Northstars split the weekend in Brisbane

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It was a big weekend in Brisbane for the Northstars, going down 5-8 on Saturday evening and winning 6-5 on Sunday afternoon in a shootout.
 
Saturday was a tough game with a number of penalties for the Northstars. Andrew Smardon stepped into the line-up for the weekend and secured three points, lifting the team and pushing them throughout Saturday's game. Coming down to the wire, one goal behind, they pulled Smart from the net for the extra player advantage but fell behind, with Brisbane capitalising to score two empty net goals and win at home.
 
Sunday was a completely different game, with both teams coming out hard and scoring one-for-one. End of the first period, the game was tied. The Northstars got their first lead of the weekend at the end of the second period, but with the game tied at the end of regulation, it went into overtime.
 
After a scoreless overtime with the Northstars on a penalty kill, the result was decided in a shootout. Klugerman and Darge both scored for the Northstars, and Smart blocked both shots for the Brisbane Lightning, securing the win for the visitors.
 
Head Coach Kevin Noble reflected on the weekend and shared, “With our short team, I thought our team as a whole battled hard across the whole weekend. It was not ideal regarding our expectations internally for game management and the responsibilities of our guys, but we are happy to come home with two points.”
 
“The overtime speaks volumes about our team and their commitment to fight for each other to the end.”
 
Andrew Smardon joined the team on the Brisbane road trip this weekend, “It was nice to insert him back into the line-up and reward that commitment and hard work he’s put in for the year. It was good to have him go out and support the team that way.”
 
“Now we need to get healthy, get our players back and focus on finals.”
 
“From my perspective, the important job of clinching a playoff spot. That was our main goal from the start of the year, and it’s done.”
 
“Now we work on making sure we’re being smart with attention to detail and our systems, and that we are taking care of our health ready for playoffs.”
 
The Northstars will return to a doubleheader at home next weekend hosting the CBR Brave on Saturday and playing the postponed game vs Brisbane Lightning on Sunday.