Fresh off a big win in the first leg of their away weekend against the Newcastle Northstars at the Hunter Ice Skating Stadium, the CBR Brave were not expecting an easy game - and they did not get one on Sunday. Following his 100th game for the CBR Brave last evening, Casey Kubara was looking to score his 150th point for the club - and the game would also feature the battle of two of the League’s leading Goaltenders - Alex Tetreault of the Brave and James Downie of the Northstars.

The First Period began where yesterday’s game had left off - with frantic back-and-forth play and both teams having good chances to score early. The teams traded penalties and the Brave went on the attack, but it was not until the fourteenth minute of the Period that the tie was broken. Northstars captain Liam Manwarring seized his chance - skating the puck down to the hash marks and hitting the back of the net over Brave Goaltender Alex Tetreault’s glove.

For the Northstars John F. Kennedy Jnr. took a penalty for a high stick - and the Northstars almost doubled their lead with a short-handed 1-on-1 breakaway which bounced off the post and was recovered by the Brave. The Brave were to be on the Power Play again after the expiration of the Penalty, when JFK skated onto the Ice and was immediately called for cross-checking Mario Trabucco.

The Brave piled on the pressure for the Power Play - with shots peppering Downie, and this paid dividends in the final minute of the period - with Bayley Kubara  receiving a pass from behind the net and shooting a goal between body and post over Newcastle Goaltender Downie’s catcher to tie the game at 1-all. Bayley was assisted by Wehebe Darge and his brother Casey, who racked up his 150th point for the Brave with the assist.

The First Period ended with the scores locked at 1-all. It was a period of fast, skilful Hockey - with the Northstars coming out with more purpose than yesterday’s game. The Brave out-shot the Northstars 14 shots to 8 - but could not convert their chances.

The Second Period saw more end-to-end Hockey - with the Brave drawing a penalty for a Trip, and a minute later another identical penalty. This gave the Brave a 5-man-on-3 advantage, which Brave Import Mario Trabucco capitalised on with a clinical strike from the hash marks to take the lead for the Brave 2 goals to 1 in the fifth minute.

The Brave continued to attack but could not find the back of the net. To make their job harder, they found themselves on the Penalty Kill numerous times after penalties for Hooking (seventh minute), Interference (thirteenth minute) and Tripping (twentieth minute).

In the Third Period, the Brave found themselves on the Penalty Kill in the sixth minute - with a tripping call on Tyler Kubara - and again in the ninth minute, when a contentious ‘tripping’ penalty was called on Alastair Punler. The Northstars were able to capitalise at the end of the second penalty, with Captain Liam Manwarring scoring from the hash marks to tie up the scores at 2 goals apiece.

Barely a minute and a half later, the Northstars took the lead when a lost puck behind the net was fed out to the front and Francis Drolet beat Goaltender Tetreault to register the team’s third goal.

The Brave’s penalty woes continued, with two additional calls going against them resulting in man-advantages to the Northstars. Despite this, they continued to attack and make chances but they were unable to convert them and the Northstars took the game 3 goals to 2.

Despite outshooting the Northstars 32 to 27, the tale of the evening was the Brave’s inability to find the goal and their numerous penalties meaning they spent much of their time killing penalties (six minutes in the Second Period and eight minutes in the Third). Of concern to the Brave, too, is an injury to speedster Lyndon Lodge.

The Brave have next weekend off - and then travel to Melbourne to take on the Mustangs in a double-header July 2 and 3.

Goals:
CBR Brave:  Bayley Kubara, Mario Trabucco (1)
Newcastle Northstars:  Liam Manwarring (2); Francis Drolet (1)