2017–18 AWIHL season

2017–18 AWIHL season
LeagueAustralian Women's Ice Hockey League
SportIce hockey
Duration28 October 2017 – 18 March 2018
Regular season
PremiersSydney Sirens
Season MVPStephanie Cochrane
(Sydney Sirens)
Top scorerJessica Pinkerton (26 points)
(Melbourne Ice)
Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy
ChampionsMelbourne Ice
(6th title)
  Runners-upSydney Sirens
AWIHL seasons

The 2017–18 AWIHL season is the 11th season of the Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL). It ran from 28 October 2017 until 18 March 2018. Four teams competed in 24 regular season games followed by 4 playoff games, making up the AWIHL Finals weekend. The Sydney Sirens claimed the premiership title for finishing top of the regular season standings, while the Melbourne Ice claimed the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy championship title by winning the grand final. Melbourne finished runner-up in the season standings while Sydney lost the grand final. Adelaide Rush came last in the regular season and claimed the wooden spoon.

Teams

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In 2017–18 the AWIHL had four teams from four Australian state capital cities competing, stretching across the east coast and southern Australian mainland.[1] Perth Inferno was added as an exhibition team only for the 2017–18 season, as they looked to meet criteria set down by the AWIHL Commission to be granted a full licence for 2018–19.[2]

2017–18 AWIHL teams
Team City Arena Head Coach Captain
Adelaide Rush South Australia Adelaide IceArenA Australia Josef Rezek United States Ashley Pelkey
Brisbane Goannas Queensland Brisbane Boondall Iceworld Australia Terry Kiliwnik Australia Veronica Watson
Melbourne Ice Victoria (state) Melbourne O'Brien Icehouse Australia Marcus Wong Australia Shona Powell
Sydney Sirens New South Wales Sydney Macquarie Ice Rink Australia Troy Morgan Australia Amelia Matheson
Exhibition teams
Perth Inferno Western Australia Perth Cockburn Ice Arena Australia Paul Graham

League Business

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The official AWIHL gameday schedule was released at the start of September 2017. The season structure remained unchanged from 2016-17, each team competing in a four game series against each other team, playing two games at home and two games away.[3] Looking to become the first AWIHL expansion team, Perth Inferno, was admitted to the league on a provisional licence to play two exhibition games against the Sydney Sirens.[4] The first of these two exhibition games, at Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink, was to be live streamed by Thought Fox Media Group with commentary by Eric Brookes.[5] Ahead of the season, the AWIHL announced the continuation of their sponsorship agreement with Skaters Network in November 2017. The agreement would continue the company’s status as preferred equipment supplier to the AWIHL and the naming rights holder for the player of the month award.[6] Ice Hockey Australia also announced the establishment and go-live of the league's new website, hosted on the Ice Hockey Australia's website, it contains separate pages for each team, news, history and is linked to the eSportsdesk website that contains all information on games, players, scores and stats.[7] Every AWIHL game of the 2017-18 season would be live streamed on the new website.[8] In December 2017, AWIHL commissioner, Melissa Rulli, announced the league had secured a event assistance grant under the Victorian Government's Significant Sporting Events Program, to host the AWIHL Finals weekend in Melbourne at O'Brien Group Arena.[9]

Regular season

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Fixtures and results

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Running between 28 October 2017 and 4 March 2018, the AWIHL regular season consisted of 24 games in total, with teams playing 12 games each, 4 games (2 home and 2 away) against each opponent.[3] There additionally was two exhibition games scheduled for Sydney in February 2018 between the Sydney Sirens and prospective expansion side Perth Inferno.[4] The Sirens won both games comfortably against the exhibition Perth team, scoring sixteen goals and conceding five.[10]

