The Escadia Newcastle Northstars returned home from Adelaide with momentum and six points in tow. The Northstars showed they were ready with a 11-3 win on Saturday night, followed by a 7-3 victory on Sunday – a performance that head coach Kevin Noble called “much needed”.
With the season’s early struggles lingering in the back of their minds, the Northstars found their rhythm on the road, led by star performances and special team’s cohesion that made the games stand out as a course correction.
Saturday’s game was nothing short of eventful. Riley Klugerman and recent import Yevgeni Skachkov both recorded hat tricks, while Kim Tallberg and Liam Ryan added two goals each. Veteran Shane Southwood rounded out the score in what became an 11-goal showcase of the Northstars’ offensive depth and power.
Sunday night was met with, once again, a hat-trick from Klugerman, his second of the weekend. Skachkov tallied another two goals, and Casey Kubara found the net once again. During this intense game, Karel Kubat celebrated his first AIHL goal.
Across the two games the team played on the weekend, the Northstars tallied 18 goals.
The Northstars’ special teams were just as sharp as their offensive prowess. They converted on 3 of 6 powerplay opportunities, and their penalty kill stood out as almost flawless, shutting down eight of Adelaide’s man-advantage situations. It’s the kind of complete-game performance that Noble believes is a sign of a team begging to turn a corner.
“Our best guys were our best guys”, said Noble. “We had some high-end production from some high-end players. This talent showed on the scoresheet for those guys, and it’s showing they are elite.”
Riley Klugerman was the undeniable star of the weekend. With six goals in two nights, he led from the front.
“He is really stepping up for the team,” Noble said. “Riley is obviously a huge part of our team both in the room and on the ice. I think he has more in his game. He has such an elite talent and an elite finish at this level that a lot of guys would kill to have. He only needs one look – and that’s usually enough.”
While the team will enjoy a hard–earned break this upcoming weekend, Noble emphasised the challenges ahead, as the Northstars gear up for a demanding June schedule.
“We’re playing the best in the league at home and were going to have our work cut out for us, no question,” he said. “Sometimes even when you win, there’s still things to continue to improve upon. We use the time to rest, collect ourselves, and spend time with our families – because we are going to have a busy end to the season.”
Coach Noble summed up with “We have a job to do on the 7
th of June. We have got a good opponent that kickstarts our home stand – and it gets a lot tougher from here on out”.
The Northstars return to Hunter Ice Skating Stadium for a critical doubleheader on Saturday June 7
th vs. Canberra Brave at 5pm and Sunday June 8
th vs. Melbourne Ice at 3:30pm. Tickets are available at
northstars.thundertix.com
THUNDER
MUSTANGS
ADRENALINE
ICE
LIGHTNING
NORTHSTARS
RHINOS
BRAVE
