Raiders continue winning ways

ROMFORD, UK – Romford Raiders continued their winning start to the 2011/12 campaign with a pair of victories over the Streatham Redskins and Oxford City Stars.
Raiders welcomed the visiting Redskins to Rom Valley Way on Saturday. Danny Marshall’s hat-trick and Juraj Huska’s double helped the home side secure their 12^th successive win with an 11-3 scoreline.
Redskins goaltender Shane Kemp did his best to keep things close despite a four-goal first period from the Raiders. Kemp poke-checked a rebound off the stick of AJ Smith before turning aside Matt Turner‘s shot from the left circle.
Marshall had given Raiders the perfect start with a quickfire double early in the game – Huska the architect of both. Billy Phillips bagged the Raiders third with a one-timer from between the circles, before Huska capped a strong first period with their fourth, a shot from the blueline that beat Kemp low to the glove side.

Raiders quickly stretched their lead to 7-0 with a Grant Taylor double and a JJ Pitchley strike. Pitchley converted AJ Smith’s perfect pass from behind the goal-line, firing a one-timer over Kemp’s shoulder for his fourth goal of the season. Peter Molnar netted Streatham’s first of the night, scrambling the puck past Glenn Jackson following good work by Gennadi Yufit.
To their credit, the visitors continued to battle hard as the game progressed and, after Andrius Kaminskas had made it 8-1 with a rocket from the blueline, Yufit replied in kind during a late powerplay to give Redskins their second tally of a much-improved period.
Kemp continued to thwart Raiders early in the third, poke-checking a rebound away from danger before stopping Turner on an odd-man rush. AJ Smith’s fourth assist of the night helped Turner finally get his due rewards soon after before Huska notched his second of the game on a short-handed breakaway. Russell Stevens ensured Redskins got on the board once more though it was Marshall that had the final say, capping his hat-trick on another wide-open rebound.

Sunday saw Raiders make the expectedly tough trip to Oxpens Road for a game against the Oxford City Stars. Despite a tremendous 58-save effort from Stars goaltender Patrick Russell, Raiders were still able to secure their 13^th consecutive win courtesy of a third-period comeback. Huska (2), AJ Smith and Phillips scored in a 4-2 win to ensure Raiders continue to roll ahead of next Sunday’s Essex derby in Chelmsford.
Contact the author – alex.nunn@prohockeynews.com