Sydney Ice Dogs won 9-2 at Central Coast Rhinos in a regulation decision, taking control from the opening period. The Ice Dogs built a 3-1 lead in the first and never let the Rhinos back into the game.
After extending the lead to 5-2 by the middle frame, Sydney put the game away with four goals in the third. The Rhinos scored one goal in each of the first two periods but had no answer in the final stretch.
The deciding factor was Sydney's relentless offense, finishing with nine goals across the three periods. Their third-period push accounted for the largest single-period output of the night and sealed the lopsided result.