AWIHL history in the making

For the first time in 5 years, the AWIHL is going to have a new champion.

With the Sydney Sirens 10-0 win over the Adelaide Rush and the Brisbane Goannas 3-0 victory over the Melbourne Ice, this Sunday’s AWIHL Grand Final will give us something the league hasn’t seen in the past 5 years: a new champion.

The Australian Woman Ice Hockey League has unintentionally been a league of dynasties. Adelaide (then called the Adelaide Assassins) won for the first 5 years after the inception of the league in 2006. The Melbourne Ice then went on to be only the second team to ever win the championship in 2011. In 2012, Adelaide (then called the Adelaide Adrenaline) won their most recent championship, but in the four years that have followed no one has been able to top Melbourne, who have sustained a dominant hold on the title — until now.

Now we have a chance for a new champion, for a team that has never won the championship in history to hoist the Joan McKowen Memorial Trophy.

On one hand we have Sydney, who has made it through the entire season undefeated while laying claim to not just the league’s most explosive offence, but also the best goaltending. On top of that, the Sirens, who are always the bridesmaid but never the bride, have five appearances in the championship game over the history of the league.

In comparison we have the Brisbane Goannas who tomorrow will be making the first Grand Final appearance in their history, giving them their first ever chance to clinch that championship title and take the trophy home. The Goannas are not to be underestimated, as they pushed the Sirens to OT and the shootout twice this season.

Only time (less that 12 hours to be exact) will tell us how this pans out, but at the end of the day the AWIHL is getting a new champion and its either going to be the Sydney Sirens and a blaze of unmatched glory or the Brisbane Goannas, who have already defeated the reigning champion in the semis and now are looking to the Sirens and their next challenge.