ROMFORD, UK – Raiders wrapped up the perfect weekend on Sunday as they dispatched the defending ENL champion Wightlink Raiders 6-1 in the opening game of the South East Trophy – a standalone competition also involving the Chelmsford Chieftains and Invicta Dynamos. Raiders defence coped well in the continued absence of Julian Smith, and they were quick to make their match legs count against an uncharacteristically nervy Wight blueline. Andrius ‘Bomber’ Kaminskas and Matt Turner both scored on their Rom Valley Way returns after Danny Marshall had given the home side the lead from Anthony Leone‘s perfect cross-crease pass. Ex-Raider Turner spent the 2010/11 campaign across Essex with the playoff-champion Chieftains while former crowd favourite Kaminskas took a year out of the game. With Billy Phillips in the box on a kneeing penalty, Turner and Kaminskas would combine to double the Raiders lead on a shorthanded breakaway. Wight goaltender Colin McGill did well to deny Turner on the initial break, though he could do little to prevent the trailing Kaminskas from firing home the loose puck at the top of the crease. Turner’s forehand-backhand move from Frankie Harvey’s diagonal pass would soon make it 3-0, and though Jason Buckman’s misfired clearance handed Wight’s Arran Strawson a potential comeback-starter midway through the second period, Raiders would soon dampen those hopes with a further three goals. With Phillips and Jeremy Cornish marching a parade to the penalty box, Raiders player-coach Marshall restored the home sides three-goal lead after accepting a drop-pass from Juraj Huska in the neutral zone, skating in on McGill and beating the goaltender with a precise wrister for his second of the game. Liam McAllister relieved Wight’s starter at this point, though he too could do little to stop Buckman’s sharp one-timer from Marshall’s feed making it 5-1 soon after. Raiders would hit the post twice before AJ Smith capped the scoring in the final minute of the second period, converting on another rebound after Harvey had been denied by a sprawling McAllister. If not for Wight’s relief goaltender then things may have been far worse for the visitors; McAllister was excellent in turning away 16 third-period shots, including a big double save on Tyrone Miller during a late period powerplay, and looked much sharper than McGill had done earlier in the game. Despite a scoreless third period, Raiders had made their mark on the leagues reigning champions and capped off an excellent opening weekend of action in the process. Contact the author at alex.nunn@prohockeynews.com
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