Striker Simon Glass is back and keen to put the record straight against Australia in the Winter Games ice hockey tests this weekend.
Glass, a veteran of 41 tests for the Ice Blacks, took a break from the international arena last winter to re-focus his life.
"I'd prepared for ice hockey 10 summers in a row and wanted a break," Glass told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"I wanted to enjoy the summer for a change."
He also wanted to settle into married life with his wife, Nicola, in Queenstown.
Glass played in his first world tournament in the Group C championships in Iceland in 2000 when the Ice Blacks finished seventh of 12 teams.
It was the equivalent of the current division two.
He kept his hand in with the Southern Stampede in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League this year.
"It wasn't difficult coming back to the Ice Blacks," he said.
"I have played with a lot of players in the team and know all the guys.
"My fitness and skills have come back and I'm ready to go."
When he played his first transtasman tests, Australia was too good and beat the Ice Blacks 14-2 and 10-2.
The gap is closing fast and the score was 4-2 in the sides' last test in Newcastle last year.
The form of the Ice Blacks in winning the third division world championships in Dunedin in April showed the team was ready to gain its first win against Australia.
Australia dropped out of division one at the world championships this year when beaten by Croatia 5-1 and is now on the same level as the Ice Blacks, who were promoted to division two.
"We are definitely closing the gap," Glass said.
"We are ready to give them a close series."
Because the scores are expected to be close, the result of the series could depend on the ability of the goaltenders.
The Ice Blacks have two strong defenders in goalies Zak Nothling (Auckland) and Rick Parry (Dunedin).
New Ice Blacks are are Justin Findlay and Paris Heyd from the Canterbury Red Devils and Martin Lee, of Kerikeri.
Lee and Heyd are forwards and Findlay is a goaltender.
Key players in the Australian team are defender Jarred Seymour, forwards Mitch Villani and Davey Upton, and goaltenders Matt Ezzy and Stu Denman.
Ice Blacks v Australia
Dunedin Ice Stadium
Today (7pm) and tomorrow (5pm)
Send us your ski photos and win:
http://www.odt.co.nz/advert/odt-online/win-ski-shopping-vouchers/68542
