It was a wild weekend of Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) action as a player safety situation took centre stage. Hockey Hype Australia brings you a quick wrap of the weekend’s action and implications heading towards Finals.

First, we must address the situation at the Adelaide IceArenA, as it brought national media attention. After announcing that the Sunday game between the Adelaide Rush and Melbourne Ice was cancelled due to a player safety issue, Ice Hockey Australia and the AWIHL released a statement Sunday afternoon.

You can read the entire statement on the IHA website here. According to the statement, “players from both teams were taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning”.

Player and fan safety is of utmost importance, and we, along with the entire ice hockey community, hope all of those affected make a swift and full recovery. Everything else is of secondary importance.

Adelaide Overtake Melbourne

So far this season, top spot in the standings has been occupied by just two teams – the Adelaide Rush, and the Melbourne Ice. Melbourne has held the honours since mid-December; that changed on Saturday.

Tash Farrier entered the contest having played seven of her team’s 12 games. It was her first appearance for the Rush since December 17. The Rush are a stronger side with their captain in the team, as evidenced by Farrier’s hat-trick in her return.

Farrier’s first goal came shorthanded midway through the first period to give the Rush the lead – a lead they would not relinquish. Her second came just five seconds into the third period, and her final goal, an empty netter, sealed the 6-2 victory.

The Rush received secondary scoring as Sarah Wise scored her first of the year – potting a rebound past Makayla Peers. Sharna Godfrey halved the deficit, her 14th of the season, off a Dani Howe rebound, to keep it close.

Torie Cybulski restored the two goal lead with an insurance marker just two minutes later. Cybulski took the initial shot from along the boards above the faceoff circle. Peers couldn’t cover it up and the puck squeezed out to the slot, where Cybulski scooped it home.

A few minutes later, Butler capitalised off a turnover behind the Adelaide net, and put a backhander five-hole through Archie Smith’s wickets to draw within one.

Adelaide extended the lead before the period ended through Sierra Meroniuk. Elana Holub shot from the blueline through traffic, the puck pinballed off two Ice players shins and fell to Meroniuk. The import made no mistake in redirecting the puck past a sprawling Peers, making it 4-2.

Farrier’s goals were the only markers in the third, and the Adelaide Rush had earned itself top spot in the standings.

Over the course of Sunday, as the ice hockey community became aware of the health risks the players, personnel, and fans were exposed to in Adelaide, the AWIHL and IHA worked ceaselessly to work out a resolution.

As of this moment, Hockey Hype Australia understands that the result on Saturday will stand, and a tie will be declared for Sunday’s cancelled contest, with a single point awarded to each team. Players will be credited with a game played.

We recognise it is a sensitive issue, and respect that both sets of fans have opinions on what the outcome should be. However, we are relieved that both teams have released statements indicating the players and personnel impacted are recovering.

Sydney Sweep Brisbane

If you had have told a neutral AWIHL fan that the Sydney Sirens would sweep the Brisbane Lightning at Macquarie following the results last weekend at Boondall, you may have encountered laughter or concern.

The Brisbane Lightning looked excellent in their final home stand of the season, taking away space in a dominant structural display. The Lightning went on to win 5-1 and 7-2 in those contests.

However, the Sirens were missing star forward and captain, Sarah Edney, along with veteran blueliner and assistant captain, Fiona Moon. With their return to the line-up on the weekend, the Sirens looked a different team.

Sarah Edney put the Sirens ahead thrice, completing a hat-trick in just 25 minutes. First, the superstar forward collected a loose puck in the defensive zone and weaved through neutral ice.

After gaining the blueline she glided to the top of the left faceoff circle and let loose a bullet wrister that went across Lightning goaltender Tracey McIntosh and between her glove and pad into the net.

Star import Emma Wuthrich restored parity on the powerplay midway through the period. Wuthrich’s initial shot from in between the circles was saved by goaltender Ella Licari.

The rebound fell to Samanth Brophy at the net-front who whacked at the puck while pressured and the puck slid to the left circle, directly in Wuthrich’s path. Wuthrich chipped the puck over Licari’s shoulder blocker side for the tally.

