The Brisbane Rusty Blades just managed to retain their unbeaten record at the New Zealand Masters Games.
The Rusty Blades won the ice hockey competition for the fourth time when they beat the Melbourne Nite Owls 2-1 in a penalty shootout at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
No goals had been scored in the first three periods and the score remained 0-0 after five minutes of overtime.
The Nite Owls scored first in the penalty shootout when Ryan Silver put the puck into the back of the net.
Francois Guilbert replied for the Rusty Blades.
Each side missed on the second attempt and Mike Nimco missed for the Nite Owls on the third attempt.
Eric Bourgeois, the third player for the Rusty Blades, scored the winning goal.
''We were very relieved. It was a lot closer than we wanted it to be,'' Rusty Blades captain Ron Brideaux said.
It was a rugged final with a lot of pushing and shoving and some body clashes that sent players sprawling on the ice.
Brideaux knew his team had been in a tough battle.
''They came out really strong. We were concerned when our goalie, Milan Novysedlak, got hurt just before the shootout.''
The outstanding player on the ice was Nite Owls goalie Sean Lodge, who made 26 saves in normal play. Novysedlak made 10 saves for the Rocky Blades.
Lodge (44), who grew up in Canada and emigrated to Australia 13 years ago, stood up when two of his colleagues were ordered from the ice in overtime.
Goalie Novysedlak had a solid game for the Rusty Blades and Mike Jacobson was a rock-like defender.