October

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October
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
1 28 October 2017 17:00 Adelaide Rush 2–6 Sydney Sirens Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink [1]
2 28 October 2017 17:00 Brisbane Goannas 0–2 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [2]
3 29 October 2017 10:00 Adelaide Rush 4–9 Sydney Sirens Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink [3]
4 29 October 2017 13:15 Brisbane Goannas 1–6 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [4]

November

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November
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
5 11 November 2017 16:30 Brisbane Goannas 3–2 (SO) Adelaide Rush IceArenA [5]
6 12 November 2017 10:00 Brisbane Goannas 2–4 Adelaide Rush IceArenA [6]
7 18 November 2017 17:00 Sydney Sirens 3–0 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [7]
8 19 November 2017 11:15 Sydney Sirens 4–2 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [8]

December

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December
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
9 2 December 2017 16:30 Melbourne Ice 3–2 Adelaide Rush IceArenA [9]
10 3 December 2017 10:00 Melbourne Ice 7–4 Adelaide Rush IceArenA [10]
11 9 December 2017 17:00 Brisbane Goannas 1–2 Sydney Sirens Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink [11]
12 10 December 2017 10:00 Brisbane Goannas 0–4 Sydney Sirens Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink [12]

January

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January
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
13 13 January 2018 16:00 Sydney Sirens 10–4 Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [13]
14 13 January 2018 17:00 Adelaide Rush 1–9 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [14]
15 14 January 2018 07:30 Sydney Sirens 4–0 Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [15]
16 14 January 2018 15:15 Adelaide Rush 1–8 Melbourne Ice O'Brien Group Arena [16]

February

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February
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
17 3 February 2018 16:00 Adelaide Rush 2–1 (SO) Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [17]
18 4 February 2018 07:30 Adelaide Rush 3–7 Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [18]
19 10 February 2018 17:00 Melbourne Ice 4–0 Sydney Sirens Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink [19]
20 11 February 2018 10:00 Melbourne Ice 0–6 Sydney Sirens Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink [20]
EX 17 February 2018 17:00 Perth Inferno 4–8 Sydney Sirens Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink [21]
EX 18 February 2018 10:00 Perth Inferno 1–8 Sydney Sirens Liverpool Catholic Club Ice Rink [22]
21 24 February 2018 16:30 Sydney Sirens 2–4 Adelaide Rush IceArenA [23]
22 25 February 2018 10:00 Sydney Sirens 7–0 Adelaide Rush IceArenA [24]

March

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March
Game # Date Time Away Score Home Location Recap
23 3 March 2018 16:00 Melbourne Ice 0–1 Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [25]
24 4 March 2018 07:30 Melbourne Ice 6–2 Brisbane Goannas Boondall Iceworld [26]
Key:
Winner Exhibition game

Standings

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Pos Team Pld W OTW OTL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Sydney Sirens 12 10 0 0 2 57 21 +36 30 2018 Joan McKowen Finals
2 Melbourne Ice (C) 12 8 0 0 4 47 25 +22 24
3 Brisbane Goannas 12 2 1 1 8 22 45 −23 9
4 Adelaide Rush 12 2 1 1 8 29 64 −35 9
Source: AWIHL Elite Prospects
Rules for classification:
Tie-break: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Points: 3 points for regulation win; 2 points for OT or SO win; 1 point for OT or SO loss or tie/draw; 0 points for regulation loss
(C) Champion

Player stats

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The season's league leader statistics for skaters and goaltenders.[11][12]

