Beating Australia in the test last night gave Ice Blacks goal tender Zak Nothling a sweet feeling.
Nothling (20), from Auckland, made 44 saves during the torrid and often brutal test at the Dunedin Ice Stadium last night.
He was the dominant player in the game.
"It is definitely the highlight of my career," he said after the game.
"We could have beaten any team in the world tonight but it wouldn't have felt as good as beating Australia.
"It was an unbelievable feeling. Our team has never played as well as it did tonight."
When the Ice Blacks took the lead 5-4 with just under five minutes left, Nothling knew they would win.
"We had the momentum and I knew we had it in the bag," he said.
Nothling also played his part in the shoot-out to decide the series when he blocked the two Australian attempts at goal.
"We had the confidence behind us after our win," he said.
"It was good timing for us."
The winning goal to win the series in the shoot-out 2-0 was scored by Queenstown's Brett Speirs (26), one of the oldest members of the Ice Blacks.
"It was the first shoot-out I have ever had. It was a bit nerve-racking," he said.
It was Speirs' 30th test and the win was special for him.
"This is huge for us," he said.
"It was a great victory against a strong Australian side and it gives me a fantastic feeling."
