AWIHL Game Day Program (Finals Weekend - 18-19 March 2023)

In This Edition..

Item

Welcome Hockey Fans

Last Weekend Finals Weekend Schedule

Previews:

- Semi Final 1 - Ice versus Inferno

- Semi Final 2 - Sirens versus Lightning

Team

Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy"

Acknowledgement Of Country

In the spirit of reconciliation the AWIHL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community.

Sovereignty was never ceded and we pay our respect to Elders past and present and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Welcome Hockey Fans!

On behalf of the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League I would like to welcome everyone to the 2022/2023 Final Series in Melbourne.

Importantly, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our special guests who are joining us this weekend - including representatives from Ice Hockey Australia, Ice Hockey Victoria, Victorian Government and our other wonderful sponsors.

I would like to say a massive 'Thank You' to all of the sponsors, supporters, officials and especially the volunteers who make our League happen each and every game around the country.

I would also like to extend this 'Thank You' to Ice Hockey Australia for all of their support, O’Brien Icehouse for hosting what will be another fantastic Final Series in the premier Ice Rink in Australia and Ice Hockey Victoria for the work they have put in behind the scenes.

I would particularly like to thank Mark Weber for all of the hard work he has put into this weekend, as well as Kylie Taylor for all of the graphics produced for the AWIHL

I would also like to give a massive shout out and thank you to the newlycreated AWIHL Marketing team that produced the online Game Day Programs each week for everyone to enjoy - as well as our new live-stream partner Cluch TV.

Finally, I want to wish all 4 teams contesting the 2022/2023 Final Series the very best of luck I hope everybody who is here and at home cheer as loud as possible as we watch the elite female Hockey players from around the country battle it out for the Joan McKowen Cup. We are back!

Michaela Fellowes AWIHL Commissioner

Last Weekend

4-5 March - Ice ArenA, Adelaide

Brisbane Lightning 5 def Adelaide Rush 4

Brisbane Lightning 6 def Adelaide Rush 2

4-5 March - Cockburn Ice Arena, Perth

Perth Inferno 3 def Melbourne Ice 1

Melbourne Ice 4 def Perth Inferno 3

The last games of the Regular Season occurred on the weekend of March 4th and 5th - with the Melbourne Ice making the trip west to take on the Perth Inferno and the Brisbane Lightning travelling to Adelaide to take on the Rush.

While both sets of games were exciting, the Inferno and the Ice had already secured their spots in the Finals - so the battle for 4th spot between Adelaide and Brisbane came down to these 2 games.

Saturday 4th March

Saturday saw a nail-biter, with the Rush coming back from 3 goals down to tie the game at 4 goals apiece. With a few minutes to go, the Lightning scored the Game Winning Goal take the game 5 goals to 4. This meant that Brisbane clinched the remaining spot in the AWIHL Finals weekend.

Over in the West, the Perth Inferno took on the Melbourne Ice - with the home team coming away 3 goals to 1 winners

Sunday 5th March

In the Sunday game between the Rush and the Lightning, the Brisbane team came out of the blocks firing and ended up taking the game 6 goals to 2.

The Final game of the AWIHL Regular Season saw another nail-biting finish with Ice coming out on top of the Inferno 4 goals to 3.

Ice

This Weekend

Inferno vs

First Semi Final

Kicking off Finals Weekend, the league’s most stalwart defence (Melbourne) faces the league’s second-best offence (Perth) in an early afternoon showdown on Saturday.

The Melbourne Ice and Perth Inferno have faced each other twice this season – a split series at Cockburn Ice Arena just two weeks ago.

The Inferno took advantage of home ice in the first tie with a 3-1 victory in the Saturday afternoon game, while the Ice prevailed in a back-and-forth contest 4-3 in the Sunday morning game

Melbourne will be keen to press its home-ice advantage, winning five games and losing just one all season at the O’Brien Icehouse (to defending champions Sydney in overtime). Meanwhile, Perth will look to improve its 2-4 record on the road.

With teams arriving Friday rather than on Game Day, Melbourne’s decisive home advantage will be dulled but not eliminated - especially with a local vocal crowd expected in attendance

Perth boasts the top two AWIHL scorers in Elizabeth Scala (15G-13A-28P) and Michelle Clark-Crumpton (12G-13A-25P) and has occasionally resorted to outscoring its problems this season, with high-event, entertaining results - including a 10-7 victory against the Adelaide Rush.

