NZIHL Round 3 Preview: Younger Us

Remember when we had them all on the run
And the night we saw the midnight sun
Remember saying things like we’ll sleep when we’re dead
And thinking this feeling was never going to end

Swarm v Thunder @ Dunedin Ice Stadium

A week off and another week under the watchful eye of Travis Crickard will have the Botany Swarm buzzing heading into their weekend series against the mercurial Dunedin Thunder.

The Thunder have started the new NZIHL season looking like the French rugby team. They look down and out, make a miracle third period comeback, get blown out and then have an overtime win.

Dunedin will need to play a more controlled and structured game if they are going have a chance against the systems, speed and team game of the Swarm. Thunder goalie Kane Easterbrook also needs to put in a big performance to help his side grab their first regulation win of the season.


Photo Mike Froger

Stampede v Red Devils @ Alpine Ice

Meanwhile, wounded and angry, the defending champion Skycity Stampede head to Christchurch to play the all of a sudden high-flying and full of confidence Canterbury Red Devils.

After struggling to score in the opening round, the Red Devils returned home to sweep the series against the Thunder scoring 15 goals. Import Ross Venus has looked dominant and NZIHL all-time leading scorer Chris Eaden continues to pile up the points.

The opening games for the Stampede were filled with frustration and penalty minutes, going down twice on the road to the West Auckland Admirals. Can the Stampede return to the mainland and get their first points of the season against the only other side to lift the Birgel Cup in the past six years?

Head Coach Adam Blanchette will be hoping the first hit out was just a temporary pizza sauce stain on their shirts that will get washed away with a powerful performance in the third round.

Photo Kate Harrison

Tickets are still available in both Christchurch & Dunedin so get yours now and of course don’t forget if you can’t make it out to the games, they will be live streamed on the NZIHL YouTube channel.

NZIHL Round 3 Game Schedule:

Swarm v Thunder – Dunedin Ice Stadium
June 7th at 6:00pm, June 8th at 5:30pm

Stampede v Red Devils – Alpine Ice
June 8th & 9th at 4:30pm

Words by Joseph Durie - Please direct all hate to Joe_Ray_Me on Twitter

This article was first published on puckyeah.nz and is republished here with permission.