Selected photos from the Adelaide Summer League Division A ice hockey game between Arctics A and Unicorns A played on 2/05/2025 at the Ice Arena, Adelaide, South Australia. Going into the game the Unicorns were on top of the ladder. A loss would not dislodge them but they would need the momentum heading into the finals the following week. The Arctics on the other hand would be playing for pride, being placed in the lower end of the ladder. The Unicorns had a short bench and were bolstered with Jordan Kutsche from the Division B Unicorns team. Their regular goaltender Alexander Palmer was away at another ice hockey tournament in Newcastle, so Jay Rahaley was brought in as substitute. The reserve goaltender from the Unicorns B team, Nicholas Merifield could not be used as he is a player on the Arctics A team! The Arctics A team brought in Brodie Clarke as goaltender.
It didn’t take the Unicorns long to register the first goal of the game, in fact 32secs, as Sam Stouppos scored from assists coming from Mitch Geraghty and Baxter Prosser. Sam would follow up with his second goal at 16:36 to give the Unicorns an early 2-goal lead. The assist came from captain Josh Sage. The Arctics would get on the scoreboard at the 10:30 mark when James Burford would get one past Rahaley. Assists came from Thomas Robinson and Matt Vickery. The Arctics levelled the score at 8:46 when the aforementioned Nicholas Merifield scored from a Harley Kelly assist. Shots on goal for the period were in favour of the Unicorns 13 to 5.
No scoring occurred in the 2nd period as neither team was able to get past the goaltenders and the defence lines. The Unicorns had given the Arctics two chances with powerplays though with penalties to Adrian Quinzi for tripping at 6:10 and Courtney Crafter at 4:07 for interference. Shots on goal for the period were 7-a-piece.
An early penalty to Unicorns Quinzi for hooking at 18:19 did not result in a goal for the Arctics as the Unicorns penalty kill unit stood firm. However, at 14:23, Arctics’ Robinson scored from a Mitchell Bacon assist to put the Arctics in front. Two penalties to Arctics Mark Paterson for high-sticking (16:47) and slashing (4:43), and Arctics Burford for body-checking in the dying seconds of the game gave the Unicorns chances to level the score, but they were unable to so the Arctics won in an upset. The Unicorns leading goalscorer, Baxter Prosser had a quiet day and was unable to find the back of the net despite a few shots on goal. Shots on goal for the game were Unicorns 33 to Arctics 21.
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