Solent Devils took the long trip to Chelmsford Sunday evening, to face league leaders Chelmsford Chieftains on their home ice. Devils and Chieftains have already met once this year, in Gosport where Chelmsford managed to continue their unbeaten season as they took the match 5-1. Although the following week Oxford proved that Chelmsford were not unbeatable (as they managed to spoil Chelmsford’s season by beating them 6-4).
Playing together as a team, presenting a solid defence while making opportunities on offence were obviously the key points for the Devils during this game, as well as playing a clean game and keeping out of the sin bin as much as possible.
In the first period, for the most part, seemed to see the Devils working well and fighting hard against this powerful unit. Just over half way through the first, the Devils received an advantage, as Alexander Staples was given a two minute interference penalty, thus providing an extra man on the ice for the visitors. Unfortunately, this didn’t help the Devils to get ahead, and despite them having twelve shots on the Chieftains goal throughout this period, Ben Clements managed to stop anything heading in to the net.
Christian “Chico” Cole, in his usual spot at the back for the Devils, also managed to keep a clean sheet throughout the first, but due to the excellent team work only had to face nine shots on goal. Even with losing George Norcliffe for two minutes on a delay of game penalty, with just under a minute and a half left of the period.
Obviously, this meant the Devils started the second with Norcliffe still having thirty five seconds left on his penalty, however, once again the Devils put up a solid effort and controlled the game well.
Once again, Chieftains received an interference call, this time a little before half way through the period with Lithuanian, Andrius Kaminskas being the one sent for a sit down.
The Devils again managed to outshoot the Chieftains, with this period managing to get fourteen on target to the Chieftains ten. Both netminders remaining solid at the back, and preventing either team from getting one up on the other.
Just three and a half minutes in to the third, Chelmsford finally managed to break through with Grant Bartlett and Matt France providing assists to Kaminskas, as he managed to get the scoring underway.
Matthew Turner picked up Chieftains third (and final) penalty of the night, when he was found to be hooking, at 46:55 of game played.
Chieftains had built up some momentum by now, and being a man down didn’t seem to dampen this. Short-handed, and just forty seven seconds in to Turner’s penalty, Juraj Huska got his twenty third goal of the season, Daniel Hammond picking up the assist.
In the dying minute of the game, the Devils got a two minute bench penalty for having too many men on the ice, and Cole left his place in the Devils net to get an extra skater on, obviously not wanting to go home without scoring – or giving Clements his second shut-out of the season.
Unfortunately for the Devils, the plan didn’t quite work out, as not only did they fail to get one past Clements, Huska picked himself up yet another goal, this time straight in to the empty net at the Devils end of the rink, with just sixteen seconds left on the clock.
This Saturday, Devils travel to Bracknell to take on the Hornets and are then at home in Gosport on Sunday against the London Raiders.
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