Does it get any better than that?
SkyCity Stampede coach Cam Frear reckons the 2022 season’s been pretty tough on the ticker for players, management and fans alike.
But the nerves were frayed to the point of shredded over the weekend as Stampede went to battle for the Birgel Cup in Auckland against the West Auckland Admirals in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League finals.
‘‘It was definitely the two best teams in the league, which is what you want for finals,’’ Frear says.
Friday night’s nail-biter saw the score tied 3-all at the end of normal time, with goals going to Stampede’s Mike McRae, Adam Soffer and Harrison Macharg.
That forced the game into overtime, and, when the score was still tied, a penalty shoot-out.
Eight saves and a miss later, Connor Harrison, marking his 200th game in the league, managed to do the job for Stampede.
On Saturday, Stampede was 1-0 down at the end of the first period, but ‘‘the whole team knew we could do it’’, Frear says.
‘‘We just had to change the momentum a little bit.’’
Stampede stalwart Matt Schneider equalised the score 63 seconds into the third period — ‘‘once we scored that goal, we had that feeling,’’ Frear says.
Tied again at the end of normal time, just 22 seconds into overtime, Stefan Amston, assisted by McRae and Schneider, clinched the NZ title for the seventh time.
Frear pays particular tribute to goal tender Aston Brookes, who’s had a blinder of a season, but this weekend was ‘‘unbelievable’’ — his performance fittingly saw him awarded finals MVP — team MVP Max Macharg and captain Mitchell Frear who’s ‘‘led by example’’.
‘‘The big thing for us, just to all of the fans and sponsors, a huge thank you.
‘‘We’re an amateur sports team, the support’s [amazing].’’
