Game Report: CBR Brave versus Melbourne Mustangs - 30 April 2023

Fresh off a win to the Melbourne Ice, the Caribou CBR Brave faced off against a Melbourne Mustangs team at the O’Brien Icehouse in Australian Ice Hockey League action this afternoon. 

After being tied at the end of Regulation and with 5 minutes of Overtime unable to separate them, it took 3 rounds of a Shoot-Out for the Melbourne Mustangs to prevail in a 3-goals-to-2 win.

Coming into today’s game the Mustangs were undefeated in Season 2023 - and it was clear that the team were primed and ready to face last Season’s Goodall Cup winners.

The game started at a frenetic pace, with both sides having excellent opportunities to score. It was the Mustangs who hit the scoreboard first - through Matt Armstong - before the Brave hit back in the very last minute of the Period with a goal to Matt Harvey. 

The teams went into the First Intermission tied at 1 goal each.

The play of the Goaltenders from both teams was a feature of this game - with the Mustang’s Liam Hughes taking the win, but the Brave’s Aleksi Toivonen meeting almost all of the challenges he was presented with.

The Second Period was an arm-wrestle, with Shots on Goal for the Period tied at 9 each and only a solitary Goal to the Mustang’s Thomas Flack to show on the scoresheet.

The Brave needed to strike quickly in the Third Period and they did - with Matt Harvey pouncing on an uncontrolled rebound from the Goaltender and calmly slotting the game-tying goal into the Net.

Although both teams had their chances through the remainder of the Period, neither was able to convert them - and Regulation ended with the teams locked at 2 goals apiece.

The game moved to five minutes of 3-on-3 Sudden-Death Overtime. While the teams each had chances to score, scores remained locked at the end of Overtime - and it became necessary for a Shoot-Out to determine the winner.

The Brave were unable to score with any of their 3 shots and the Mustangs secured the win on the strength of their first shot on Goal by Sean Jones - the only shot netted during the Shoot-Out.

After a Win and an a Shoot-Out loss from the double-header in Melbourne, the Brave are currently tied for first in their Conference. 

They return home to the Phillip Ice Skating Centre (the Brave Cave) to face the Newcastle Northstars next Saturday May 6 - with the Puck to be dropped at 5:15pm.

Caribou CBR Brave 2 - Melbourne Mustangs 3 (Shoot-Out)
Goal Scorers:
- Caribou CBR Brave:  Matt Harvey (2)
- Melbourne Mustangs:  Matt Armstrong, Thomas Flack