The Blue Tongues are trekking down to Melbourne this weekend in hopes to get back on the winning track after suffering two tough losses at home.  They will be facing off against both teams from Victoria, the Mustangs on Saturday and the Ice on Sunday.

The Mustangs have been struggling this season, and have yet to join the ranks of the winner’s circle.  This is not to say that the Mustangs haven’t been competitive.  Last week’s 5-2 loss to the Thunder was the first time that they had been taken down in regulation.

They will be looking to bounce back on Thursday night when they take on the cross town rival and the Blue Tongues Sunday opponent the Melbourne Ice.  The Ice barely squeaked out a win in a shootout the first time the two teams met, and the Mustangs were without captain Shane Hardy who was suspended.

So far this season the Ice have been the kings of the shootout, with a record of 2-0 in games decided after regulation.  Powering the Ice is one of the AIHL scoring leaders Joseph Hughes, a local player who has recorded a staggering 14 points in his first 5 games.

This Thursday night showdown will be very important to the Blue Tongues in the standings.  An Ice victory would make two wins for the Blue Tongues imperative this weekend if they want to keep pace in the Easton Conference, where as a Mustang win would pull them to within a point of the Tongues.

Any way you slice it this weekend will prove to be extremely crucial to the Blue Tongues.  With wins they put themselves right back into contention for the top team in the conference, but if they lose they face a long road ahead to try and get back in the hunt.

The Blue Tongues will need a strong performance from Andreas Camenzind who will soon be heading back to Switzerland to play for his home club Rapperswil.  Starting goalie Anthony Kimlin is day to day with an ankle injury, and will be a game time decision.

This story has been reposted from Hewitt Sports Network.

The Gold Coast Blue Tongues have been blessed the last three years with the services of star import Mike McRae and Andrew McMurtry discusses the time he has spent on the Queensland coast.

The three years that Mike McRae has been in Australia have seen some phenomenal achievements for the 30 year-old Michigan-born Blue Tongue, although his stats may surprise some.

With Matt Amado and Tobias Falk grabbing their headlines with 69 and 65 point-hauls respectively, McRae finished third, amassing 53 points with 19 goals and 34 assists.

In fact, up to this weekend, McRae has scored 112 points for his adopted hometown, passing fifty goals for the club earlier this year.

“Well Amado gets that every year,” McRae joked. “I was unaware of that but that’s a good accomplishment. But the real goal is playoffs and that is what I’m thinking of now.”

“Our team is a lot different from the first couple years I’ve been here. We have one of the top goalies in the league and a strong six in defence. We have been missing some imports the first couple games but really have been using a team first approach. Defence is our first priority this year, which is very different from the past.”

Despite the tough last weekend, it has been a positive start to the season from the AIHL’s most northerly team with two wins, and three losses, with two by one goal.

For the long suffering Queensland ice hockey fraternity, who have only held the Goodall Cup for one year in 1977, McRae said that he thinks this is the Blue Tongues team that could bring the cup back to the sunshine state.

“This is the best team I have been with in my three years,” McRae claimed. “Amado and Toby are amazing players, two of the better players to play in this league. But with Kimlin and Greg Bay, it really adds a different dimension to our team. We won’t be winning many 7-6 games anymore; we are more focused on 3-2 wins now without Amado and Toby.”

“I think we have one of the best defensive teams in the league. Goals are pretty but defence wins championships. All the guys have bought into the defence first approach.”

One of the other big changes to the team includes the announcement of McRae as the alternate captain and he said he was happy to take the responsibility, even if it meant less points.

“I think the boys gave it to me cause I yell at the ref more than anyone,” McRae laughed. “I’m just allowed to do it this year. But really it’s an honour to get the A and I’ll do what I can to help the team.”

“I’m going to have to score a bit more like my first year (47 points with 27 goals). No one is going to score like him [Amado]. If I cut my scoring in half but win more games and make the playoffs I am glad to do it.”

Having been in Australia now since the 2010 season, McRae said that he loves the lifestyle of the Goal Coast and its very relaxed atmosphere and may even be looking to make his stay in the country more permanent.

“If I can stay for longer or maybe get residency I would love to,” McRae explained. “Australia really is an amazing place and the hockey is really improving and it is becoming a very good league. It has really been great playing and staying in Australia. I really hope hockey gets bigger here and I think it could really take off in this country.”

As a proven star who knows how to hit the back of the net, this surely won’t be the last we hear of Mike McRae this year as he helps lead the Blue Tongues to their first playoff series since 2009.