SkyCity Stampede’s coach says his Queenstown ice hockey team’s two big wins over Dunedin’s Phoenix Thunder last weekend have set them up well for the rest of the season.
In their first home games in six weeks, Stampede hammered Thunder 10-2 and 8-3, though coach Cam Frear says those scores don’t necessarily reflect the closeness of the games.
‘‘It did take a lot of time to get there, especially in that second game.’’
He’s delighted he could give game time to some of his younger players including first-timers Joel Gerard and Joel Paterson.
‘‘A lot of them have been going to Canada and America to school, it’s good for them to kind of measure where they’re at in the men’s league as well.’’
Another highlight for home fans was seeing former captain Matt Schneider putting on a Stampede jersey again during a brief visit home.
‘‘He’s a game-changer and a leader,’’ Frear says.
‘‘It’s awesome having him back and then having the ability to have him play with some of our up-and-coming junior players was awesome for them.’’
He notes Gerard and Paterson were six and seven when Schneider first played for Stampede in 2012.
After a break this weekend, second-placed Stampede round out their round robin by playing, in successive weekends, West Auckland Admirals at home and away and Canterbury Red Devils at home in a bid to topple top-of-the-table Botany Swarm and secure home finals.
‘‘All of these games will be really tough,’’ Frear says.
‘‘It’s pretty much like a big playoff series for us.’’
Challenge on for Wild
The Wakatipu Wild women’s ice hockey team remain unbeaten in the New Zealand Women’s Ice Hockey League, but are facing their biggest challenge yet.
The Wild will host second-placed Dunedin at the Queenstown Ice Arena tonight and tomorrow nights — a side that’s only dropped one game, against Auckland, so far.
It’s also the last chance for Queenstowners to see the women play at home this year, given their next games will be the semis and, hopefully, finals in Dunedin on August 19 and 20.
Coach Colin McIntosh says they only need to win one of two games this weekend to go into the finals weekend in pole position, but are expecting two huge games.
‘‘No matter what league it is, every team brings their best against the Queenstown-based team, so we’re definitely expecting Dunedin to come in here and be a formidable opponent.’’
While the Wild will be without some key players, due to injury and illness, that gives an opportunity for younger players to ‘‘step up and show us what they can do in big games’’, he says.
And they’re hoping to pack the barn — ‘‘The last home round was really good … we had 500 people, I’d say.
‘‘It was a great atmosphere, the girls loved it and, obviously, they gave the fans a show, so we’re hoping the tickets [for this weekend] start selling.’’
Puck drop’s 7pm both nights — tickets are available via Eventfinda.
