THE Newcastle North Stars will look to retain the top spot on the Australian Ice Hockey League ladder when they go head-to-head with the second placed Perth Thunder this weekend.
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The North Stars moved to equal first with the Thunder on Saturday after defeating Adelaide Adrenaline 6-3 at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.
Following their 5-1 win over the Canberra Brave in the ACT on Sunday, the North Stars moved three points clear of the Thunder to lead the competition.
Last weekend’s double win did not come easily.
The Adrenaline put up a strong defence on Saturday and held the North Stars at bay 1-0 for the first period.
North Stars coach Andrew Petrie said Adelaide’s defence was exceptional with players crowding the space in front of the net to limit Newcastle’s goal-scoring opportunities.
“They played a very simple collapsed defence,” he said.
“Rather than trying to adapt, we kept trying to fight through it.”
A change in tack from the North Stars for period two turned the game on its head.
By the end of the second period the North Stars led 4-2 and by the third period Newcastle had done enough to win the game 6-3.
On Sunday the North Stars jumped on a bus to Canberra to face the Brave.
The North Stars overcame fatigue to play a strong game against the Brave and win 5-1.
The win marked the fifth consecutive game the North Stars have taken out.
This weekend the North Stars will travel to Western Australia to play two games against the Thunder.
From the five games the North Stars were scheduled to play this month, only one will be played at home (July 11).