MUSIC
Hey everyone and welcome to Top Shelf.
I'm Casey Lucas and this week we're going to bring you all the action for round eight
of the NZ IHL.
The Southern Stampede are hosting the West Auckland Admirals down here in Hockey Town,
New Zealand and the Stampede have already secured a finals berth but this weekend they're
hunting for home ice advantage.
I caught up with the coaching staff from both teams before game one to get their thoughts.
Adam, your team is four points away from clenching a home final.
How do you want to get it done?
Well, just the way we've been doing it all year, just going to play our hockey and focus
on what we need to do and you know, I think we're pretty confident that if we play our
game then we'll get to where we want to be and lock up those home finals.
This whole team experience this year has been a building for the future and we've changed
our personnel over the year quite substantially from last year so there's been some wins
and losses with that and I suppose really what we're trying to do is make sure we're
competing in every game that's left and you know, to be in this atmosphere with this noise
and what have you, it gets everyone up and the guys are really keen to get on the ice
and just really give it a crack tonight.
And it makes it down and firing it behind the net, Gray trying to get it out, unable
to do that, shot wide of the net, Schneider and McRae, McRae still containing shot, nothing
in it and it slips past the goalie, shot at the goalie, six minutes and 12 seconds left
in this first period, big race for it here and to the McMaster, turning it up, shot
it, scores, McMaster, Smith, pick, pack and in the net.
That was an incredible goal and Ashton Barks, he just bit on that one, hook, line and sinker.
Plenty of time for the Stampede to get some traction going in front of Perry.
We've seen it done in way shorter time, just waiting for that opportunity.
I must say Emeralds are doing a good job of closing out Stampede at the moment, shot
from the point and scores, right up and over Perry.
It looks like he might have got a piece of that with his kit, but Luke Frey, that slapper
of his from the point, it is lethal.
There's Schneider over the blue line, passes across, shot, scores, high, top corner.
That was Greg Collins, Collins, top corner, Emeralds, wide angle shot.
Puck bounces in front and here's Schneider, skating up over the red line, he's the force
to reckon with, trying to dipsy.
Oh my goodness, that puck crossed the line, that puck trickled right between Perry's leg.
The stick handling of Matt Schneider was spectacular and the goal is awarded.
Emeralds haven't had a good opportunity yet, they're just trying to set things up.
McCog battling against McLeish, McCog just telling McLeish how do you do behind the net.
And the Emeralds in front of the net, shot, scores.
Top shelf, right up and over Brooks's glove, just slightly out of position there.
And now the Stampede pick it up over the blue line, McCray dipsy doodle, shot off the post.
I heard Bells ringing, that rang.
And then Collins picked up the rebound and couldn't put that one in either.
Mike McCray shaking his head after that, he couldn't believe it.
Shot, front, scores.
That was as pretty a pass as you will ever see.
Collins put it right onto his stick beautifully.
When it's shot that hard and that high from that close, what are you going to do?
So we have the Stampede once again and shooting and scoring, guess who, guess who.
He burned, he just scored two goals in under 30 seconds.
Portwood passing it to Schneider, Schneider back to McCray, McCray to Frey, Frey, shot,
scores!
And I believe Portwood got some port wood on that.
Over to McCray, McCray, stick handling, can't quite do anything with it so he fires it over
to the cross corner.
Shot, wide shot, McCray trying to do something with it, big bounce from Portwood in front
of the net.
Now he had a gaping net there because he was actually positioned behind Rick Perry.
Perry, finally, second swing at the puck.
It was a shooting gallery on Perry.
He was doing spectacular.
Now the puck's in that abral zone, falling hard against the boards.
And shot and scored.
I, I felt like I was sleeping because there wasn't much in that.
You just feel the pressure building on both sides.
That's right, there's a little bit of niggle we call that, just a little bit of niggle
and we'll see what, if the lid comes off this with 10 minutes, 17 seconds left.
Schneider stealing, shot and he scores.
Now that was post, kind of back behind Chuma Junior's pad there.
And I think we are going to have our second hat trick of the night.
