PREVIEW: Adrenaline Travel to Perth For Top of The Table Clash

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It looms as a potentially season defining road trip, a top of the table clash and a chance to make a statement as the Adelaide Adrenaline travel West to take on the league-leading Perth Thunder.

After a physical and heated home stand against the hapless Sydney Ice Dogs that saw the Adrenaline record their first consecutive home victories of the season, the team will be looking to carry this momentum forward against a Thunder side that will prove much tougher competition.

The road-trip to Perth will also be of special importance to rookie Adrenaline goal-tender Charlie Smart.
Smart, a Perth native joined the Adrenaline this season after struggling to get a game for the Thunder and has been instrumental in Adelaide’s success so far this campaign.

Adrenaline Coach, Ryan O’Handley expects it will be a big weekend for Smart both on and off the ice but feels the young stopper is more than up to the challenge.

“It will be big for Charlie, being from Perth, so he will be pretty excited for the weekend. We’ll just want Charlie to keep playing like he’s playing, he’s playing good, solid hockey and we can’t ask much more from the kid,” O’Handley said.

No doubt a lot of load will be placed upon Smart, as the Adrenaline last weekend lost its other starter in Peter King to a nasty hamstring injury.
The team will also travel without the experienced Graham Charbonneau and leading-scorer Tyler Grove, both of whom were suspended for their respective roles in a fight late in last Sunday’s game against the Ice Dogs.

In spite of the suspensions, Adrenaline defenceman Sean Greer said it is important the team stand up for one another and regarded it as something that has built great morale around the group this season.
“We’re trying to create a team atmosphere this year together, so if anything happens to any of us, we’re all in there and that’s where we’re getting all our penalties but the thing is, it’s creating good morale for our team,” Greer said.

It will take more than just morale however to beat the Thunder in their own rink and the team will need to lean heavily on Smart as well rolling all three lines in order to generate offence and shut down Perth’s high-quality top offensive line.

The Adrenaline and Thunder face off for two games this weekend, with puck-drop on both Saturday and Sunday at 4.30PM Perth Time.