23/08/2026 AIHL Adelaide Adrenaline v Perth Thunder 6-1 – Steve Best retirement

Selected photos from the 2nd of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) games of the weekend between the Adelaide Adrenaline and Perth Thunder played on 23/08/2026 at the Ice Arena, Adelaide, South Australia. Cale Dolan was in between the pipes for the Adrenaline, and Charlie Smart for the Thunder. The Adrenaline had held the Thunder to a 1-goal lead for a significant part of the game on Saturday before the Thunder powered away to claim a comprehensive win. The Adrenaline would need to find more shots on goal and something special to motivate them to a win in the last home game. They had just the thing, Steve Best was retiring from AIHL after starting with the Adrenaline way back in 2010. The Adrenaline was fielding many younger players and were without the services of Austin Pickford serving a 4-game suspension so it would be a tough game.

The Adrenaline certainly looked like they meant business from the opening puck drop, and when Thunder’s Alastair Punler headed to the penalty box for holding at 14:20 they had a chance but the Thunder’s penalty kill unit snuffed out any chance. Adrenalien young gun Yongen Song would head to the penalty bench for a delay of game at 11:31 to give the Thunder a good chance to get onto the board. However, Julian Friederich would ignite the Adrenaline faithful at the 9min mark slotting one past Charlie Smart (assists Kolby Johnson and Nathaniel Benson). A minute later Kolby Johnson repeat the feat to give the Adrenaline an early 2-goal lead. Assists were Coy Prevost and Nathaniel Benson. As we have seen before the Adrenaline have shot out to several goals lead early, only to see the opposition come over the top of them to win. But the Adrenaline were definitely pumped for this game. Shots on goal for the period: Thunder 12, Adrenaline 11.

The 2nd period saw both goaltenders save many shots until Kolby Johnson got the Adrenaline crowd on their feet to give the Adrenaline a 3-goal lead at the 8:07 mark (assist Nathaniel Benson, up to 3 points for the night). A minute later the atmosphere in the Ice Arena was explosive as Nathaniel Benson would put the Adrenaline further ahead (assists Julian Friederich and Kolby Johnson), and then out to a 5-goal decisive lead with 2mins remaining in the period on a powerplay as Thunder’s Peter Hrehorcak sat in the penalty box for a slashing minor. Unfortunately the scene swung in the Thunder’s favour as Adrenaline’s Nathaniel Benson (interference) and Zac Steele (tripping) would give the Thunder a 5-on-3 powerplay for the last minute and first minute of the 3rd period. How would the Adrenaline hold up to this pressure? Shots on goal for the period: Adrenaline 14, Thunder 10.

The Adrenaline saw off the two penalties but then Yongen Song (holding the stick at 17:56) and Joey MacDougall (high-sticking at 15:41) would put their team back under penalty kill pressure. The penalty kill units were up to the task and the score remained at 5-0 until Thunder’s Ville Tenosalmi finally broke the deadlock at 13:34 to post his team’s 1st goal of the game. Thunder’s Maxim Lyashenko would receive a tripping minor at 10:20 but the Adrenaline were unable to capitalise on the man advantage. The Adrenaline held firm as the clock started to wind down and at 3:56 Yongen Song would head to the penalty bench for the 3rd time in this game, this time for holding. The Adrenaline saw off the penalty but the puck was in their defensive zone for a very very long time as the Thunder players racked up shot on goal after shot on goal only to be beaten by a very on-song goaltender in Cale Dolan every time with the Adrenaline home crowd riding on his shoulders. The Adrenaline were simply unable to get down the other end and put any shots on goal. The puck would stay in the Thunder’s defensive zone until an error by Thunder’s Peter Hrohorcak on the blue line saw Yongen Song pirouette off him and head off to the goal with Hrohorcak in hot pursuit! Yongen slotted it past Charlie Smart to score his first ever AIHL goal. This brought the house down. While Yongen Song’s team mates came flying in to jump on top of him against the boards of the small ice rink, Peter Hrohercak took offence and came into the Adrenaline celebrating pack only to be knocked down by Julien Friederich to stop him from spoiling the party. Both Friederich and Hrohorcak would receive roughing minors while Adrenaline’s Zac Boyle and Thunder’s Henri Auvinen sorted out discarded hockey gear. The Adrenaline came away with an emphatic and well earnt last home game win to give Steve Best a fitting farewell from the AIHL. The last 2 shifts saw Steve Best take the faceoffs to thunderous cheering from the Adrenaline sell-out crowd even louder than Yongen Song’s goal if that was possible! If only this momentum had been there during the season. Shots on goal for the period: Thunder dominating 24, to Adrenaline’s miserly 5.