Ice too cool for lukewarm Adrenaline

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The Adelaide Adrenaline, proudly presented by Hards Transport, fell 5-2 to the Melbourne Ice on Saturday night. It was certainly not the game the Adrenaline wanted as the premiership favourite Ice controlled the play from start to finish and safely downed the Adrenaline without much threat.

 

Moreover, the Adrenaline were peppered by the Ice with shots all night long. The final total was 42-17 in shots. 

Head coach Sami Mantere says the Adrenaline need to play better for a whole game, not just in spurts.

 

"The effort was there but really nothing went our way" says Mantere. "The first two periods the Ice used the big ice much better than we did. It was better in the third but it was too late in the game to play the way we want. Hopefully we carry it over to tomorrow"

The Ice flexed their muscles early and often in the victory. 

It got started early for the Ice and continued throughout the game. Just three minutes in, import Nicholas Dahlberg scored his first goal of the year to put the home side up one. Just 50 seconds later, Mustangs-transfer Victor Gibbs was left open in front of the goal and buried to make it 2-0.

The Adrenaline were on their back heels the whole first period and trailed 2-0 after the first fifteen after being outshot 10-4.

There was a boost in momentum early in the second, however. Sharp shooter Joey Rezek busted down the right wing for the vistors and sniped top corner to cut the deficit to 2-1.

But the surge was short lived. Bachman, another Ice import, had all day skating all over the Adrenaline in their zone. He eventually put it past King for a 3-1 lead.

Despite a slew of big saves from King, the Ice scored with 40 seconds in the second to seize the game for good. 4-1 after two.

 

The Adrenaline came out with much more energy in the third period. Head coach Sami Mantere broke up the lines and it resulted in a few more chances.

However, late in the period, Matt Armstrong extended the Ice lead to 5-1. 

After a double-minor to former Adrenaline player Kas Delsar the Adrenaline went to work on the power play. Darren Corstens continued his hot form by scoring a late one to make it 5-2.

At the end of the day, the Ice came out with much more energy than the Adrenaline and won the game in nearly every aspect.

The Adrenaline have to, and will be, better tomorrow night.