This week’s Q&A features a new name for the Brave this year - Matt Marasco..

Congratulations on your play this year! How do see the team’s performances so far?
Thanks Scott I appreciate that. It’s been an exciting year for the boys. We’ve battled through adversity on multiple occasions and shown our true colours. We aren’t done yet though. Looking forward to finishing the year strong!

This is your first year with he CBR Brave. What has been your journey to play with the team?
It’s been a really unique journey for me! I played my last competitive year of hockey in 2009/10. So I spent the early part of this season shaking off the rust. (Especially off my skates, for anyone out there keeping tally on style points.)
But in all seriousness, I moved to Australia in 2016 because I got offered a job here as a Special Education Teacher. I didn’t think hockey would be part of my life anymore. I was very grateful to find out there was a hockey community in Canberra, and even more grateful when given the opportunity to play at the Brave Cave in front of some of the best fans in Australia!

The step up from the local Leagues to the Brave must be large. What is the hardest thing you have had to get used to in playing with the Brave?
Well as I stated before I hadn’t played a game of full contact hockey since 2010, so I think the hardest thing was - and still is - the fitness level. It’s a big jump from playing Beer Leagues with no training sessions to playing with and against some of the best players in Australia.

You scored your first goal for the Brave against the Bears earlier this year. What do you remember about the goal?
Yeah look I’ll take credit for that goal but it was a beautiful play by Casey Kubara. He won the draw and walked right through the Centreman and made a pass over to Dr. Darge. The puck bounced off a few people and ended up right on my stick. It was a great feeling to get one at such an important point in the game!

How well do the players hear the crowd on the ice? Do louder fans help fire the team up - especially when we are playing Away?
Of course we get fired up when we hear the crowd! We walk into every barn with the mentality that we own the place. Makes it even better when our fans have our back! I’ve never been a part of a team where the fans have been so present at Away games. It’s a pleasure to play in front of you guys!

Do you have any message you’d like to give to the Brave Fans?
We are so grateful to play in front of you beauties but we aren’t done yet! Let’s keep it going!!

The Brave have finished their Regular Season play for 2022 - and are gearing up for the AIHL Finals weekend. The Final Series will be held from Friday September 2 to Sunday September 4 at the O’Brien Icehouse in Melbourne.

There are still tickets left for the Finals - more details can be found on the Australian Ice Hockey League website (https://theaihl.com).
And if you can’t be there to cheer the team on in-person, you will be able to see all of the Finals on Kayo Freebies. (https://kayosports.com.au/freebies).
 

 Go Brave!