Northstars cleared the storm to shine bright at home

---

The Escadia Newcastle Northstars put on a performance over the weekend at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium. The team proved too strong delivering back-to-back wins over the Brisbane Lightning with a 7-3 victory on Saturday, followed by an 8-4 win on Sunday.
 
In front of a fired-up home crowd, the Northstars controlled the pace of both nights. They showcased aggressive, high-energy games that left little room for the visitors to respond.
 
Saturday night’s clash was more than just a game: it was a celebration of culture and community. The Northstars, wearing NAIDOC jerseys designed by local artist Nina Ross, opened the night with a Welcome to Country that was delivered by Aunty June Rose.
 
The energy carried into the game, with the home side giving it all they had from the opening puck drop. “From the get-go, we were on our toes, and we were good.” Head coach Kevin Noble said post-game. “We got in front of the net tonight, took the goalie’s eyes away and shot pucks. We were very direct, and I love that about our game.”
 
The Northstars jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the first break thanks to goals from Beau Taylor and a brace from Yevgeni Skachkov. By the second intermission, Kim Tallberg and Karel Kubat added to the tally, giving Newcastle a 5-2 advantage.
 
Captain Liam Manwarring praised the team’s back-end execution. “We had three goals from our defencemen and just straight through a screen. The goalie didn’t see it. It’s the simple little things that we’re doing really well, and we deserved all six points this weekend.”
 
Kubat and Riley Klugerman sealed the result in the final period, closing out a complete team performance with a 7-3 final score.
 
The Northstars didn’t let up on Sunday, again dictating the pace from puck drop. Casey Kubara and Ryan Annesley found the net early before Kubat restored the lead late in the first period for a 3-2 advantage.
 
“Our guys bought into the direct style,” Noble said. “We’ve seen offensively what makes us successful. We’re not just having a perimeter offence”.
 
Goals from Tallberg, Tim Stanger and Ethan Hawes extended the lead in the second period, with Manwarring adding a late strike to make it 7-3 at the second break. Tallberg capped off the performance with his second of the game in the third period. Despite a late response from the Lightning, the Northstars cruised to an 8-4 win.
 
Manwarring credited the team’s chemistry and cohesion as key drivers of their weekend dominance. “At this time of the year, it’s about creating a culture not just on the ice but off the ice. We did a good job of that last weekend.”
 
He added, “I’ve seen in this league so often that teams get momentum towards the back end of the year, and they usually bring it home. And we’re in a good spot to do that”.
As Coach Noble put it, “A six-point weekend at home is huge. It was a benchmark of how we wanted to play”.
 
The Northstars now shift their focus to their next home clash on Saturday July 19^th against Perth Thunder. With only standing room tickets left, fans are encouraged to secure tickets at northstars.thundertix.com.