Sydney retook the lead less than two minutes later. This time Edney gathered possession at the red line and started winding up before crossing the blueline.

As she crossed the blueline she unleashed an unstoppable blast over McIntosh’s glove and into the top corner. Sydney took that 2-1 lead into the second period.

Lindsey Utter’s first career AWIHL goal tied it up early in the second. Courtney Mahoney created the chance, skating behind the net and shooting for a rebound. The puck bounced off Licari’s pad and across the crease for Utter to scoop it home.

Edney completed the hat-trick on the powerplay. Sydney retained possession from the faceoff and cycled it around the zone for thirty seconds before Edney took a pass just inside the blueline, moved to her left, and beat McIntosh between the glove and pad.

Sydney didn’t have time to celebrate for long as Wuthrich scored off the subsequent faceoff. After winning the draw, Wuthrich advanced the puck to Abi Brown. Brown gained the zone, pushed the puck ahead for Wuthrich who backhanded through Licari to tie it back up.

The Sirens went ahead midway through the third off a fine cycle play. Nikita Horvath won the faceoff, Liz Chia skated behind the net, and cycled the puck to Stephanie Newmark.

Newmark passed from Gretzky’s office, behind the net, to Horvath in the slot. Horvath scored her third of the season and her AWIHL career with a five hole finish.

Brisbane pushed, but couldn’t find an equaliser, and the Sirens held on for the 4-3 victory, despite being outshot 24-14.

Sunday saw both goaltenders get the start again, and again it was Brisbane dominating the shot count. However, Sydney exited the first period with a 2-0 lead.

Liz Roberts set Newmark up on a breakaway with a lovely stretch pass that Newmark converted through McIntosh’s legs. Next, Edney potted her 20th of the season, stealing the puck, cutting across the crease, and using a finesse finish on the backhand five hole.

A goaltending change for the Lightning to enter the second period jolted the Lightning. The team tied things up by the end of the frame.

Brisbane’s captain lifted her team as she forced a turnover and made a shot/pass off Licari’s pads to Georgia Watts who tapped the puck from the blue paint into the empty cage.

Then, with three minutes left, came the most controversial moment of the game. Wuthrich dangled across the crease and backhanded a shot through Licari. Gabrielle Arps appeared to clear the puck off the line before sliding in the crease to deny Lindsey Kiliwnik.

The officials initially waved the goal off, and Wuthrich didn’t appear to protest the decision. But after a conference, the officials awarded a goal, to the delight of the visitors.

A team with less resilience may have wilted after giving up the lead in such a fashion, but the Sirens showed their character and dug deep.

Both teams tightened up defensively in the third, and the third period ended on a Sirens powerplay. 4-on-3 hockey became 4-on-4 hockey before the Lightning gained a 4-on-3 powerplay of their own.

The game would need a shootout to decide the victor.

Sharnita Crompton scored on the Lightning’s third attempt. But with the game on her stick, Ebony Brunt tied on the fifth attempt. Brunt went back-to-back, with shades of TJ Oshie’s heroics from the 2014 Olympic Games, and Licari denied Wuthrich to secure the 3-2 shootout victory.

What’s Next?

The Sirens have proved that they are a match for any team. Even though the results haven’t often come their way, this season they have been either tied or in the lead in the third period in seven of fourteen games played.

The Lightning will lick their wounds and rue a missed opportunity to temporarily overtake the inactive Perth Inferno for third place. Now, Brisbane needs a lot of help to finish third.

To secure third, the Lightning need to sweep the Ice at O’Brien later this month and hope the Sirens and Rush sweep the Inferno. A top two finish is out of reach for the Lightning. Meanwhile, the Rush and Ice have secured top-three finishes following the Lightning defeats.

The Sirens will finish out their season at home this weekend, hosting the Inferno at Macquarie. It should be a fascinating battle, as the Sirens are finishing strong.

The final weekend of the regular season could be a preview of the Saturday matchups at Finals. Melbourne host Brisbane (2v4), while Adelaide travels to Perth (1v3).

What did you make of the weekend’s results? You can join Andrew and Gordon as they discuss the weekend’s action on The Weekly Wraparound at 8:30pm AEDT Monday.