Opening weekend for the CD Dodd Perth Thunder hadn’t gone according to plan, with two goalless games and a 0-0 tie after three-on-three overtime leaving the team facing the prospect of a winless start to the season.

Enter Rob Haselhurst.

The Thunder and Mighty Roos defenceman, who spent last season with the Newcastle Northstars, capped his homecoming to the Perth line-up with the only goal of the game, beating Melbourne goaltender Jaden Pine-Murphy in the fifth round of the shootout.

Fresh off leading Australia to a bronze medal finish at the recent IIHF Division 2A World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Haselhurst was his usual steady self on the Thunder blue line providing solid defensive play combined with timely rushes and puck transition.

Haselhurst was named Australia’s Most Valuable Player at the World Championships and he showed that form as he reminded Thunder fans exactly what they had been missing last season.

The popular Thunder defenceman expressed his own excitement in getting the win and being back home in the west post-game.

“I couldn’t wait to get back to the boys. When I came back and played in the games against Perth at the end of last season, having all the crowd and all my friends, I kind of knew that I was meant to be back playing in Perth and words can’t explain how excited I was to be back.”

Words can’t explain how excited the Thunder supporters were to have him back as well.

After 105 minutes of hockey and four shooters in the shootout, the Perth fans were ready to raise the roof off the Perth Ice Arena, and Haselhurst obliged with the long-awaited first Thunder goal of 2019 handing them a 1-0 shootout win.

Rob Haselhurst and the CD Dodd Perth Thunder will look to continue their winning ways this weekend when they host the defending Goodall Cup Champion CBR Brave. Get your tickets here.