There were some high scoring games this weekend in the NIHL, with some surprises, shocks and celebrations.
Things started Saturday night, on the south coast as the Invicta Dynamos headed down to face the Solent Devils.
Dynamos were heavy favourites going in to this game, but the Devils were like a team possessed, and took the game 8-2.
Curing the game, the Devils only took four minor penalties, while a frustrated Invicta side had a man in the penalty box for twenty six minutes, and captain, Callum Fowler was removed from the game for spearing.
Streatham Redwings played host to Oxford City Stars, and travelling net minder Tom Annetts earned himself a shutout, stopping all 32 shots he faced.
Streatham keeper, Matthew Colclough, didn’t have such a good night, letting seven slip through.
On the other side of London, London Raiders were hosing league leaders, Chelmsford Chieftains. It seemed that it was to be an unlucky night for both London teams, as Raiders too finished on the wrong side of a 6-0 shutout.
Jake Silvester earning himself a hat trick and two assists, Juraj Huska getting two goals and three assists, Oliver Baldock getting a goal for himself plus three assists.
Saturday had just one league game in the north, as the Blackburn Hawks travelled to see the Telford Tigers, for a physical game of hockey.
Joshua Hustwick was given a game-misconduct half way through the first, for being the third man in, and barely five minutes in to the second Adam Brittle was the third man in so received a game-misconduct too.
Blackburn had their share of penalties, and with five seconds left on the clock, Jozef Istocy received his own game-misconduct penalty.
Despite all this, Telford managed a 5-2 victory over Blackburn.
The NIHL North Cup game Saturday, was between the Solway Sharks and the Billingham stars, and the penalty box staff had a particularly quiet night.
The people counting shots on goal, however, were kept busy. While Billingham managed twenty nine shots, and scored one goal just three minutes in to the game.
Solway though, had fourty six shots on target, getting eight in to the back of the net. All eight goals came in the first two periods, until a change of keeper by Billingham from Mark Watson to James Flavell during the second break.
Sunday night, the games in the North started first, with Sutton Sting taking on the Blackburn Hawks.
Hawks strong second period saw them head to the break 3-0 up, but a late surge from Sutton bought the score back to 3-2 before Richard Bentham completed his hat trick for Blackburn.
A late goal from Sutton wasn’t enough to close the gap though, and the game ended 4-3 to Blackburn Hawks.
Whitley Warriors and Deeside Dragons, saw the Dragons go 3-0 up in the first, before losing 7-5, mainly from the four goals Whitley put away in the third period.
The final game in NIHL North 1, was Billingham Stars second defeat of the weekend, this time at the hands of Solihull Barons. A back and forth game, until the Barons pulled ahead, taking the game 7-5 in the third period.
Meanwhile in the south, Streatham were wanting to get back after their shut out in Oxford the previous night, travelling to Invicta who were still shocked from their defeat Saturday too.
Unfortunately for Invicta, they were missing captain Callum Fowler. Arran Strawson scored first on the night, putting Invicta in to the lead early in the second, and earning his 200th point since joining the Dynamos.
Streaham, however, equalised in the second, and then scored two more in the third, handing Invicta their second defeat of the weekend.
Struggling, bottom of the table, Bracknell Hornets hosted London Raiders. Twenty seven penalties were given out (thirteen to Bracknell, fourteen to London).
London managed to bounce back from their shutout loss the night before, and took the game 7-2.
This was the Hornets twentieth loss of the season, leaving them bottom of the table with just six points.
Chelmsford Chieftains welcomed Milton Keynes Thunder.
While the Thunder managed a respectable thirty two shots on goal, and scored five, they couldn’t keep up with the relentless assault at the other end of the rink, as Chieftains registered fifty seven shots on goal, beating David Wride nine times, and earning their nineteenth win of the season.
The final game of the weekend, saw Solent Devils head to Oxford.
Devils, riding high from their big win against Invicta just a day before were wanting to give a good account of themselves, and City Stars having shut out Streatham Saturday were planning the same in front of their home fans.
The Devils, pushed hard, fought well, and much to the surprise of many, kept on scoring. As the time on the clock ran down, the frequency of the Oxford Penalties increased, showing their frustration at the situation.
Many couldn’t quite believe it when the final buzzer went, and the scoreboard read 10-4 to the Devils.
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