Newcastle defeated Central Coast Raynoos 3-2 in the Australian Ice Hockey League on Friday evening. The result leaves the visitors top of the table while the hosts remain in eighth place after thirty games each. Both sides carry zero points in the standings at this stage of the season.
Central Coast have not been among the better teams this year. They've lost twenty of their thirty matches with no draws to sweeten the experience. Their recent form hasn't improved matters either, with heavy defeats against Sydney Ice Dogs, Sydney Bears and Canberra Brave in the past fortnight.
Newcastle, by contrast, have seen twenty-two victories in thirty outings. They sit comfortably at the summit despite a couple of setbacks against Canberra and Sydney. The visitors showed enough quality to see off the home side on this occasion, though the scoreline suggests it wasn't a runaway performance.
The Central Coast effort was perhaps more competitive than their league position indicates. Three goals scored at home is no mean feat against a team that has won twenty-two games. The hosts dug in for a fight but couldn't find the equaliser when it mattered most.
Newcastle now hold a comfortable lead at the top of the AIHL table. The gap between them and eighth place is considerable, though the season has barely begun with both sides yet to accumulate points. What matters now is maintaining momentum through the blocks ahead.