Northstars host SJU Johnnies

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The Northstars welcomed the Saint John’s University Johnnies to Newcastle on Sunday night for a thrilling and fast-paced match-up that both players and the fans enjoyed.
 
Coming away victorious, the Northstars have been “part of something special in building the reputation for our club and the league. This win is a message globally that Australia is on the map, and we can stand up to that level of hockey,” shared head coach Kevin Noble. “They really brought a lot of pace, and the impressive thing is that we were able to match it.”
 
SJU Head Coach Doug Schueller shared, “It’s been a little while since we’ve been on our skates because of travel, so it was good to get back on the ice, and all our guys had a lot of fun. What we learned today is that Australia has good hockey teams here, and it was very entertaining.”
 
“Tonight was fun for us to play in front of a vocal crowd. The Aussies are good people, friendly and fun. We can’t thank the crowd enough for coming in and watching this game and supporting both teams,” Schueller finished.
 
“It was a great experience for many of the guys and a good test for our younger and older guys. As much as getting the win and having a six-point weekend was important, we wanted to have a good showing,” Noble stated.
 
Veteran player Sean Oultram shared, “That was a fun one. It was a nice, clean, technical game. It was fast and one of my favourite games of the season so far.”
 
“That was really, really fun hockey. Coming into that, it was a highly intense game and just so much fun. Facing a team like that is almost easier, as you know what they’re trying to do, and I can read it and play my best when stepping up to a challenge. I loved it,” netminder Charlie Smart reflected.
 
SJU Captain Auggie Moore, “I thought that game was super fun. The fans were awesome, and I can’t say enough about how great the Northstars were as opponents. We didn’t really know what to expect, but it was great fun, and we have been treated so well.”
 
Ethan Hawes was beaming as he shared, “That was a lot of fun, and I am really proud of the boys. I think Australian hockey doesn’t get as much respect as it deserves, so winning against a quality team like this says a lot about our club.”
 
“The pace was great, coming home from playing overseas in North America, it was really nice to play that game style again, and they’re a little more physical than other AIHL teams, so it makes it one of those games we all really love to play.”
 
SJU alternate captain Henry Enebak smiled, “We had a great experience and just so much fun. Most of us have never been to Australia before, and it’s been memorable to come and play against this team. The crowd was unbelievable. They were rowdy and just super fun which made it a great environment to play in. We loved skating around doing the lap at the end of the game with the Northstars as we don’t have that in America.”
 
Another of the Northstars veterans, Tim Stanger, shared, “That was really fun, really fast, and there were lots of young quick guys out there, and we had to change our mindset and push ourselves. We need to come out in our regular season games exactly like that, so we’ve learnt from our experience tonight.”
 
“We didn’t really know how we were going to shape up, but this was good to see how much the league has grown since I started in it, and it really puts us on the map and into the minds of more Americans now, that there’s hockey in Australia,” reflected fan favourite Shane Southward.
 
The Northstars look forward to a doubleheader at home against Brisbane Lightning on the 27^th and 28^th of May at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium.