The Ice Hockey South Australia (IHSA) Winter League plays a Best-of-3 Grand Final series for it’s 4 grades, Premier, A Grade, B Grade and C Grade. These photos and stories are from Game 2 of the A Grade, B Grade and C Grade Grand Final series. With the Blackhawks not fielding a Premier League this season, they were lucky enough to have their A, B and C grade teams in each of the Grand Finals.
When selecting a photo to view, click on the thumbnail, then click on the small photo that first appears, to then view the larger image. These photos are just a small sample of those available
C Grade – Blackhawks v Jokers 4-6
The grand final series was between the Blackhawks and Jokers, the latter a team gradually getting better to finally contest the final hurdle. In game 1 on 5/09/2026, after no score in the 1st period and then Michael Sinclair (Blackhawks) and Bradley Rowe (Jokers) scoring the only goals of the game it had come down to a shootout to decide the winner. With Jokers players unable to beat Blackhawks goaltender Justin Ruston, Michael Sinclair and Vanya Golusin would score against Jokers goaltender Greg Eden to secure the Game 1 win.
Game 2 and the goals would flow freely. In between the pipes for the Blackhawks was the very vocal Justin Ruston, and for the Jokers, Greg Eden. In the 1st period, Blackhawks Greg Foot would open the scoring but a quick goal to Jaxon Buchheister levelled the score and the Jokers would one up through Tadhg Noone (hmmm, 2 former ASL defence partners of mine). In the 2nd period Greg Foot would score his 2nd goal, shorthanded to level things up before the Blackhawks Vanya Golusin would put them ahead. A powerplay goal with 2:36 remaining saw the Jokers level things up. Then the Blackhawks players and fans would be stunned as Jokers Shannon Bow would first score with 21 secs remaining and then Jokers Bradley Rowe followed up with a goal just 10 secs later to have the Jokers up by 2 at the end of the 2nd period. The Jokers had were in town and had come to play! The 3rd period wasn’t joy for the Blackhawks as the Jokers kept their lead intact and extended it further at 9:38 on the clock with Dylan Close scoring. A late goal with a minute remaining by Blackhawks wily old fox Peter Baird would see the final score at Jokers 6, Blackhawks 4. The Jokers would take this momentum into Game 3 the very next day.
B Grade – Blackhawks v Tigers 3-1
The Blackhawks had dominated the season just like the year before and wanted to make amends for missing out on the championship the year before. With a 7-2 dominant win in the bag in Game 1 (goalscorers: Blackhawks – Wade Patterson (3), Yaroslav Muzychka, Joel Osborn, Jamie Lunn, Michael Harris: Tigers – Joshua Letheby, Adam Jenkinson) another performance like that in Game 2 would ensure the 2026 Championship would be theirs. Shots on goal had been even at 20-21.
Goaltenders were Blackhawks Oliver Albon, and for the Tigers, Paul Kluske. There would be no scoring in the 1st period of Game 2, and would take until the 12:18 mark in the 2nd period before the 1st score was registered, through Blackhawks Yaroslav Muzychka. Less than a minute later Craig Brunato would let a shot fly from the blue line and the puck would lazily dribble past the Tigers goaltender for their 2nd goal. With 3:33 left Wade Patterson would get amongst the action and have the Blackhawks in a dominant position 3-0 going into the 3rd period. Their 3 youngest players had done the damage. The Tigers would need to dig deep to find 4 unanswered goals to take the series to Game 3. At 13:39, Tigers Joshua Letheby would peg the gap back to 2 goals but that would be all she wrote as the Blackhawks would be the victors. With 22secs remaining things got quite rough as the Tigers could see the season finished. Ben Schwabe would receive a 5min boarding penalty and Blackhawks Mitch Payne an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Joshua Weber a roughing penalty. The clock wound down to see the Blackhawks take out Game 2 and with the win, the 2026 B Grade Championship, but they wouldn’t be able to celebrate as several Tigers players crashed their party with a scrum occurring on the small ice boards. The skirmish would see the referees hand out 10 penalties! Blackhawks Nic Bowe 5mins for fighting + 20mins game misconduct, Mitch Payne 2mins ineligible player + 20mins, and Tigers Hugo Shopov 2mins instigator + 5mins fighting + 20mins, Dominic Evans 2mins roughing, Andy Young 5mins fighting + 20mins. The Blackhawks had dominated the shot count 27-19.
A Grade – Blackhawks v Tigers 5-0
In Game 1 the Tigers had totally dominated the Blackhawks to the tune of 7-1. It would need something special for the Blackhawks to strike back and take the series to the Game 3 decider. Game 2’s 1st period saw no goals on the scoresheet. Barely 20secs into the 2nd period Blackhawks Caleb Staehr would score the 1st goal of the game (the assist went to his luxurious mane). Three minutes late Tyson Boyd would put the Blackhawks up with a handy but certainly not safe margin of 2 goals. The Tigers just could find a way past Blackhawks goaltender Ethan Acres and the hungry defence. Twelve minutes into the 3rd period, Chris Stanton would put the Blackhawks further ahead, but will still plenty of time for the Tigers to strike back. This comeback was made more difficult with Ryan O’Handley getting a cross-checking penalty at 9:01. Blackhawks Tyson Boyd would use the powerplay to put the Blackhawks now in a dominant position 4-0. At 3:54 a skirmish resulted in Tigers Eric Lien, and Blackhawks Nick Colasante and James Manna all receiving roughing minors, and putting the Tigers into Powerplay mode and having to drag their goal tender for a 6-on-4 powerplay. The Blackhawks however weren’t done and Troy Collins would find the empty net to finish off the Blackhawks 5-0 rout of the Tigers. This was going to be a very interesting Game 3!
