Saturday night, Solent Devils visited the Invicta Dynamos for game two of the new season, with both teams wanting to put on a strong show and stamp their mark on the league early on.
As the puck dropped, both teams set to work and it wasn’t long before Sam Calder in the Devils goal was tested, as, within the first thirty seconds Ondrej Zosiak broke through and got a shot off that Calder proved he was more than a match for.
Unfortunately for Calder, the Dynamos didn’t stop, and captain Callum Fowler with Josh Condren set up Ashley Jackson who sent it past Calder and in to the net.
Devils took a penalty shortly after, as Richard Facey was given two minutes for slashing. Devils, however, tightened up at the back and stopped Dynamos using their advantage and Facey returned to the ice still just one goal down.
Adam ŘEhák created a chance, which Mason Webster finished, doubling the home team’s lead and really putting the pressure on the Devils.
Everyone thought Mitch Murray was going to claw one back on a power play with three minutes to go, but Damien King covered the goal well, denying the Devils, and Arran Strawson who had been sat in the box for delay of game made it back to the ice without the score changing.
The Devils persisted, and Alex Murray sent the puck through to Facey, who put it past King and in to the net, meaning at the first break Devils were only one goal down.
Less than a minute in to the second, the trio from the first goal struck again, this time Condren with Jackson helped Fowler make the score 3-1.
Minutes later, Tom Ralph got in with an assist, Fowler got a second, and Jackson scored his second goal of the game.
The rest of the second period was intense, with both teams giving it their all. Webster spent the last two minutes of the period in the sin bin after boarding Monty Gailer, and seconds later Alex Trendal joined him, making it four on four.
The score at the second break though, was 4-1 to the Dynamos, and the Devils headed to their changing room but kept their heads high.
With barely two minutes played of the second, Facey sent the puck through to Mitch Murray, who, at range, fired a huge shot past King and gave the Devils their second of the game.
With it being such a physical game, it was only a matter of time before someone went in a bit hard for a tackle, and when Webster collided with Facey, Facey took umbridge and let Webster know. Both players sat two plus two, and while in the box the Dynamos struck again.
Ralph, not happy with just one assist gave another assist, and Jackson, not happy with just two goals scored his hat trick making the score 5-2, with the home fans cheering loudly.
ŘEhák considered Hugo Tibbits challenge to be a slash, so dropped his gloves and the resulting tumble earned him two plus two for roughing and ten minutes for misconduct, which was the end of the game for him. The referees on the night didn’t see any issue with Tibbits conduct and the Devils received no penalties.
Minutes later, Ralph picked up a two minutes roughing penalty, and this power play gave the Devils a chance to strike. A chance, they took with both hands as Mark Pitts and Alex Murray getting the puck to Matt Lawday, who gave the Devils the third of the game.
Unfortunately for the Devils, the Dynamos held fast, and didn’t let the Devils through again resulting in the game ending 5-3, seeing the Dynamos go top of the league, while the Devils remained in seventh place.
Devils have a double header weekend this coming weekend, with a trip to Bracknell on Saturday and then their first home game of the season as they play host to local rivals, the Wightlink Raiders.
Match report by Steve.Breen@prohockeynews.com
All images by David.Trevallion@prohockeynews.com
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