AIHL· Season 2026
Melbourne Ice beat CBR Brave 4-3 in a shootout in the AIHL regular-season finale at O'Brien Icehouse, with Kolton Shindle's hat-trick and a penalty-shot win securing the final playoff berth.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Melbourne Ice exploded out of the gates. Mack Caruana opened the scoring at 4:00, assisted by Trey Bronte and Kolton Shindle. Just two minutes later, Jed Lake doubled the lead at 6:00 with help from Joakim Erdugan and David Booth, and the Ice looked in complete control.
CBR Brave steadied before the first intermission. Cameron Marks pulled one back at 18:00, finishing from Cameron Todd and Casey Kubara to make it 2–1 at the first break.
Period two was scoreless — a tight-checking frame in which both sides created chances but found goaltenders equal to the task.
The Brave struck twice in the third period — goals at regular intervals — to flip the game on its head and take a 3–2 lead. But Shindle completed his hat-trick late in the period to tie the scores at 3–3, sending the game to overtime.
Neither team could break through in the five-minute 3-on-3 extra period, and the match went to a shootout. Melbourne Ice converted their attempts and held the Brave at bay to seal a 4–3 victory.
The Turning Point
Shindle's third goal of the night — his hat-trick marker deep in the third period — was the moment that saved Melbourne's night. After falling behind 3–2, the Ice were staring at a regulation loss that would have left their finals hopes in the hands of other results. Shindle's equaliser not only salvaged a point but set up the shootout win.
Key Performers
Kolton Shindle (Melbourne Ice) — 3 goals (hat-trick). The forward was the difference-maker, scoring all three Melbourne goals after the first period to drag his team back into the contest and force overtime.
Mack Caruana (Melbourne Ice) — 1 goal (4'), consistent physical presence throughout. The Ice captain opened the scoring and provided leadership when the Brave mounted their comeback.
Cameron Marks (CBR Brave) — 1 goal (18'). The Brave defenceman sparked Canberra's fightback with his first-period strike and was solid at both ends.
Player of the Match: Kolton Shindle (Melbourne Ice)
By the Numbers — Interpreted
Period scores of 2–1, 0–0 and 1–2 tell the story of a game that swung in waves. Melbourne controlled the opening frame but could not build on their lead in the second. Canberra grew into the contest and dominated large stretches of the third, only for Shindle to cancel out their advantage with his third goal. The 0–0 overtime reflected two tight, disciplined teams unwilling to concede the killer chance. The shootout decider was a fitting end to a regular-season finale with playoff consequences.
What It Means
This was the regular-season finale for both teams (Day 46 of the AIHL 2026 season). The win secured Melbourne Ice a place in the Goodall Cup Playoffs, holding off chasing sides to claim the sixth and final berth. CBR Brave finished the regular season in second place on the standings and will also head to the AIHL Finals.
The AIHL Finals Weekend is scheduled for 28–30 August at O'Brien Icehouse, Melbourne.
Verdict
A classic regular-season finale: early fireworks, a gutsy fightback, a hat-trick rescue act, and a shootout to decide it. Melbourne Ice earned their playoff spot on merit, and Shindle's three-goal performance will be replayed as the moment they clinched it.
Match Events
Key match events between Melbourne Ice and CBR Brave — 6 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
T. Bronte
J. Erdugan
C. Todd
J. Erdugan
T. Steven
B. Crowder
Rivalry since 2014
Melbourne Ice vs CBR Brave Head to Head Results· 45
Melbourne Ice and CBR Brave have met 45 times — Melbourne Ice won 20, CBR Brave won 25, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2014. CBR Brave leads the head-to-head with 25 victories from 45 meetings. A combined 361 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 8.02 per match (159 for the home side, 202 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 42 matches (93%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 45 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. The highest-scoring encounter finished 9–10 in 2016.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 23 Aug 2026