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Two very hungry teams lined up on Saturday, both looking for their first win of the NZIHL season. In the first of two games at Avondale arena, the hometown West Auckland Admirals battled to a hard-fought win against the Dunedin Thunder, 4-2.

For two periods the game was deadlocked at 0-0. Although the Admirals had more chances, outshooting their opponents 31-15, Thunder goaltender Rick Parry was equal to the task. The Admirals should have been familiar with Parry, as he has been their goaltender for the past two years, but they couldn’t find the back of the net.

For the first 6 minutes of the third period, it looked like the game might end in a goalless draw, but then a flurry of action gave the spectators their money’s worth and more! It was the Thunder who scored first on the power play when Jorane Fazende raced around the West Auckland net and tucked one home. Considering how difficult goals have been to come by for both teams this season, it could have been a pivotal moment. However, the Admirals showed a lot of character by applying even more pressure. Finally, with 8 minutes left in the game Blake Jackson beat Parry on the power play to even the score. Two more Admiral power play goals followed by Alex Luggen and Gareth McLeish, putting the Admirals up 3-1 with two minutes left.

Admirals fans were just starting to relax when the Thunder scored a shorthanded goal with only 1:29 to go after an Admirals defenseman passed it straight to Dunedin’s Simon Christos directly in front of the Admirals net. Christos made no mistake and rifled it past Admiral goaltender Mike Parsons. With the game now at 3-2, the tension in the air was thick, but the Admirals once again scored on the powerplay with just over a minute to go on an unassisted goal by Zane Brown. A thrilling last minute followed as the Thunder pulled their goalie for an extra attacker, and the play went up and down the ice, with the Admirals even hitting the post on the empty goal. When the final whistle sounded, the West Auckland fans went ballistic and the Admirals came away with a hard-fought win.

Game two on Sunday night began completely differently, with the Admirals scoring twice in the first five minutes and controlling nearly all of a 7-5 win. The goals by Andy Hart and Pascal Stiefel at the start of the game settled the Admirals and they dominated play for most of the first two periods. By the end of the second period the Admirals were up 5-1, due to three goals in a two minute stretch of the second period by Robert Chamberlain, Stiefel, and 16 year-old Admirals rookie Dylan Dickson, who netted the first goal of his promising career.

Strong play by Admirals goaltender Greg Davis, making his season debut, kept the Thunder silent, with only a goal by Fazende able to hit the back of the net. The Admirals continued to pour on more pressure in the third period, but it was the Thunder who scored first with 13 minutes remaining to make it 5-1. Davis took a knock in the scramble around the goalmouth, and had to be replaced shortly after the goal by Parsons. The Admirals scored again less than a minute later when Chamberlain put home his second of the game, and then Chamberlain added his hat trick with less than five minutes remaining.

The Thunder, however, were not done and showed tremendous spirit down 7-2. In an incredible 40 second span starting with one and a half minutes left, they managed to score three goals to make the score 7-5. A breakaway goal by Fazende, followed quickly by another Fazende goal to complete his hat trick on a double deflection and a Stephen Vlok goal after a scramble near the goal put the Thunder within striking distance.

The Admirals managed to hold on and sweep the home series, but it was a message from the Thunder that next weekend’s games between the two teams in Dunedin will be hotly contested affairs. Get your tickets for what will surely be an outstanding two games!

Game 1

Goals

Admirals – Blake Jackson (1), Alex Luggen (1), Gareth McLeish (1), Zane Brown (1)

Thunder – Jorane Fazende (1), Simon Christos (1)

Assists

Admirals – Steven Huish (2), Pascal Stiefel (1), Alex Luggen (1), Robert Chamberlain (1)

Thunder - None

Shots on Goal

Admirals 47 – Thunder 24

Saves

Admirals – Mike Parsons (22)

Thunder – Rick Parry (43)

Game 2

Goals

Admirals – Robert Chamberlain (3), Pascal Stiefel (2), Andy Hart (1), Dylan Dickson (1)

Thunder – Jorane Fazende (3), Simon Christos (1), Stephen Vlok (1)

Assists

Admirals – Zane Brown (3), Blake Jackson (2), Gareth McLeish (2), Pascal Stiefel (1), Steven Huish (1), Guy Pulman (1), Robert Chamberlain (1)

Thunder – Simon Christos (2)

Shots on Goal

Admirals 56 – Thunder 35

Saves

Admirals – Greg Davis (27), Mike Parsons (3)

Thunder – Rick Parry (49)