Invicta look forward to Judgement Day

GILLINGHAM, UK – The Dartford Crossing is certainly going to be very busy over the next two Sundays with the renewal of the rivalry between Chelmsford and Invicta as the Kentish hordes descend on the Riverside this week – 6th December at 6:30pm. Then at least a good part of Essex will be deserted as the compliment is repaid the following week – 13th December with the Chieftains travelling en masse to the Ice Bowl for a 5.15pm start. The long time rivals have plied their wares in different leagues for a number of years and except for a few odd cup games have not met in serious combat since season 2002/03. Chelmsford are promoting their home fixture as Judgement Day – perhaps a bit dramatic with this being the first of the four regular season encounters –  but most certainly the match up of the teams 1st and 2nd in the league has all the ingredients of being classics. Something that fans from both sides of the Thames Estuary have already sensed with both clubs expecting their biggest crowds of the season so far. Get there early has been the advice from both box offices. Invicta are expecting over 1000 fans through their doors and the Riverside are expecting over 700 to attend the game. Invicta’s non-EIHA trained forward Peter Vaisenan said

“The boys are really up for this game. This is my first taste of a derby game in England and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been eye opening seeing how excited the fans are about these games. Coach (Kevin) Parrish has got us focussed on the task in hand and we know what we’re going to do in the game and we’re sure it will be enough to beat the Chelmsford team. We know it is going to be a close game, as the table suggests, but we’re going there to give it our best and want to give the fans the enjoyment we’ll get from playing in such a big game”. Despite the pre match hype there has so far been a mutual respect between the coaches and playing staff – perhaps not surprising with a number of players in both camps having worn the uniform of their opponents at some time in their career – but you can certainly guess that any politeness will stop as soon as the first puck is dropped. Whatever the decision on Judgement Day there will be a feast of great hockey to follow with no doubt one of the old foes seeking revenge the week after, unless of course it is a drawn game and no bragging rights are earned by either side! Comment on this story Comment@Prohockeynews.com