the member’s line.
 
The Brave entered the ice rink fresh and confident, having not played on Saturday and on the back of a two-game hot streak from the weekend before. The Mustangs, also chasing the Goodall Cup this season, arrived in Canberra after a close fought loss to the Newcastle Northstars the day before and without key players Ty Wishart and Liam Hughes. Wishart, a former NHL player and the ‘Stangs’ alternate captain, did not travel, while Hughes was suspended after being sent off the night before in Newcastle for a match penalty.
 
Period one saw an inspired Brave team produce a vintage display of passing, movement and forechecking. It at times was akin to a dance on ice, the movements were so smooth and flowing. Stand in Mustangs goaltender, Sebastian Woodlands, was made to work early and work often as the Brave applied maximum pressure on the visitors. Australian national team player, Casey Kubara, opened the scoring for the home team inside four minutes. Minutes later Brave captain, Kai Miettinen, double the lead. The Brave did not slacken off though, and before the first intermission the home team had the goal horn ringing out two more times, with goals to defenceman Bayley Kubara and G.O.A.T Joey Hughes.


Photo: Brave forward Joey Hughes wins a face-off against a Melbourne Mustangs player - David Tate
 
The Mustangs regrouped in the first break, and despite Casey Kubara adding a fifth Brave goal within 39 seconds of the re-start, the orange men from Melbourne dug in and produced a much stronger showing in the second period. Both sides created chances, but Woodlands and Aleksi Toivonen stood strong in goals. Melbourne finally replied on the scoreboard through Canadian forward Dean Klomp on the power play but were unable to break down the dogged Brave defence five-on-five.
 
With the scoreline at 5-1 entering the third period, the next goal would be vital in setting the momentum of the final stanza. If the ‘Stangs’ could score they could go for a comeback, if the Brave could score it would put the game to bed and secure a comfortable victory.

The period started in a similar pattern to the second period, neither team able to get up over the other. But when Brave import flyer, Austin Albrecht scored the home team’s sixth goal, it was all over red rover, or in this case, orange rover. The Brave steamrolled over the Mustangs in the third, with the spirit of the Mustangs broken by this point. Albrecht scored two more goals to complete his third period hat-trick, and as a fan threw a hat from the stand onto the ice to celebrate the ‘hatty’, it felt like Melbourne really wanted that to be a towel.
 
The visitors did receive a late reprieve with a 17th goal of the season to ex Florida Panthers forward, Scott Timmins. The Brave defence had done such a wonderful job all night keeping the league’s points scoring leader quite that when he did get one, it was too little too late and came off the back of a sloppy ‘too many men on the ice’ team penalty to the Brave.
 
Upon the full-time siren, the Brave had run out 8-2 victors to one of their main competitors for the championship title this season. A stellar result backed by one of the best displays of hockey from the Brave in the team’s history. As the players saluted the fans and did a victory lap around the rink, the adoring crowd went wild with a deafening wall of noise. This was the team announcing, we’re here to go back-to-back and we fear no one.

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Quotes:
Casey Kubara (Caribou CBR Brave forward and double goalscorer):
“The Mustangs game was a great win for us, the boys put in a solid 60 minutes and we’re happy to come away with a win.  It was a full team effort from top to bottom against a solid opponent - and we’re moving in a good direction. We have some big games coming up down the stretch so it’s important to stay consistent and to keep getting better!”

Stu Philps (Caribou CBR Brave head coach):
“I was really impressed with our start against the Mustangs, we were ready to play from the first drop of the puck and we played with a lot of speed for the whole game.  It’s good to see our line chemistry coming together.”

Steve Moeller (Caribou CBR Brave Chief Operating Officer):
“It was a solid team performance against the Mustangs, you can see the guys working better together every time they step on the ice.  We are all looking forward to the second half of the season and the road to the Goodall Cup Finals.”

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For all media enquiries, please contact CBR Brave Media: media@cbrbrave.com.au.
 
Game Summary:
Final Score: Caribou CBR Brave 8 – 2 Melbourne Mustangs
 
Goal Scorers:
Caribou CBR Brave: Casey Kubara (x2), Kai Miettinen, Bayley Kubara, Joey Hughes, Austin Albrecht (x3)
Melbourne Mustangs: Dean Klomp, Scott Timmins

Next Caribou CBR Brave game:
Saturday 17 June 2023: versus Newcastle Northstars - Phillip Ice Skating Centre. Puck Drop: 5:15pm