The Southern Stampede remains unbeaten in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League after a pair of contrasting wins in Queenstown at the weekend.
A tense 4-3 win over the Botany Swarm in overtime on Friday night was followed by an 8-0 shellacking a day later.
New import Brendan Walkom continued his promising start to the season with a goal just 1min 45sec into Friday night’s game.
It remained 1-0 heading into the second period before the Swarm fired in two quick goals.
Walkom grabbed a second before completing his hat-trick with just 17sec left in the period.
The Swarm, which came up with 36 shots on goal to the Stampede’s 22, made it 3-3 just 34sec into the final period, and that is where the score remained at the end of regulation.
Colin McIntosh sealed the two points for an overtime win with a goal 5min 16sec into the extra period.
Lachlan Frear had three assists and Jeff Solow two for the Stampede.
Perhaps that effort took it out of the Swarm, as it was thumped on Saturday.
Solow (on the power play) and Callum Harrison scored for the Stampede in the first period; Solow (again on the power play), McIntosh (power play) and Walkom scored in the third; and McIntosh (twice) and Stefan Amston found the net in the third.
Solow added three assists and McIntosh, Walkom, Dylan Devlin and Callum Burns each had two.
Stampede goaltender Aston Brookes saved all 31 shots at his net.
The Stampede has this weekend off before heading to Christchurch to play the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, the Dunedin Thunder scrapped hard before slipping to a 1-0 loss to the Admirals in West Auckland on Saturday.
The game was scoreless until the 57th minute when Scott Henry scored for the Admirals.
James Moore was otherwise perfect all night in goal for the Thunder, saving 28 of 29 shots.
The sides were playing again last night.
