From humble beginnings, the Dunedin Thunder women’s side are making their mark.
The side have finished in the second spot of the New Zealand Women’s Ice Hockey League and will take that confidence into the semifinal against Auckland in Dunedin tomorrow. Dunedin will host the finals series, with the gold and bronze medal games on Sunday.
It has been a remarkable rise for the Thunder, who were established in 2020 after separating from the former Southern Storm, having only won one game ahead of the season.
"I hope that the whole ice hockey community in Dunedin is really proud of what we’ve done," coach Barrett Wilson said.
"In a few short years, we’ve gone from being a brand new stand-alone team to being a contender — that’s a massive achievement."
The Thunder have been grinding away for the past few years, and that work is finally coming to fruition.
Young players had matured and stepped up, New Zealand under-18 goalie Breanne Byck made a big difference, but mainly, it was down to the team culture.
"We’ve sort of never been a team that puts its head down.
"We’ve always had a really good attitude in the face of everything — even when we’ve taken some bad losses, everyone’s pulled together, everyone’s got a really strong bond within the team."
The Thunder have won four of their six games this season, including an overtime win against top-of-the-table Wakatipu Wild.
The Wild, who are defending champions, have been the benchmark all season, with Kellye Nelson and Livia Twohig the league’s scoring leaders.
The Thunder beat Auckland 3-2 on July 8 and lost 6-2 the following day, but both games were played in Auckland.
The Thunder will have a home ice advantage this time — but Wilson was not banking on that getting his team over the line.
"We can’t take anything for granted with these games.
"Auckland’s going to be really tough. We know that they always turn up to play.
"They’ve got a long history of success in the women’s league — they’re not going to want to let that go too easily, unfortunately."
It will also be a swansong for Wilson, who plans to step down as coach following the season.
"Hopefully the team can continue to build upon this.
"It’s been a real plus to be able to go out on a high with our most successful season ever. To finish like that is great — I couldn’t be prouder of the girls."
Wakatipu will play Canterbury in the other semifinal at 3.15pm tomorrow, followed by the Thunder v Auckland at 6.15pm.
The bronze medal game will be played at 3.15pm on Sunday and the final at 6.15pm.
"We’re really hoping for some decent crowds, that would be really good. It’s free to come and watch."
