Blue Tongues Dominate Knights - One Step Closer To Playoffs

The Blue Tongues took to the ice against the Canberra Knights in the second of the homegame double header on Sunday night. Similarly to Saturday's start, the Blue Tongues dominated the first period and Gold Coast's first line of Smulders, Selander and Upton combined for the first of 5 goals when Andre Selander scored from a Brad Smulders pass.  It was evident that Gold Coast were determined to not only keep their focus but play their own game plan, not allowing the Knights to gain any momentum to build on. At the end of the first, Gold Coast led 1-0.

In the second period, Dave Upton put the Blue Tongues ahead even further, netting the puck against the Knights' goaltender Ryan Lowe, assisted by Selander and Smulders. Six minutes later, the line combined again when Andre Selander, making up for hitting the pipes repeatedly in Saturday's game, scored his second goal of the night. Canberra hit back with a shorthanded breakaway goal scored by Eric Thomassian with a minute and thirteen seconds left in the period, but it was too little too late, and the Blue Tongues led at the end of the second, 3-1.

Nearly 4 minutes into the third period Andre Selander scored his hatrick, combining once more with Dave Upton and Brad Smulders to sink the puck past Lowe. Three minutes later, Brad Smulders scored the final goal of the game, assisted by Dave Upton and Henrik Ivarsson. The Knights pulled their goalie with just over 5 minutes to go in the third, but the damage had been done. The Blue Tongues won 5-1.

First star of the weekend was Brad Smulders, with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points. Second star of the weekend was Andre Selander with 4 goals and 2 assists for 6 points. Brad Smulders is now the all time highest point scorer in AIHL history, and with 2 more games in the regular season to go, he may go even higher than the 73 points he's amassed so far. Imports Chris Martin and Henrik Ivarsson also both celebrated their birthdays on Sunday with a Blue Tongues Win.

The Blue Tongues now face the Melbourne Ice at home in a double header on August 15 and 16 at Bundall Iceland in a bid to secure their spot in the playoffs being held in Newcastle on August 29 and 30. Puck drop is at 4pm on Saturday, August 15, 2009. Tickets are available at the door.