19/10/2022 Adelaide Premier League Ice Hockey Grand Final game2 – Redwings v Jokers 4-3

Selected photos available from the Adelaide Premier League Ice Hockey Grand Final game 2 between the Redwings and the Jokers played on 19/10/2022 at the Ice Arena, Adelaide, South Australia.  After taking out game 1 with the solitary goal scored in the game the hard charging Redwings were poised to take the championship, whereas the Jokers had to regroup from last week’s loss.  When asked what the Jokers would need, Laurent Friederich said a “wall in front of goal”.  Goaltenders were Jeremy Friederich for the Jokers and Curtis Villani for the Redwings.

It didn’t take long the Redwings to show their intensions with less than 20secs into the game, Tyler Leeming would hammer one home, with assists coming from Nicola Pau and Dave Gal.  With a bit less than 3mins into the period, Jokers Daniel Chen would put his team on the back foot again with a high-sticking penalty with the Redwings going to the powerplay.  The Jokers penalty kill unit did their job.  They would have to do it again exactly 2mins later as Daniel heading back to the box for high-sticking again.  At the 6:40 mark, Redwings Steve Best would put the Redwings 2 goals up and looking ominous.  The assists came from Jordon Freeman and Josh Bortignon.  Now was the time to switch up a gear for the Jokers and show the crowd why they finished on top in the minor rounds.  Ben Handberg would cut the deficit to 1 goal 38secs after the Redwings goal after receiving an assist from Cameron Pope.  Crucially the Jokers would stroke again late in the period with just over a minute to go when Andrew Chen scored with assists from younger brother Daniel and Patryk Gasiorowski.  Shots on goal for the period: Jokers Friederich facing 11, and Redwings Villani facing 10.

Redwings Nicola Pau would score the go-ahead goal 3mins into the period with an assist from Leeming.  With a tussle in front of goal, Friedrich was deemed for tripping with a Jokers player having to sit out his penalty for him.  The penalty kill unit again was up to the task.  This time Daniel Chen got his reward scoring the equaliser to take the score to 3-all.  Older brother Andrew and Ted Fabijan were the assists. Two minutes later, sometimes referee Dave Gal put his Redwings side back in front, after teeming up with Pau and Leeming.  Shortly after at 5:20 left in the period the referees found Jokers Fabijan guilty of a Delay of Game and he headed to the bench for 2mins.  The score remained the same at 4-3.  Shots on goal for the period were Friederich and Villani both facing 11 shots.

The last period was tight.  Would the Redwings try to hang on to their slender 1-goal lead after seeing the Jokers unable to capitalise on a few occasions where passes didn’t connect with players in front and they could sense some frustration or would they hammer home the point.  The Jokers on the other hand needed to find the same form they did later in the 1st period to get back into game and stave off the championship going to the Redwings.  As it turned out they weren’t able to capitalise from a hooking penalty to Redwings Chris Carrison at 12:57, and the game ground down to the game retaining the 4-3 score in favour of the Redwings.  Shots on goal for the game were Friederich facing 30 shots and Villani facing 29 shots.  Congratulations to the Redwings with the storming run home to take the 2022 Premier League Championship.