Northstars charge ahead to finals.

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The Northstars won a dramatic 9-2 match against the Melbourne Mustangs in front of a capacity home crowd on Saturday 10 August 2024.
 
The Mustangs would score first in period one, but Newcastle would go on to score four unanswered goals before the break. In the second period, Newcastle would score first before the Mustangs managed their sole other goal.
 
Finally, Newcastle would run home hot in the third with another four goals. With these, Drolet secured his hat trick and fourth goal, and Darge and Nadin cemented the win and got the crowd on their feet.
 
Francis Drolet beamed happily as he shared, “I think the guys played well. We had a couple of bad defensive plays where we got loose after five goals, and we can’t do that in Melbourne.”
 
“The coaching staff have broken down every play in each practice with tips here and there to make sure the guys were all on the same page, and it shows on the ice. I think we’re getting better in every position,” continued Drolet. “From the start of the season, we’ve had checkpoints, and to finish first was a big checkpoint for us.”
 
“From the last four seasons I played here, it was the best year in terms of practice. I think everybody’s trying to get better and compete and trying to take it seriously every practice,” finished Drolet.
 
Head Coach Kevin Noble reflected on the year, sharing, "It was one of the more challenging years for us as coaching staff and management in terms of player availability and key injuries. We went through a lot of adversity. I think that is what makes tonight’s win so rewarding; it feels like the right result for our group.”
 
“I loved our first period,” continued Noble. “We had a very dominant first period, and it was a template for how you have to play in Melbourne. Our group understood the assignment well and put ourselves in the best position possible.”
 
“The point now is to build on what we can work on. You’re never going to have a perfect game. The other team will push back, and they’re allowed to play, too. I think that will be our focus over the next couple of weeks, just trying to round out some of the crucial details of our game.”
 
The Northstars will play the semi-final in Melbourne on Saturday, 24^th August.