Adrenaline fall the champs

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The shorthanded Adelaide Adrenaline, proudly presented by Hards Transport, are returning from their road trip empty handed after a 4-1 loss to the defending champion Newcastle North Stars on Sunday evening. 

The Adrenaline were within one goal until the last minute of the game.

The loss comes just 24 hours after the Adrenaline fell 9-8 in a crazy contest in Liverpool vs. the Sydney Ice Dogs where the home side scored with just 2 seconds left on the clock to win the game. 

The two narrow losses pushes the Adrenaline to 10 one goal losses on the season. 

Despite the loss there are still lots of positives to take from the weekend. The Adrenaline had injuries to eight players leaving just 13 skaters and two goalies to make the trip. After a Greg Oddy injury and Cole MacMillan suspension the Adrenaline were rendered down to 11 players for Sunday's game. 

The Adrenaline performed admirably with youngsters like Jordan Geyer (18), Remy McGuiness (19), Ryan Foll (19) and Marcel McGuiness (17) getting significant ice time.

Unfortunately on Sunday night class and experience proved profitable for the defending champions. 

The Adrenaline kept the hosts at bay most of the game. They fended off a flurry of opportunities early and held the second most dangerous offense in the league off the score-sheet until the dying stages of the second period. 

The North Stars padded their lead early in the final frame to go up 2-0. 

However, TJ Battani scored a Mortgage Choice Malvern goal with 11 minutes to play in the third to cut the lead in half. 

The Adrenaline could not close the gap despite a large amount of power play opportunities. The North Stars added a couple extra empty net goals late in the third to make it 4-1

INTERESTING NOTES:
- The Adrenaline only had enough heathy skaters to roll six forwards and five "defenseman." Why is defenseman in quotes? Three of those five players are regular forwards filling in for a depleted back line (Rezek, Battani, Geyer)

- The Adrenaline have now lost 10 games by one goal - the most in the AIHL and a club record. 

- Further to the stat above, the Adrenline have been within one goal in the last 90 seconds on 13 occasions. 

- Wehebe Darge remains one goal shy of becoming the first Aussie-born player to score 20 goals in back to back seasons

- Darge also is three goals short of becoming the youngest Aussie to 100 goals in the AIHL

- The Adrenaline's last home games of the season is on August 13/14. Get your tickets at www.trybooking.com/lcoz