Two wins have given the Dunedin Thunder an ideal start to its season.
The side beat the Auckland Mako 9-1 on Friday, before following up with a 5-2 win on Saturday, both at the Dunedin Ice Stadium.
It was the first time the sides have met — the Mako being introduced to the competition this year as a development team for some of the country’s top young players.
The games do not count towards the competition standings.
On Friday night a 6-0 final period allowed the Thunder to pull away to a convincing win.
Paris Heyd gave it a lead late in the first period, before goals to Jacob Hurring and Tristan Darling extended the score to 3-0 in the second.
Jackson Flight pulled one back for the Mako.
But it was all Thunder from there as Heyd added two more goals, Hurring added a second and Matt Enright, Thomas Wilson and Noah Gregory found the goal.
A closer encounter followed on Saturday.
After a scoreless first period, Enright gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead.
Jacob Carey hit back to even the scores, before Hurring and Gregory both scored to give the Thunder a 3-1 lead.
Queenstown’s Matt Schneider hit back for the Mako just before the final break.
However, it was the Thunder that closed the game out.
Orr gave it a 4-2 lead, before Heyd scored his fourth goal of the weekend.
The Thunder has next weekend off, before travelling to Christchurch to play the Canterbury Red Devils on May 22 and 23.
The Queenstown-based Stampede will begin its campaign this weekend against the Canterbury Red Devils in Queenstown.
