Saturday night, Cardiff Fire headed to Gosport to face the Solent Devils for the first time this season.
The Devils came out looking strong, but Cardiff are never a team to write off before a game but taking an early penalty against last season’s play off champions is never a great way to start an away fixture, although the Devils got away with Joe Morris’ high stick penalty unscathed.When Viktor Langseth sat a two minute minor for hooking though, Alex Trendall picked up the puck inside the Devils defensive zone and made a run so swift down the wing that it left the four Cardiff players stunned and well behind him on the ice.Coming across towards centre, Trendall fired a quick shot from the face off spot and past Chris Douglas’ shoulder in to the net. This goal gave Devils netminder, Christian Cole his first assist of the season.
Ben Lock took a two minute roughing penalty half way through the period, bur Fire couldn’t capitalise on the chance, and the Devils never made it through to the net again, leaving the period to close 1-0.
The second period, however, was somewhat different to the first.There was an intensity to the Devils game they had been missing over the last few matches, and they came alive – pressuring the Fire defence, breaking through to attack Douglas time after time.
Five times in the second period, the Devils made the buzzer sound.Alex Murray, Richard Facey, Jamie Fitzpatrick, Mitch Murray and Drew Campbell claiming the relative glory for each goal, Fitzpatrick’s and Campbell’s both on the power play.
Cardiff Fire, however, only managed five shots on target for the entire period, Cole up to the challenge in the Devils net stopped all of them.
The third period was a much feistier affair, with Fire being given 46 minutes of penalties while the Devils sat 50 minutes of their own.
The Devils weren’t done with scoring yet though, and with assists from Campbell and Mitch Murray, Trendall picked up another power play goal leaving the ice with a beaming smile and the fans chanting his name.
Sixteen year old Elliot Lewis put the finishing touch on the Devils game though, assisted by Alex Murray, making the game 8-0 to the Devils with just three minutes left in the game.
Cole held out those last few minutes, and looked overjoyed as the final buzzer went, earning his first shut out of the year after facing thirty two shots.Douglas at the other end had endured fifty one, allowing eight.
Following the game, Devils super-fan Ross Durante got to meet a long time hero, Mason Wild.During the game, the Devils supporters club raffled Wild’s shirt, which was presented to Ross at the end of the game.Following the experience, Ross said “After a game like this, to meet Mason and take home his shirt is amazing, today has been breath-taking.”
Alex Murray described the game as “refreshing” and praised Alex Trendall on his way back to the locker room saying his Man of the Match award was deserved, also heaping praise on Cole for the shut out.
Murray also joined a very select group of individuals, his goal and assist pushing him over the 300 point mark as a Devil – the second person ever to have managed this.“I didn’t know about it, but it is brilliant.As long as the team win, that is the most important thing.”
The Devils head on the road next weekend to Bracknell, as Cardiff Fire stay on the road with a trip to Basingstoke.
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