Melbourne has, instead, favoured a low-event strategem, stifling its opposition with a defensive approach. Melbourne can still score in bunches, but its identity this season is as a defensive powerhouse.

Melbourne will have a choice to make in goal between young Goaltender Makayla Peers and veteran Netminder Jenelle Carson. Both goalies sit first and second on the stats table for Save Percentage (Peers .936, Carson .930) and Goals Against Average (Peers 1.56, Carson 2.13).

Ice

This Weekend

vs

Inferno

First Semi Final

In the 2019-20 finals, the Ice started Makayla Peers in the Bronze Medal game, so the young prodigy has been trusted in big moments before However, of the two Goalies, Carson is yet to be beaten in regulation, sporting a 5-0-1 record this season - compared to a 4-2 record for Peers. It’s a good dilemma for the coaching staff, and the team will be confident of a result regardless of who is between the pipes.

Sasha King, meanwhile, is the most likely choice to start against the Icesporting a 4-4 record and sharing backstopping duties with the Brisbane Lightning’s Imogen Perry for the silver medal-winning senior women’s team.

(Photograph: 'Perth Inferno' Facebook)

(Photograph: 'Melbourne Ice Women' Instagram)

Sirens

This Weekend

Lightning vs Second Semi Final

The season series went 3-1 in Sydney’s favour - however, Brisbane was by no means overmatched. In two of those losses, Brisbane held leads in the third period, only for Sydney to flex their Championship credentials and conjure up two comeback victories - one in regulation and one in overtime.

Last season, the Brisbane Goannas managed a solitary win en route to a last-placed finish. Following rebranding as the Brisbane Lightning at the start of the season, the team finished with a 5-5-2 record and secured third place - an astounding turn-around

The performance of Imogen Perry has been key to Brisbane’s success; she has recorded a stunning 2.81 GAA and a 4-2-1 record.

Sharnita Crompton and Lindsey Kiliwnik have chipped in vital goals for the squad up front, while Jaimi Goonan and Kelly Costa have provided stability on the backend

The team will sorely miss rookie Georgia Watts, who is unavailable due to injury after an outstanding start to the season.

It will take a complete team effort to advance to Sunday’s Grand Final, but make no mistake, Brisbane is not here to make up the numbers and will look to do some damage this weekend

Although Sydney did not claim the Minor Premiership - narrowly losing out to Melbourne - the defending champions must be respected.

The offence is not an issue for the Sirens, recording a whopping 63 goals in its 12 games (525 goals per game) - a full goal per game more than the league’s second most potent offence, Perth (425 goals per game)

This Weekend

Sirens vs

Lightning

Second Semi Final

The Sirens are like the mythical Lernaean Hydra, neutralise one of its weapons, and two pop up in its place. If you focus on keeping Sarah Edney or Sharna Godfrey quiet, Linda Bjorling and Stephanie Newmark will make you pay.

Sirens’ goaltender Sera Dogramaci has had an outstanding campaign As Dogramaci has announced that this is her last AWIHL season, it would be surprising not to see her between the pipes all weekend.

(Photograph: 'Brisbane Lightning Women's Ice Hockey' Facebook)

(Photograph: 'Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey' Facebook)

AWIHL Finals: Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy

Writer: Andrew Macdougall

With thanks to - and published on - 'The Inner Sanctum' (https://wwwtheinnersanctumcomau)

After 231 goals and five months of gruelling ice hockey from coast-to-coast across Australia, there are four teams left standing as the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) finals return to compete for the Joan McKowen Trophy for the first time since 2019.

A tight 2022/23 season would see the fourth and last finals stop up for grabs as it all came down to the last weekend of the AWIHL schedule where the Melbourne Ice, Sydney Sirens, Brisbane Lightning and Perth Inferno all booked their place in the post season

Across the AWIHL season we would see amazing ice hockey, surprise upsets, dominant performances and overtime thrillers between all five teams in the competition. It now comes down to a two-day finals weekend at O’Brien Icehouse Arena in Melbourne to determine the 2022/23 AWIHL champions.

The Inner Sanctum takes a look at some of the key players across all four remaining teams.

First Place: Melbourne Ice

Danielle Butler

It is no surprise when you talk about the Ice that Butler’s name is top of the list, bursting onto the scene this season Butler has been a driving force for the Melbourne outfit. With 23 points (15 goals, 8 assists) the ability for Butler to pop up when the Ice need her has been important.

A strong skater and someone who knows where to be and when to be there, to stop the Ice at their home rink this finals series teams will need to limit the output of the league’s third best scorer.