Goals
No. Name Pos G
1 Australia Stephenie Cochrane Forward 15
2 Canada Jessica Pinkerton Forward 14
3 Australia Sharna Godfrey Forward 11
4 Canada Christina Julien Forward 11
5 Australia Natalie Ayris Forward 11
Assists
No. Name Pos A
1 Australia Kristelle van der Wolf Forward 14
2 Canada Jessica Pinkerton Forward 12
3 Australia Amelia Matheson Defender 11
4 Australia Sharna Godfrey Forward 10
5 Canada Erin Beaver Defender 10
Points
No. Name Pos P
1 Canada Jessica Pinkerton Forward 26
2 Australia Sharna Godfrey Forward 21
3 Australia Stephenie Cochrane Forward 19
4 Australia Kristelle van der Wolf Forward 19
5 Australia Natalie Ayris Forward 18
Penalty minutes
No. Name Pos PIM
1 Australia Rylie Ellis Defender 33
2 Australia Nicole Jones Forward 24
3 Australia Tracy Hocutt Forward 24
4 United Kingdom Kirsty Venus Defender 22
5 Australia Sharnita Crompton Forward 18
Save percentage
No. Name Pos SV%
1 Australia Imogen Perry Goaltender 0.943
2 Australia Ella Licari Goaltender 0.936
3 Australia Jenelle Carson Goaltender 0.936
4 Australia Ruth Brophy Goaltender 0.895
5 Australia Ashleigh Brown Goaltender 0.886
Goals against average
No. Name Pos GAA
1 Australia Ella Licari Goaltender 1.13
2 Australia Imogen Perry Goaltender 1.46
3 Australia Jenelle Carson Goaltender 1.53
4 Australia Ruth Brophy Goaltender 1.67
5 Australia Paula Morris Goaltender 2.75

Season awards

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Below lists the 2017–18 AWIHL regular season award winners.[13]

Award Name Team
Skaters Network Most Valuable Player Australia Stephanie Cochrane Sydney Sirens
Best Forward United States Ashley Pelkey Adelaide Rush
Best Defence Canada Erin Beaver Sydney Sirens
Best Goaltender Australia Keesha Aitkins Adelaide Rush
Nellie Gee Rookie of the Year Australia Marnie Pullin Melbourne Ice

Joan McKowen playoffs

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The top four teams in the AWIHL regular season qualify for the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy playoffs. The playoffs is held on a single weekend and uses Australian conventions of being called Finals. The playoff system used by the AWIHL is a four team single game semi-finals and grand final system where the semi-final winners progress to the grand final and the losers playoff for third place. Semi-finals are played on the Saturday and the third place playoff and grand final is played on the Sunday.[14] The prize for being crowned AWIHL Champions for winning the grand final is the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy.[15]

In 2017–18, the Adelaide Rush, Sydney Sirens, Brisbane Goannas and Melbourne Ice qualified for the finals weekend.[16] The event was held on 17 and 18 March 2018 in host city Melbourne at O’Brien Group Arena.[17] On Saturday, Sydney won the first semi final in a high scoring affair against Adelaide. In the second semi-final, the Melbourne Ice made light work of Brisbane to advance to the grand final. On Sunday, first up, the Goannas won a close contest against the Rush to secure bronze medals for the Queenslanders.[13] In the grand final, Melbourne Ice secured their record equaling sixth championship title and lifted the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy, after defeating the Sydney Sirens 4–2, with Jessica Pinkerton scoring all four goals for the winners.[18]

 
Semi-finalsJoan McKowen Final
 
      
 
17 March - Melbourne
 
 
Adelaide Rush4
 
18 March - Melbourne
 
Sydney Sirens7
 
Melbourne Ice4
 
17 March - Melbourne
 
Sydney Sirens2
 
Brisbane Goannas1
 
 
Melbourne Ice5
 
Third place
 
 