Forcing the admirals to start behind their own net up to the red line, bumped up to the
blue line.
Fantastic pass there by Brady.
Shot and scored!
Smith to McMaster, that was a gorgeous set up.
Muscled off the puck, the stampede, muscled off the puck and the admirals losing it in
front of the net.
Oh!
Oh!
Dang it!
Travis McMaster collided with him, but he still managed to fling that puck right up
and over to Chuma Junior's shoulder there.
18 seconds left, pass in front, wide shot by Smith, firing it behind the net.
In front of the score!
There's a lot to be said, he just fought through, I think he had Lloyd tackle him in front
of the net and he was still able to just put that extra pressure on the puck to slip it
under, mount Schwartz's pads.
Now Rick, this wasn't the result your team wanted tonight, but how do you plan to regroup
and go back at it tomorrow?
Well, the beautiful thing about these back-to-back games is that, you know, whatever happens
in the first game, you can let it go and come back for a charge, so we just had a good
talk in the locker room and we've already forgotten about it and there were some good
points, but we gave Sanford way too many opportunities and for a team like that, they obviously capitalised.
So, yeah, I think tomorrow just, you know, it's a fresh day, a fresh start and we managed
to get four goals, so we just keep them less than four, then we should be right.
Callum, congratulations on your two goals tonight.
Tell me a little bit about what went into setting that up.
Well, I kind of got into a bit of an open space, it was kind of a lucky plan with Jade
and Greg, they managed to find me pretty nicely and it's pretty much all them, I just managed
to be in the right place at the right time, so I'm pretty happy about it.
One thing we love about coming down to Queenstown is their old-school bubble hockey table.
So we pitted Stampede in ports, Greg Collins and Jade Portwood against each other, while
finding out more about how their hockey journeys brought them all the way down to New Zealand
and our new segment, Arrivals.
How did you guys first get to know each other?
When did you start playing together?
Yeah, we played last season in the UK league.
I shot flies past Kyle Jones, here's an opportunity and it is a wonderful finish from Collins there.
And we were on the same team up in Edinburgh and played for the Capitals.
We had a pretty good year and then Greg had an opportunity to come here and I asked if
there was another spot and he said yeah and that's how we're in Queenstown.
Did you have any particular players that you wanted to emulate when you were growing up
and when you looked up to?
Yeah, we grew up with Brian Gianta and just watching him go to college and I was kind
of following those footsteps and yeah, it's just a good role model for us.
I was a big taught-of-a-tootie fan growing up, I just liked the way he played skill and
a physical style of game.
If there was an incident I tell Fantasy League and you got to draft first, which player would
you draft?
Jade Portwood.
I have to say Greg Collins then.
Yeah, I know he finds a way to score so you want points, right?
Out of the two of you, who do you think will win the ultimate bubble hockey tournament?
I did grow up with a bubble hockey thing in back home so it wasn't quite the same one
but I might have the edge.
Darren, it is Rick Perry's 100th game tonight, tell us a bit about the role Rick plays on
the team.
Well, I think if you look at Rick's history as a young man, you know, he's played for
a couple of franchises, he's the current New Zealand number one goalie for the national
team, he's got a lot of character and he gives a lot of experience to these guys, he's got
a calm nature inside the dressing room and he's just an all-round good guy to be fair.
Now if you guys do a clinch tonight, what's the plan?
Are you going to get Brooks some rest heading into the last few games of the season?
Yeah, well, you know, it's not more giving him rest but we've got a good backup of Matthew
Swartz who's really a, you know, he's a great team guy and he's been here for years and
you know, it's a big reason why we want to get finals locked up so we can stretch our
bench out and get some of those guys that usually don't get that ice time, get them
the opportunity to get a little game in and have some fun.
Lee just bouncing it over and here's a chance with McCoggan Lee breaking down across the
blue line, shot on net, great cover up by the man of the day.
Portwood just losing it in his skates, had a good opportunity, hey, firing it up to the
red line.
Over to Portwood.
That was an incredible pass.
Portwood shoots and scores.
My goodness, talk about a highlight reel pass by Greg Collins there, he snuck it behind
his own back and he found Portwood there like they just had a sixth sense for each other.
