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LEADERS

Player	Points
J Ratcliffe	42
C Kubara	28
J Maylan	26
J Carey	23
T Kubara	23
K Miettinen	21
T Steven	20
B Kubara	18
M Harvey	15

LADDER

Team	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	CP	PTS
Bears	30	23	5	1	1	0	72
Ice	30	18	7	2	3	-3	58
Thunder	30	15	9	5	1	-3	53
Mustangs	30	13	14	2	1	0	44
Ice Dogs	30	9	17	3	1	0	34
Northstars	30	13	7	3	7	0	52
Brave	30	15	11	1	3	0	50
Lightning	30	9	16	4	1	0	36
Adrenaline	30	5	17	2	6	0	25
Rhinos	30	4	21	3	2	0	20

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The Import Perspective: Austin Cangelosi

Payton Gregor

Austin Cangelosi - A picture of concentration - Photo Credit: Verity Griffin

When Austin Cangelosi arrived in Canberra, the excitement was palpable. His resume reflected seasons in the AHL, DEL, Elite Ice Hockey League’s Elite Series, Elite Hockey Ligaen, the NCAA’s Division I, and the United States Hockey League. The Brave knew they had found someone special and sure enough, Austin quickly became the highest point scorer on the team with 53 points across his 22 games in the regular season.

THE AUSSIE ADVENTURE
When asked why Australia and the Brave, Austin notes, “Most times the off season is just being home in Florida and it's very hot there. Don't get me wrong, it's Florida, it's awesome, but it's a lot of downtime, and I thought I could come here, go on an adventure and still stay in shape, meet a bunch of people, travel to Australia, and also play hockey. I thought when am I going to get an opportunity to come to Australia and be there for four months, not just travel there and visit, but kind of be ingrained in the culture and the everyday life of Australia. I thought that would give me a better perspective than, say, visiting for two weeks and not knowing anybody and being a tourist.”

Arriving in Canberra and jumping straight onto the ice, Austin had no idea what to expect in terms of the AIHL as a league, or the Brave Cave. “I kind of came in without my senses. I had no idea what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of good players in this league – good skaters and good hockey IQ.” His first experience of the Brave Cave was one he isn’t likely to forget anytime soon. “My head was spinning the first time – I have never skated so hard in warm up because of the noise from the crowd. And they are right in your face, hands are coming through the netting, and you can hear them talking as you’re getting hit. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Prior to his arrival, Austin was aware of the Brave’s current position on the ladder. “I was following the team. I saw a lot of guys were on the national team and that's tough. Some of the games were big differences in the score and I was like oh no, we win all the time and now we're not winning, which happens, but I think I came out of time where it was new for everybody.
Everyone was pretty composed and positive in the locker room, and they always believed that we would get out of it which was nice. I’ve been on a team where they panic and start burning the ship, and everyone sinks, and starts pointing fingers, but I thought everyone handled it well.”

Austin Cangelosi - Living on the "Edges" - Photo Credit: Frank Kutsche

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY
Austin’s first impressions of the team environment are ones that have stuck as he has continued to develop relationships with his teammates. “It’s very family oriented. A lot of the guys live close to each other and we’re always going to Belluci’s on Thursday after practice or going for coffee during the day. Everyone is just very social and it's a good environment, and there's a lot of banter which is nice. I thought it was pretty easy to find my place in the team and that’s not because I did anything special, it's just everybody was very welcoming and that made it easy for me. Players, staff, everyone really stepped up and made me feel part of the team right away.”

Not only did Austin find it easy to find his place on the team, but the support from fans was also felt immediately. “Again, I didn't know what to expect. I thought there would be less fans, maybe quieter fans too. I’ve got to say, the Brave, and I'm not just saying this, but the fan base is definitely the best fan base I've been around. And it's not even close. I think a big reason of that is because they're just supporting, no matter what. I’ve never had fans support me when I'm losing and cheering after a game because we lost. And the rink’s going off – we lose by four goals and everyone's jumping up and down. I think it makes it a lot easier to show up to games and know that they're supporting us no matter what - they have our backs, they're so passionate and I think that's pretty special. This the best group of fans I've been a part of.”

Austin Cangelosi - Always digging hard to win the puck - Photo Credit: George Hain

AUSTIN’S CONTRIBUTION
Arriving in Canberra, Austin knew he had a job to do to get the team a place in finals. “I think in this league the imports are pretty relied upon to produce. You know I could back check and do all these things, but if I'm not helping produce, I think at the end of the day it's kind of a let down. So, I like to do all those other things, the little details that help teams win, but also show up in the right moments and make a difference where it matters. I don't know if I've quite done that but I think there's some time left and hopefully I can step up in big opportunities when the team needs it down the stretch.”

Upon reflection, Austin notes the pressure he has put on himself this season. “I know points aren't the most important thing, and I've played hockey long enough to realise that you don't always need to contribute on the score sheet to make a difference, but the games that we lose 2-1 or 3 -2, I do put a little bit of that pressure on myself to be like, okay, I'm here to produce and help the team win. Am I doing my job and am I letting the guys down? So, I do think about that a little bit, but at the end of the day you have just got to try your best and hopefully everything works out and takes care of itself, because if you focus on it too much, I can go south fast."

"Pressure is always in your own mind even if other people are putting pressure on you, it’s still you putting pressure on yourself but I would say it's mostly self-inflicted. I think it's healthy for me though, kind of gets me going and gets a little bit more of the motor turned on.”

In the lead up to finals, Austin highlights there is only so much that can be done between now and the boys taking the ice on Friday night against Perth. “I don't know how much you can really prepare for that because I think the best way to prepare is to actually have three games in a row. We don't have that luxury so there's a chance we could do it and I think it's more mental at that point than physical so it’s just taking one game at a time. If we have four lines going and we're all playing well then it's more rest for everybody and we can kind of just build confidence as a team as well if we start rolling, winning games, winning shifts and then soon enough we're in the final. Again, it's mental and everyone's excited to be there so just take it as it goes and try to be mentally strong, I would say.”

Austin Cangelosi - Loves a faceoff win - Photo Credit: Willie Krause

FINAL REFLECTIONS
“It’s been a really great experience. I keep harping on it, but I think it needs to be harped on, but it’s because of the people. That is usually what makes or breaks an experience. I can go different places, play hockey in different teams, countries, but if you don't have the right people in the right place, in the right setting, then it could make a good situation, like a good place you're in, go south."

"I think it's been very positive, and I think I'm very lucky to be able to do it.”

Austin Cangelosi - Going BIG in Radelaide - Photo Credit: Frank Kutsche

The Import Perspective: Austin Cangelosi

The Import Perspective: Austin Cangelosi

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