It’s only SkyCity Stampede’s third round of the season, but the Queenstown ice hockey team’s clash with Auckland’s Botany Swarm this weekend already shapes up as a preview of the finals.
Swarm are six from six, having bowled over Canterbury Red Devils, Phoenix Thunder and West Auckland Admirals.
Defending champs Stampede, by contrast, have so far only had easy wins over Thunder and Auckland-based development side Mako.
Coach Cam Frear admits this weekend’s home double-header will be ‘‘huge’’.
‘‘We’re really excited to obviously test ourselves and see where we’re at.’’
Is he concerned Swarm have had harder hockey so far this season?
‘‘I guess they’ve played more hockey, so they’ve got a better idea of where they’re at.
‘‘They’ve got a new [Czech] import, Petr Stepanek, who is really dangerous — I think he scored maybe 10 goals in his first six games.
‘‘We have to try and keep him quiet if we’re going to be successful.
‘‘For us, it’s just playing our own game, playing with speed, and just trying to get the momentum, using the home crowd to our advantage, and trying to play our brand of hockey.’’
Frear concedes the teams could well meet again in the finals, but says you don’t want to write off last year’s beaten finalists, the Admirals — ‘‘they’ve been there for probably the last five years’’.
Puck drop at Queenstown Ice Area tonight and tomorrow is 7pm.
Stampede player opposes the Stampede
For SkyCity Stampede’s first home games, two weekends ago, against Mako, they lent their opponents about five of their own development players.
Among those getting their first taste of New Zealand Ice Hockey League (NZIHL) action was squad member Joel Gerard (pictured above).
‘‘With us having two Ice Black goalies, it was a great chance for him to play his first NZIHL games,’’ Frear says.
A Wakatipu High student, Joel was in the NZ under-18 team which won gold at the U18 division 3 group B world champs in South Africa in March.
Stampede beat Mako 9-4 and 10-3, however the results didn’t count for league points.