Pass in front, here's a chance, shot on net, Ashton getting a piece of that and kicking
it to the side, good test for Ashton Brooks and the puck bounces up but not out.
Here comes Luke Frey.
Luke Frey putting in, oh my goodness, a fantastic save, I believe by Perry or another skate
that got in the way in front of the net, all the way back to Frey.
Oh, now McMaster's there, he took that puck in an awkward spot.
Yeah, he's hurt and he's going off and Admiral's wisely trying to hold that puck against the
boards, can't do that, shot off the boards, the puck whisperer himself, watching the puck
bounce off the boards, finally, Strayer over the blue line McCray, back to Schneider, Schneider
shot all off the post.
That trickled right up and over Perry and it was spinning and spinning and spinning and
pings so gently off the post, now we've got that young Kiwi line for the stampede out
there against the Admiral's top line, talk about faith that their head coach has and
then.
Yeah, definitely training, shot on, oh my goodness, save, Ashton Brooks.
Is there anyone that hasn't touched it, oh, Schneider needs to touch, Portwood, Portwood,
right in front of Perry, Stickhandling, looking for the tuck in, but can't do so, back to
McCray, calling, shot, scorned, oh my goodness, McCray trying to make a pass, but Jackson
ending up with leaving it for Strayer, Strayer shot it, hitting the post.
I cannot believe that did not go in, the light is flashing here in Queenstown, Osirina, same
post, back to Rowley, Rowley to the point and now shot, briefed on it, shot, scored,
Smith, stealing that puck from underneath, true goal, oh my goodness, batting it in, Portwood
battling for it and down and up and she didn't score, what a funky little goal by Jade Portwood
there, Kennedy over the red line, clicking it, oh my goodness, that was, that was just
about a highlight real goal for Taylor Kennedy there, end and hockey and all the way on to
the net, beautiful, to the point, lock shot beautifully by Portwood who stands up again,
oh my goodness, we got Collins Portwood and beautiful work out, oh the lights go on but
no Perry had that, Ellis with that shot from the curling duck, McCray over the blue line,
passing in front, big open juicy net, whoa, Rick Perry scrambled, he dives, he flops,
he reaches, oh that's Collins and Burns that are setting up the play here, puck behind
the net with the stampede in control, still in control, back to the point, Frey, danger
shot, scores, I think it came off a leg even there, I think that collided with Callum Burns
shin pad as he was kind of flinging himself through the crease there, it was a very artistic
goal, trying to get that one more goal before this, back to Diggle, Diggle across ice, shot
high just a little bit wide, shot again from Ben Stores, that was an incredible reaction
time on Diggle there, it was almost like, one timer, yeah that was like less than a
one timer, that was like a half timer, he didn't even take a second to try and collect himself,
that was pure instinct, pure reflex, now Justin, Rick Perry's 100th game, tell us a bit about
what Rick means to you guys, I mean he's hard and soul kind of guy, obviously no team can
be successful without a good goalie, but he adds more value than just his performance
on the ice, he's a hell of a guy in the dressing room, really adds value in other areas that
you guys don't get to see, so he's just a great guy and we couldn't be happier for him, now
Aston with this win you guys have secured a home final, how does that feel, it feels
amazing you know, we've won it the whole year, we love playing in this ring, the fans here
are amazing, we've got so much support and it's the least we can do for them, it's
giving them the final show, so fingers crossed we can win it here and give them all what
they want, the Southern Stampede have secured a home final for the 2015.
And in this week's other matchup, the Botany Swarm caused two upset wins over the Dunedin
Thunder, they mathematically eliminated the Thunder from a spot in the finals, so now
we'll have the Canterbury Red Devils defending their title against the Southern Stampede
who will have home ice advantage, next week's feature matchup for round 9, see the Swarm
face off against the Red Devils in Christchurch, while the Stampede will be in Dunedin to
face the Thunder, for ticket information visit nzihl.com.
On behalf of myself, Dave Dubnick and the crew at Slapshot Productions, thanks for
watching Top Shelf, we'll see you again next week.