AWIHL Finals: Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy

Makayla Peers

A rising goaltender star of the AWIHL Peers has been terrific all season for the Ice in between the pipes finishing the season with a save percentage of .936 and a goals-against average of 1.56.

Peers has clearly been the best goalie throughout the 2022/23 season and at 18-years-old the Ice will be hoping that the youngster won’t be overawed with what will come from finals pressure.

Second Place: Sydney Sirens

Stephanie Newmark

A fresh player to the AWIHL Newmark has been outstanding for the Sirens all season with 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) from eight games played.

Arguably the most important player on the Sydney roster Newmark’s ability to control the blue-line with great positioning and ability to distribute the puck has been vital.

If Newmark can hit the scoresheet throughout this Finals campaign it will go a long way to seeing Sydney secure back-to-back titles.

Stephanie Newmark (Photograph: 'Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey' Facebook)

AWIHL Finals: Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy

Sera Dogramaci

The 39-year-old veteran goaltender will be hanging up the pads following this AWIHL season and what better way to go out than to be crowned champions once again.

Putting in another big workload this season with a save percentage of 915 and a goals-against average of 287 Dogramaci hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down.

With the ability to steal games of ice hockey and make the unmakeable save, the Sirens will be hoping for Dogramaci to once again rise to the occasion and guide them to the holy grail.

Third Place: Brisbane Lightning

Imogen Perry

When we talk about the future of Goaltending in the AWIHL Perry is a name that goes straight to the top of the list.

Having another outstanding season for the Lightning with a Save Percentage of .907 and a goals-against average of 2.81 Perry has been superb yet again for the Brisbane team.

Perry is coming off a pair of wins in her last two starts which included a strong performance against the Melbourne Ice. The Lightning will be hoping Perry can go lights-out and shut the door in their semi-final against the Sydney Sirens and advance to the final.

Follow the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League here:

AWIHL Finals: Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy

Lindsey Kiliwnik

While not putting up massive numbers this season compared to others in the AWIHL, the Brisbane Forward has been able to control and sometimes dominate games for the Lightning - finishing with 9 points (6 goals, 3 assists) this season.

A key for Kiliwnik, however, has been the ability to stay out of the penalty box - giving up only two Penalty minutes.

This will be important during the finals, with intensity lifting as Brisbane look to take care of a strong Sirens team.

Fourth Place: Perth Inferno

Elizabeth Scala

The Perth Inferno Forward has been on a heater this season with 28 points (15 goals, 13 assists) and has ramped it up to close out the regular season. Eight points coming from the Inferno’s final three games including a twogoal game leading Perth to a win over the league leading Melbourne Ice.

Perth will face the Ice in the first semi-final and Scala will be an important part if the Inferno are to cause a major finals upset.

Elizabeth Scala

(Photograph: 'Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey' Facebook)

AWIHL Finals: Four Teams, Eight Key Players, One Trophy

Michelle Clark-Crumpton

One of the greats of Australian Ice Hockey and once again putting in a power of work during the AWIHL season, Clark-Crumpton finished second amongst Scoring Leaders - with 25 points (12 goals, 13 assists) - to help guide the Inferno into a Finals position.

The 37-year-old is coming off a strong Australians national women’s team performance in South Africa and has shown no signs of slowing down.

Clark-Crumpton will be an important cog in the Inferno wheel if they are to go all the way and claim the Club's first Joan McKowen Trophy.

Michelle Clark-Crumpton (L) and Elizabeth Scala (R) (Photograph: 'Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey' Facebook)

Sera Dogramaci (Photograph: 'Sydney Sirens Ice Hockey' Facebook)

"Net, Sticks and Chill"

Looking for your AWIHL fix in a Podcast form?

Listen to the Inner Sanctum's "Net, Sticks and Chill" Podcast and you'll hear review, commentary and interviews from around the League - and the Australian Ice Hockey community.

Subscribe now on your favourite Podcast platform.

We would like to thank the Teams and their Photographers for their assistance in putting this Game Day Program together.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read our publication during Season 2022-23 - and also to those who shared this so others could read about our wonderful League and the best game in the world.

See you all again later in the year - for Season 2023-24.

- The AWIHL Marketing Team

Game Day Program Credits

Layout and Design: Scott Stevenson

Content Strategist and Communications: Gordon Goodenough Writers: Michaela Fellowes, Gordon Goodenough, Andrew Macdougall

Consultation Group: Michaela Fellowes, Mikahlia Holmes, Andrew Macdougall, Steven Poletti, Kylie Taylor