Saturday night, the Solent Devils played host to the Bristol Pitbulls.
Bristol looked a great sight at the start of the game, turning out for the fixture in their special, purple charity kit, as the team look to raise money for cancer research and join so many others as #HockeyFightsCancer.
As both teams pushed for possession after the puck drop, play went up and down the ice, both teams using the small ice pad to play a fast paced, physical game, testing the defences of each other while trying to ensure they kept their own tight.
Almost half way through the first period, play was in the Devils zone and the puck was knocked out through centre to the Pitbulls blue line.It was quickly recovered and sent back in towards the Devils goal, Christian Cole knocked it away from his net to Alex Murray near the corner, who spotted Richard Facey out on the mid-line.A long pass from Murray to Facey saw the puck deftly taken over the Pitbulls blue line with the Devils lead scorer chased by a pair of defenders, but with enough space and time to put the puck over Ross Miller’s shoulder and get the home team the first goal on the board.
Nathan Chilcott in the Bristol #HockeyFightsCancer jersey with Alex Trendall in the background
The only penalty of the first period came a few minutes later, David Manning sitting two minutes for a late hit on Alex Cole.He returned with the score still 1-0, which was the way it remained until the buzzer.
A fast paced second period began, but the referees kept a tidy game with the minimum of fuss, allowing the match to be played with a good momentum from both sides.
With less than five minutes to go in the period, and the puck once more deep in the Devils zone, Dan Lackey fired the puck away from danger as Facey once more headed down the ice to receive it.Under pressure against the boards just before the blue line, Facey dropped the puck back to Murray coming in strong across the centre line, who picked it up and rifled in a wrist shot from blue line that slipped under the glove of Miller and giving the Devils a 2-0 lead.
Two minutes later, Murray was cheering once more after a high deflection by Miller saw Murray bat the puck in to the back of the net, but eagle eyed referee Blaine Evans waved the goal off as Murray’s stick was above the crossbar when he hit the puck.
Richard Facey chasing a puck down the ice
While disappointing for the Devils, they kept the momentum going and continued pressuring the Pitbulls defence.As they peppered the goal, it drew the team in to support Miller, leaving the Devils defence in space back at the blue line.Facey’s pass to Murray saw Murray come under pressure, but a quick pass back to Ben Lock had him able to line up and flick in a long range shot making it 3-0 just in time for the second break.
Early in the third, the play was in the corner of the Devils zone, Richard Hargreaves and Adrian Smith managing to get it out to Jack Hayes at the blue line.As Hargreaves turned to skate towards the goal and Devils defender, Mason Wild, turned to head towards the puck, the two players collided, Wild stumbling to his knees.As Wild tried to get back to his feet, he slid across in front of Cole, blocking his sight of Hayes shot, which hit the back of the Devils net at speed.
The Devils responded a minute later though, Christian Cole knocking an errant puck to his brother, Alex, who fired it down the ice, seeing Facey bolt after it and picking it up in centre.Facey beat one defender, leaving him with one more to beat, and as he danced around him on the blue line, Facey lost his balance sliding on his stomach at speed towards the goal line.Facey hit the puck towards the goal, Miller batting it away but back into the path of the oncoming attacker.Facey shot once more, but once more it was knocked away and scooped up by the outstretched stick of Facey, now just feet from the goal and still sliding.This time, at such close range, even sliding on his chest, Facey kept his composure and as Miller reached to knock the puck away once more, Facey pushed it under the netminder’s stick and around the post, making the score 4-1.
Mark Pitts having a break between shifts
Mark Pitts took the puck back in to the Pitbulls zone a few minutes later, and under pressure against the boards knocked it back to Cole.Cole pushed the puck back towards the goal, where it was picked up by Alex Trendall on the edge of the face off circle.A perfectly balanced turn saw Trendall pick his spot behind Miller and in front of Michael Hargreaves, slotting the puck in to the side netting just inside the far post, putting the score to 5-1, which is how the game ended.
Following the game, Solent Devils team manager, Steve Ferguson presented Pitbulls captain, Steve Osman with £50 from the Devils towards Cancer Research UK and wished them the best with their fundraising for this worthy cause.
The Devils now head in to a difficult weekend, as they first face last year’s league champions, the Oxford City Stars at Solent on Saturday, before going on the road to Guildford on Sunday.
All photos are courtesy of Dave Chapman
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