18 March - Melbourne
 
 
Brisbane Goannas2
 
 
Adelaide Rush1

Semi-finals

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17 March 2018
15:00		Adelaide Rush4–7
(0–0, 3–4, 1–3)		Sydney SirensO’Brien Group Arena
Game reference
Keesha AtkinsGoaliesElla LicariReferee:
Gabby Aston
Linesmen:
Beth Bowshall
Kj Kim
(Unassisted) Wright1–0
(Pelkey) Ayris2–0
2–1Edmonds (Embrey)
2–2Murphy (Unassisted)
2–3Cochrane (Godfrey, Harvey)
(Unassisted) Reynolds3–3
3–4Harvey (Unassisted)
(Unassisted) Reynolds4–4
4–5Edmonds (Crompton)
4–6Matheson (Cochrane, McOnie)
4–7McOnie (Harvey)
4 minPenalties8 min
22Shots37
17 March 2018
17:30		Brisbane Goannas1–5
(0–0, 1–5, 0–0)		Melbourne IceO’Brien Group Arena
Game reference
Ashleigh BrownGoaliesJenelle CarsonReferee:
Ainslie Gardner
Linesmen:
Peta Goulden
Cien Pereira
0–1Julien (Green, Pinkerton)
0–2Pinkerton (Julien, van der Wolf)
(Robitaille) Kiliwnik1–2
1–3Ellis (Julien)
1–4Julien (van der Wolf)
1–5Pinkerton (G.Carson)
16 minPenalties16 min
11Shots26

Third place playoff

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18 March 2018
14:30		Adelaide Rush1–2
(0–1, 0–1, 1–0)		Brisbane GoannasO’Brien Group Arena
Game reference
Keesha AtkinsGoaliesImogen PerryReferee:
Gabby Aston
Linesmen:
Kj Kim
Peta Goulden
0–1Watson (Kiliwnik)
0–2Costa (Kiliwnik)
(Venus) Ayris1–2
6 minPenalties8 min
20Shots25

Final

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18 March 2018
17:00		Melbourne Ice4–2
(1–0, 2–2, 1–0)		Sydney SirensO’Brien Group Arena
Game reference
Jenelle CarsonGoaliesElla LicariReferee:
Ainslie Gardner
Linesmen:
Beth Bowshall
Cien Pereira
(Ellis) Pinkerton1–0
1–1Matheson
(Julien, Green) Pinkerton2–1
2–2Godfrey
(Julien) Pinkerton3–2
(van der Wolf) Pinkerton4–2
12 minPenalties0 min
30Shots25


Gold Silver Bronze
Victoria (state) Melbourne Ice New South Wales Sydney Sirens Queensland Brisbane Goannas

References

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  1. ^ Longmuir, Alyssa (25 October 2017). "AWIHL : 2017-18 Season Preview". theicegarden.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  2. ^ Montroy, Liz (9 August 2018). "Perth Inferno Becomes the AWIHL's First Expansion Team". womenshockeylife.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b Collins, Lee (6 September 2017). "2017-18 AWIHL schedule released". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  4. ^ a b Collins, Lee (26 October 2017). "Perth Inferno established". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  5. ^ Collins, Lee (10 February 2018). "AWIHL news: 10 February 2018". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Ongoing commitment to AW". Ice Hockey Australia. 3 November 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  7. ^ "Our new AWIHL site is live!". Ice Hockey Australia. 17 November 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Get your game face on, the AWIHL is back!!". Ice Hockey Australia. 27 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  9. ^ "Victorian Government supports women in sport – AW Finals in Melbourne". Ice Hockey Australia. 8 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  10. ^ Collins, Lee (17 February 2018). "2017-18 AWIHL season: Sydney v Perth". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Scoring Leaders". Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Goalie Leaders". Australian Women's Ice Hockey League. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  13. ^ a b Collins, Lee (17 March 2018). "2018 AWIHL playoffs". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  14. ^ "Australian Women's Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) Regulations" (PDF). Ice Hockey Australia. 1 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  15. ^ "Joan Mckowen Memorial Cup". Ice Hockey Australia. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  16. ^ Collins, Lee (3 March 2018). "2017-18 AWIHL season: Round 10". icehockeynewsaustralia.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  17. ^ Longmuir, Alyssa (13 March 2018). "2018 AWIHL Finals Preview". theicegarden.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  18. ^ Longmuir, Alyssa (18 March 2018). "Melbourne Ice Cement a Dynasty". theicegarden.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
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