Recap: AIHL All Star Weekend

---

The cream of Australian ice hockey visited Penrith Ice Palace on June 11/12 for the 2016 AIHL All Star Weekend. Saturday saw the players wear their AIHL club jerseys in a range of skill competitions while Sunday saw the teams wear red {Team Schlamp) or white (Team Armstrong).

Sydney Bears were represented by:

• Team Schlamp: Michael Schlamp (captain), Anthony Kimlin (goalie), Ryan Annesley, Brent Vandenberg, Nic Kawasaki, Ron Kuprowsky (coach).
• Team Armstrong: Brian Funes, Paddy Ward, James Downie (goalie), Colin Downie (coach).

There were many highlights on Saturday afternoon as the players set out to test their skills while entertaining the crowd. Even the goalies got to have fun! Bears highlights include Brian Funes winning the Elimination Shootout & Anthony Kimlin winning the goalie race final against James Downie. 

On Sunday, the two teams suited up alongside players from across the league. Fun and enjoyment was the order of the day along with showcasing the players' talent while ensuring that players weren't injured for the rest of the season.

Attack was the order of the day as is usually the case in All Star games. The game was played in great spirit with both teams - with the possible exception of the goalies - and the fans enjoying a high scoring game. All 4 goalies were rotated to ensure that each goalie had ice time.

At the end of the day, Team Schlamp (captained by Bears captain Michael Schlamp) defeated Team Armstrong (captained by Melbourne Ice veteran Matt Armstrong) 10-9 in a game that was full of goals.

Bears players featured on the scoresheet for both teams.

For Team Schlamp, Brent Vandenberg  scored 2 goals & an assist. Nic Kawasaki scored a goal & 3 assists while Ryan Annesley scored a goal & 2 assists. Skipper Schlamp also scored an assist. Anthony Kimlin saved 15/19 in almost 24 minutes on the ice.

For Team Armstrong, Paddy Ward scored an assist in defence while James Downie saved 16/21 in his 28 minutes of ice time.

Despite being on the losing team, Perth Thunder import Michael Dorr scored 5 goals for Team Armstrong, earning himself the game MVP. He was closely followed by Thunder team mate Benjamin Breault who scored 4 goals for Team Schlamp. 

Bears players also got to take home some over-sized novelty cheques with Anthony Kimlin being awarded Goalie of the Match while Ryan Annesley was awarded the Defenceman of the Match.

An off-ice highlight for both teams and the fans was the chance to meet NHL goalie Ben Scrivens (Montreal Canadiens) & Jen Scrivens (New York Riveters, NWHL) as they promote the Wayne Gretzky Ice Hockey Challenge that will be touring Australia in late June. 

The AIHL regular season continues on Sunday June 19 with the BEars hosting Newcastle North Stars at Penrith Ice Palace.


Story - Eric Brook