Brave pay tribute to fallen player who died in Hume car crash

Nineteen-year-old CBR Brave rising star Lachlan Seary died in a car crash earlier this week. Image: CBR Brave Facebook.

The CBR Brave ice hockey team will dedicate their season to the memory of one of their rising stars, Lachlan Seary, who died in a car crash at Hume in the early hours of Monday morning (8 March).

The Brave will wear the 19-year-old’s initials on the team jerseys and host a pre-season event in his name.

It is unknown what caused the crash that occurred at about 1:20 am, about 400-metres south of the Tralee St intersection with the Monaro Highway at Hume.

Mr Seary is the fourth person to die on ACT roads this year and the second to die on the Monaro Highway.

ACT Policing is still investigating the crash but said a 19-year-old died when a Toyota Corolla and a Honda sedan collided on a straight stretch of the Monaro Highway.

Brave CEO Dan Amodio said the team and wider Brave family have heavy hearts for their teammate and his family.

“To lose Lachy at such a young age and in horrific circumstances is a tragedy beyond words,” Mr Amodio said. “As a club, from the front office to the playing group, we will be doing everything we can to commemorate his memory prior to and during the 2021 season.”

The Brave Facebook page also carried a tribute to their young star.

“In the last few days, we tragically lost one of our own. One of the brightest young talents at the Brave, taken too soon,” the club said.

The CBR Brave will return to the ice for the 2021 Australian Ice Hockey League season on 8 May at the Brave Cave at Phillip in a season comprising 12 home games and 12 away games.

The games will be played across two regional conferences in NSW and Victoria, an adjustment made by the AIHL to prevent issues related to border closures and other COVID-related travel risks.

The Brave will compete against the Sydney Ice Dogs and Newcastle Northstars from May to August and the Melbourne Ice and Melbourne Mustangs between August and September.

The game on 8 May will mark the official return of the Brave to the AIHL competition for the first time since the 2019 season when the entire 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19.