Selected photos from the 2026 Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) game between the Adelaide Rush and the Melbourne Ducks played at the Ice Arena, Adelaide on 10/01/2026. This was the first time the newly form Ducks team played in Adelaide so it would be interesting to see how they would go. Starting goaltenders were Emma Moonen for the Rush and Jayd Davis-Tope for the Ducks. Playing her 50th AWIHL game for the Rush was Amber Bedell, and playing her debut game for the Rush was Kate Green, elevated from Adelaide Summer League Division 1.
Wait…what? Four seconds into the game and the home team were on the board! This has to be a record for the AWIHL, surely? Goal scorer was captain Kate Tihema received a pass from Torie Cybulski into traffic in the goal mouth. Some penalty trouble to the Ducks (Brittany Mendham, cross-checking and Caitlin Hollyer, interference) saw the Rush use the player advantage to score 2 unanswered goals and lead 3-0 at the 10:57 mark. Two penalties to Rush’s Kate Tihema, tripping and Madeline Langevin, interference were brushed away by the Rush’s penalty kill units. The Ducks would post their first goal at the 8:17 mark through Brittany Mendham (assist Kellye Nelson). Rush’s Elana Holub let a rocket fly from near the blueline to restore the 3-goal margin at 6:03, and 2mins later Langevin would put the Rush 4 goals up (assist to Kirsty Venus and 2nd assist for the game to Cybulski). With 2 and a half mins remaining, Ducks Captain Lucy Parrington would peg one back (assists Mendham, Victoria Procyk). Seven goals scored at the buzzer! Shots on goal for the period: Rush 9, Ducks 5.
Second period started with the Rush’s Jordan Kulbida slotting one past the Ducks goaltender at 16:39 to lead 6-2 (assist Holub). In goals for this period for the Rush was Rebecca Kempe to give her some much needed experience. At the 10:31 mark, Ducks would reduce the margin to a get-able 3 goals as Kellye Nelson scored (assists Hollyer and Mendham). The Rush found themselves in all sorts of penalty trouble in this period, 4 penalties to none, and it was on one of these that Ducks Vicotria Procyk scored to have the Ducks trail by only 2 heading into the last period. Shots on goal for the period: Rush 15, Ducks 10.
Returning in goals for the Rush was Emma Moonen. Rush’s coaches Sami Mantere must have had some stern words or good words of wisdom as the Rush broke free in the last period scoring 3 unanswered goals by the 4:02 mark (Kulbida, Kate Green and Nat Ayris). Telling it was a goal on debut for Kate Green. The only penalty for the period went to Rush’s Ricki Sinclair for tripping at 13:38. With 2mins to play in the game, the Ducks gave alternate goaltender Genevieve Lunt a spell. The Ducks Mendham would score a late goal with a minute to play in the game. Final score a whopping 13 goals scored in the game with the Rush 9, Ducks 5. Shots on goal for the period: Rush 13, Ducks 7.
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Selected photos from the first period of the 2026 Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) game between the Adelaide Rush and the Melbourne Ducks played at the Ice Arena, Adelaide on 11/01/2026. It would be Elana Holub’s 50th game in the AWIHL. After the unbelievable first goal being scored in 4 seconds the night before, the Rush backed it up with their 1st goal in this game in 19secs! Kaitlyn Malthana squeezed one past Davis-Tope. Three penalties were handed out in the period, Ducks Amelia-Emily Stringer (tripping), Rush’s Madeline Langevin ((tripping) and Jordan Kulbida (slashing). That would be the only goal in the period as the Ducks put up a strong and spirited performance with 9 shots on goal against the Rush’s 10.
After the break it was all one-way traffic as the Rush piled on 4 unanswered goals in the second period (Kulbida, Anika Wegund (2 goals), Kirsty Venus) and 6 goals in the last period (Kate Green, Venus, Kate Tihema, Torie Cybulski, Kulbida and Rylee Martin), while the Ducks found themselves in a lot of penalty pain, with 4 being handed out, 3 alone to Caitlyn Hollyer. The 11-0 score gave Rush’s goaltender Emma Moonen her first ever AWIHL shutout. Shots on goal for the game: Rush 42, Ducks 23.
