Bear Essentials
Welcome to the first instalment of ‘Bear Essentials’, a weekly article recapping the week that was, and previewing the week to come. A lot has happened for the Bing Lee Sydney Bears in the first three weeks of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) season. Let’s distil the action.
After five games, the Bears have two regulation wins, two regulation losses, and a shootout loss. That’s good enough for fifth in the league in points (7), and sixth in the league in points percentage (.467).
Last weekend, the team travelled to Adelaide without captain Ryan Annesley and fellow veteran blueliner Tyerell Clare. The defence stepped up in a big way, as both Mac Tutton and Tyrone Oxlade recorded their first points of the season in a 4-3 victory on Saturday.
Tomas Landa scored the team’s first shorthanded goal of the season to take sole possession of eighth all-time in AIHL scoring with 171 goals. Lucas Herrmann continued his fine start to the season with three goals, including the game-tying goal in the final minute of play on Sunday. Adelaide took the extra point in the shootout.
What’s Trending?
It’s just five games into the season, which is a small sample size, but some trends are emerging.
So far, the Bears have scored the opening goal of the game just once (a 6-4 win against the Brisbane Lightning), or 20% of the time. That’s a far cry from the 2024 AIHL season, when the team scored first in 19 games (63.33% of the time).
On the positive side, the Bears have noticeably tightened up defensively since the home opener against the Brisbane Lightning and sit tied for second in goals-against per game (3.4). Only the Sydney Ice Dogs own a better defensive record (3.33 GA).
However, the Bears' offensive output is even less than their stingy defence, scoring just three goals per contest. Only the Adelaide Adrenaline have a lower goals-per-game average (2.6). Anthony Kimlin and James Downie have been immense at times, and the blueline has done a good job protecting the crease, clearing sight lines, and forcing shots to the perimeter.
Just five different players have found the back of the net for the Bears in the team’s five games. Lucas Herrmann (6G, 1A), Tomas Landa (5G, 4A), Logan Brodie (1G, 4A), Alexander Wardlaw (2G, 2A), and Gustav Remler-Jensen (1G, 3A). That is tied with the Sydney Ice Dogs for fewest individual goal scorers in the league, and the Ice Dogs have played two fewer games.
It’s a small sample size, and there’s plenty of time for trends to be arrested or flipped, so it would perhaps be imprudent to hit the panic button just yet. Nevertheless, the Bears would be relieved to see a combination of their import forwards and local recruits lighting the lamp this weekend.
What’s Next
This weekend, the defending Goodall Cup champion Melbourne Ice comes into town, hungry for points. Like the Bears, the Ice are coming off a four-point weekend with a shootout loss to local rivals Melbourne Mustangs, and a regulation win against Goodall Cup runners-up Canberra Brave.
However, the Ice are sitting in ninth place in the AIHL standings, and a regulation win would see them leapfrog the Bears, who are a mere two points ahead. Melbourne will be looking to get its first win against the Bears at Macquarie Ice Rink since July 22, 2017.
Can the Bears break out offensively and inflict an early-season blow to the reigning champions? Get your tickets now and support the Bears this Saturday at Macquarie Ice Rink. Doors open at 4:30 pm, and puck drop is at 5:00 pm.
