The Escadia Newcastle Northstars are headed to the 2026 AIHL Finals after edging out the Perth Thunder 4-3 in a thrilling clash at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium on Sunday night.
The victory secures Newcastle’s place in the finals series while keeping the Northstars on top of the AIHL ladder heading into the final weekend of the regular season.
After falling behind early, the Northstars showed plenty of composure to fight back. Yevgenii Skachkov levelled the scores late in the second period before Francis Drolet put Newcastle in front just 11 seconds into the third.
Riley Klugerman and Calvin Bright also found the back of the net as the home side held off a late Perth charge to claim an important win in front of another packed crowd.
The result continues an impressive season for the Northstars, who earlier this month recorded the earliest complete home sell-out in club history, with every remaining regular season game at Hunter Ice Skating Stadium selling out.
Head coach Kevin Noble said qualifying for the finals was an important milestone, but the team remained focused on the bigger prize.
“You make the playoffs, you have a chance to win the final trophy, obviously. So to do that, it’s huge,” Noble said.
“Our group isn’t celebrating making the playoffs tonight. It’s sort of thinking, okay, the job’s not done.”
With one round remaining, Noble said his side would not be taking anything for granted.
“You can’t let the standings fool you this time of year,” he said.
“Everybody’s looking for points. They’re trying to punch their tickets, so they’ll be desperate. We’ll have our hands full.”
Captain Liam Manwarring said securing a finals berth was a reward for the entire club.
“Making the playoffs was our first team goal, so it’s special to tick that off, especially in such a tight season,” Manwarring said.
“It’s a credit to the players, the fans and everyone involved.”
The Northstars will finish the regular season with a home-and-away series against the Sydney Ice Dogs before turning their attention to the AIHL Finals later this month.
