Saturday night, the Solent Devils continued their run for the title, as they hosted the Guildford Phoenix.
Things started badly for the visitors, as Matthew Tull took an early penalty after he was caught hooking Mitch Murray.The puck was dropped, and was taken at speed in to the Phoenix zone by Murray, who was being supported by Mark Pitts.As Murray crossed the blue line under pressure, a quick pass to Pitts coming straight down the middle saw the Defence focus their efforts there.Committed to coming for him, Pitts saw Murray slip behind them and head closer towards the goal.Pitts’ quick pass back found Murray with plenty of space, and he fired the puck in from the face off spot, sending it past Sam Calder covering the net and starting the scoring for the Devils.
Drew Campbell being presented the award for 300 points as a Devil, from Paul Fitzpatrick and Alex Murray – photo courtesy of Dave Chapman.
Following this, both teams gave up a penalty each in the period – first, Pitts for high sticks, then, five minutes later, Marcus Mitchell took a high stick penalty too.The end of the period came, and the score remained 1-0 to the Devils, despite some big chances for both teams.
The second period started, and the Devils went straight on the attack.Alex Trendall took the puck deep in to the Phoenix zone, but found himself unable to get through the defence to been Calder, so slipped the puck back to Pitts.Once more, Murray had got himself in to space, this time out on the blue line, so Pitts sent the puck back and Murray let loose another huge one timer, sending the puck under Calder’s arm and in to the net once more.
Minutes later, the Devils were on the attack again.Murray took another shot, which was blocked by the netminder’s leg pad.Calder couldn’t freeze it though, and despite a couple of Guildford sticks going for it, Pitts was there and scooped it over the frantic activity and between the pipes.
Michael Krogh gave the Devils another advantage, after he cross checked Daniel Shier.The Devils, took this advantage seriously, Pitts once more headed towards the goal, and with the Phoenix focused on him, he passed back to Richard Facey, who, sent the puck across the ice to Alex Murray.The elder Murray brother proved he had a canon too, and fired the puck in to the net, putting the Devils four goals in the lead.
Phoenix decided a change in net minder was in order, and Calder headed from the ice.Unfortunately, Jacob Stoodley wasn’t ready, and the referees gave a two minute delay of game penalty.
Stoodley coming on to the ice stemmed the tide of goals from the Devils, even when Krogh had another cross checking penalty – this time on Kieran Annis – the Devils saw out the period with just their four goals.
Just after Krogh returned to the ice, Guildford went on the attack, keeping the puck in the Devils zone, pressuring Christian Cole.Josh Abbott’s shot rebounded, Mitchell’s shot rebounded, Andrew Hemmings though, put the puck under a wrong footed Cole’s leg, starting the scoring for the Phoenix.
At the start of the third period, the Devils first lost Alex Cole on a hooking penalty, then Alex Murray on a slashing penalty, meaning that Guildford had a 5 on 3 advantage for 1:42.The Devils though, tightened up at the back, and both players returned to the ice, still leading 4-1.
Just over half way through the third, Devils leading goal scorer, Richard Facey earned another goal after the puck had spent considerable time going round the Phoenix goal.
Mitch Murray being presented the Man of the Match award by the mascots and match sponsor – Dragonfly Wellbeing – photo courtesy of Dave Chapman.
It took five seconds for Guildford to respond, the puck dropped, Oliver Denis passed it to Haydn Wootton, who danced around Alex Murray and fired it past the Devils netminder from the blue line.
The Devils weren’t finished though, and minutes later they were back pressuring the Phoenix net.Jamie Fitzpatrick not finding a way through, passed to Chris Hocquigny, who, under pressure headed out towards the corner.Hocquigny’s quick pass went straight through the crease, to Mitch Murray, who found his angle to the net blocked by Stoodley.Murray though, was moving at speed, and quickly flew around the back of the goal, and before Stoodley could get across the goal mouth, Murray had pushed the puck around the post.
With just ten seconds left in the game, Abbott’s hard check on Alex Cole saw Cole go after Abbott.A small fight on the ice saw both players leave before the final buzzer.
The players on the ice, though, still had ten seconds to play.The puck dropped, and Facey won the face off.He passed to Pitts, who unleashed an almighty shot.Stoodley got his hand to it, and the puck went high in to the air.The momentum of the puck meant it moved inches closer to the goal in the air, and as it came down it hit the ice behind the netminder, and bounced in to the unprotected goal at 59:59, seeing the Devils win 7-2.
Following the game, ex-Devils Manager and long time friend of the club, Paul Fitzpatrick, along with Devils head coach, Alex Murray presented a pair of awards.One, to Alex Cole for his 250 games as a Devil, the first person to reach that milestone.The second award, to Drew Campbell, the first Devil to cross the 300 point mark for the club.
The Devils now start a four game road trip, starting at Cardiff this Saturday, face off at 14:45 in the Ice Arena Wales.
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