The Bartercard Gold Coast Blue Tongues clawed their way into the top four for the first time this year taking home four of six points on offer in Melbourne over the weekend.

The anticipated match was always going to be on Saturday against the defending champions and league leading Melbourne Ice. The Ice have only lost one game all year, and with the Blue Tongues facing the Ice four times in these next three weeks a statement had to be made. Playing to a capacity crowd of over 1000 parochial Ice fans the Blue Tongues fought back to even the score at 2-2 with less than 5 minutes to play in the game. The defence and starting goalie Luke Fiveash did an outstanding job to keep the Ice from scoring in the dying minutes, and the game went to a shoot out. Unfortunately, the home team prevailed and the Ice won in the shoot out, however the statement was made. Melbourne Ice could not put away the Blue Tongues in their own home rink, which was something the Ice had been able to do all season with every other team in the league.

Ross Howell and Mike Mcrae were the goal scorers whilst all the forwards on the Blue Tongues will look to increasing the pressure and 12 shots on the Ice defence and goalie next time they meet Ice here on the Gold Coast this coming weekend.

Yesterday afternoon in Melbourne the Blue Tongues took on the AIHL’s newest franchise the Mustangs, and though the Blue Tongues were always respectful of the Mustangs ability it was a game they were expected to win. The 6-4 defeat by the Blue Tongues over the Mustangs was their third of the season over a very energetic young team who will improve next year.

The goal scorers included Mike Mcrae with two, and one goal by Matt Amado, Alex Hall, Ross Howell, and Bob Sannemo. Sannemo also collected three assists in the game, and his four points were most welcomed as were the four points by Mike Mcrae and Tobias Falk. Goaltender Luke Fiveash started the game, and since an injury that sidelined him for the whole season, Luke has now not lost a game in his last five starts since coming back. The Blue Tongues had the luxury of going to Melbourne with the availability of just about their full squad, and the ability to run with three full lines was certainly a positive in their success over the weekend.

The Blue Tongues have their final two home games of the season on the Gold Coast this weekend, and are encouraging everyone to come down to Iceland at Strathaird Road, Bundall and cheer on the Blue Tongues as they take on the Melbourne Ice in two games, Saturday and Sunday in what will be the best hockey the Coast will have seen this year.

A solid finish by the Blue Tongues in their last six games of the year (two at home, two in Melbourne, and two in Newcastle), and a place in the AIHL Finals on 3-4 September will become a reality for a second time in their short 7 year history in the AIHL.