Game Two of the 2016 Ultimate Ice Hockey Championship was held on Saturday 22nd October at Perth Ice Arena.
With the Northern Stars taking the first game in the series, the Southern Suns were out to even things up.
Goals proved hard to come by at both ends of the ice with a brother vs brother battle between Steven and Mark McCann proving to be an entertaining affair. A scoreless first period set the tone for a fast and furious second and the vocal crowd were not disappointed.
Both teams pushed to break the deadlock, yet still no team broke through for the majority of the second period. A chink in the armour of Steve McCann came when the Suns’ Chris Roach rifled one past him in the second, giving the Southerners a 1-0 lead. The momentum remained with the Suns as tournament director John Caputo roofed one on a backhand to give the South a 2-0 lead heading into the final intermission
Not content with lying down and accepting defeat, the North Stars came out hard and fast in the third period, pulling it back to a one goal game early in the period.
The pace of the game lifted even further when Jordan Grover drew the Northeners level midway through the second, setting up a fast and furious finish to Game 2.
With 5 minutes remaining in the showdown, Southern Suns captain Andrew Cox took things into his own hands, with a beautiful play resulting in another goal for the Suns. In a last itch effort to pull things to within striking distance, Steve McCann headed to the bench for the Stars, giving them the sixth man. However, it was not to be with the Suns taking their first victory ever in the UIHC, claiming a 3-2 win.
This sets up what is set to be a blockbuster decider at Cockburn Ice Arena on Saturday 29th October. The winner will claim the 2016 Ultimate Ice Hockey Championship title.