As the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) exits its early season break, Hockey Hype Australia checks in with each of the five teams, highlighting a handful of players making an early impact. Yesterday we began with the Adelaide Rush, today we continue with the Brisbane Lightning.

The Brisbane Lightning, in a scheduling quirk, begins its season with six straight games at home. With four games played the team is in a strong position, holding third-place in the standings on both points (7) and point percentage (.583).

So far this season, Brisbane has relied on a potent offence to win games, and is averaging 5.75 goals per contest, second only to the Melbourne Ice’s 6.00 goals per game.

Here are five players we selected who have been instrumental to the Lightning’s early success this season.

Tracey McIntosh

Yes, it seems strange to start off the list with a goalie, but for fans who watched the games between the Melbourne Ice and Brisbane Lightning a few weekends ago there should be few complaints.

McIntosh entered Saturday’s contest early with Brisbane trailing 6-0 and helped keep her team in the game with some key saves. The Ice would hold on to win 9-5.

McIntosh started the Sunday game and made some incredible saves on A-Grade chances from the Ice early to keep it a scoreless contest and allow the Lightning forwards to put points on the board. Three late goals by the Ice made things interesting, but the Lightning held on for a 7-5 win.

From the outside the Lightning have a good situation in net, with the experienced McIntosh and youthful Katie Meyer, both under the tutelage of highly respected goaltending coach Jaden Pine-Murphy.

Alison Carlisle

A debutante for the Lightning this year, Alison Carlisle was an unknown quantity for most outside of the Lightning organisation, including yours truly who was doing the commentary for the season opener. It was a surprise, therefore, to see her paired with Katrina Rapchuk and immediately given a lot of ice time.

However, it quickly became apparent that Carlisle was more than capable of playing big minutes in an unsheltered role. The way she can seal forwards off along the wall, retrieve the puck and initiate the breakout is impressive.

Lightning Head Coach Matt Meyer referred to Carlisle as “a great addition” to the team. “We saw her at try-outs and we were excited. She has size, speed, a hell of a shot, and high hockey IQ,” Meyer continued.

Carlisle has mostly played forward before joining the Lightning, but brings offensive grit to the blue line. “Every training and every game she gets better and better,” Meyer concluded.

Emma Wuthrich

You can hear the excitement in Lightning Head Coach Matt Meyer’s voice when he’s talking about Emma Wuthrich. Wuthrich is the first genuine import that the Brisbane Lightning have had in the AWIHL.

Wuthrich is young, 23-years-old, but has a lot of hockey under her belt. After four years playing Division I NCAA hockey at Boston University, Wuthrich moved to Switzerland to play professionally, and scored over a point per game.

“We scouted, sourced, and onboarded her. It was a huge mission for the club and a testament to the success of the brand,” Meyer told Hockey Hype Australia.

Wuthrich has made an immediate impact with eight points (3G, 5A) in four games played, including a hat-trick. The forward has played as both a centre and winger early on this season, and offers the coaching staff enviable versatility.

Lindsey Kiliwnik

Lindsey Kiliwnik, who turned 21-years-old earlier this month, has been a player to watch since she debuted back in the 2016-17 AWIHL season. A regular for the Australian national team, Kiliwnik has spent time in North America honing her game.

“Lindsey is probably one of my favourite players to watch and to coach,” Lightning Head Coach Matt Meyer revealed. “She’s a super positive, upbeat, high-performance athlete.”

While Kiliwnik was a huge part of the Lightning’s resurgence last season, that wasn’t always reflected on the scoresheet. This season, thing have changed. Kiliwnik leads the team in goals (5) and is tied for the team lead with Wuthrich in points (8).

Kiliwnik uses her elite skating to impact the game and is a true 200-foot player for the Lightning.

Georgia Watts

Last season, Georgia Watts got off to an electrifying start before an injury derailed her season. This season, Watts looks hungry to establish herself as one of the best young forwards in the country.

Head Coach Matt Meyer has referred to Watts as being near the top of the league when it comes to raw skill. Once the hockey IQ catches up, Watts will be unstoppable.

After losing the first game in the series to the Melbourne Ice, Meyer tinkered with the lines and gave Watts more offensive responsibility. Late in the game, Meyer put Watts on a line with Sharnita Crompton and Emma Wuthrich, and it paid off, with Watts scoring one of the goals of the season courtesy of a strong Wuthrich stick-check.

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It will be fascinating to see Watts’ continued growth and development this season in the AWIHL, the U18 Women’s World Championships, and the World Youth Olympic Games.

Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts on the players we picked in the comments, and stay tuned as we continue our series tomorrow with the Melbourne Ice.