Saturday night, a depleted Solent Devils headed to Gillingham to take on the current league leaders, Chelmsford Chieftains. Only having twelve skaters to go with their two net minders, would make for a difficult game against anyone, but the Devils stepped on to the ice with their heads held high and were determined to make sure Chelmsford paid for every inch they took during the game.
Ninety three seconds in, Anthony Leone was sent to the penalty box for hooking. Chelmsford managed to kill off the penalty, then less than a minute later Charlie Phillips and Matthew Turner received the assists on an early goal from Andrius Kaminskas.
Ollie Dennis – Photo courtesy of Dave Chapman
Phillips then got a penalty of his own, this one for kneeing, and Devils managed to use it to their advantage. Starting with George Norcliffe and Mason Wild, Andrew Magee once again proved his worth to the Devils.
Leone picked himself up another penalty, this time for roughing, but both teams managed to prevent the other for gaining the advantage, and when the period ended the score remained 1-1.
Almost half way through the second, Alexander Staples was picked up for interference, and half way through this penalty, Phillips took a second visit to the sin bin – this time for slashing. Unfortunately, Devils couldn’t use the 5 on 3 advantage, and both players eventually made it back to the ice and the score was still tied.
Shortly after, Chieftains managed to break through again, Turner with his second assist of the evening, Darren Brown also getting an assist, this time the goal being picked up by Cameron Bartlett.
Chieftains captain, Julian Smith was picked up for tripping, and while he was off the ice and just thirty three seconds after the Chieftains goal, Devils once again equalised. This goal coming from Richard Brown, Alex Murray and Alex Trendall getting the assists.
Kaminskas was then sent off for boarding, and while he was in the penalty box, Richard Facey and Alex Murray got the puck through to Shaun Rudkin, who beat Euan King in the Chelmsford goal for the third time that night, and put the Devils in to the lead.
The Devils received their first penalty of the game, when Paul Petts was sent off for tripping. The Devils, however, managed to kill off this penalty.
Leading up to the break, the Devils were obviously starting to tire, and the Chieftains managed to get two more goals. The first, scored by Brown with assists from Bartlett and Lukas Zatopek. The second – the Chieftains fourth – was scored by Olegs Lascenko who was assisted by Grant Bartlett.
Richard Brown scoring against Spencer Caminsky – Photo courtesy of Dave Chapman
Just over half way through the third period, Kaminskas received a ten minute misconduct penalty. While he was there, Zatopek and Cameron Bartlett got another assist each, as Turner scored the fifth goal for Chelmsford.
Kaminskas was obviously getting rowdy in the sin bin with his celebrations, and he received a second ten minute misconduct penalty.
Paul Petts went back to the Devils side of the penalty box, and while he was there Zatopek picked up an unassisted, last minute goal, meaning as the final buzzer went the score was 6-3 to Chelmsford.
Sunday night, Devils then hosted Milton Keynes Thunder. While the Devils, once again, only managed to have twelve skaters and two net minders, Thunder were in a slightly worse state, as they only managed to present nine skaters and one net minder.
The first penalty was against the Devils, when during a scramble deep in the Devils zone, Alex Cole went in to knock the puck away and took one of the Thunder sticks. This earned him two minutes in the sin bin.
Just past the ten minute point, during a Devils line change, Ralfs Circenis pushed the puck out of the Devils zone, which was picked up by an oncoming George Norcliffe in centre ice. Norcliffe immediately came under pressure from a trio of Thunder players. Fortunately, Richard Brown had stepped on to the ice just behind Norcliffe, and as they approached the blue line, Norcliffe managed to pass the puck through to Brown who managed to get past the defenders tied up with Norcliffe. Brown went on to take the puck to the goal, and managed to slip it between Spencer Caminsky’s leg and the post.
Thunder tried to go on the attack, and while defending, Shaun Rudkin picked up a two minute minor penalty for hooking, but once again, the Devils killed off the penalty.
Just after Rudkin returned to the ice, there was a face off in the Devils zone. Brown stepped up to take it, and managed to scoop the puck out to Circenis, who went shooting down the ice and managed to double the Devils lead.
Nidal Phillips picked up a penalty for boarding Norcliffe in the corner, behind the Thunder goal. This two minute penalty, was the last time the sin bin was needed for the evening, with both teams managing to keep out of it for the final two periods of the game.
With seconds left on the Phillips penalty at the start of the first period, Norcliffe stepped up to the face off spot in the Thunder zone, passed the puck to Brown, who took it around the back of the goal and for the second time of the evening slipped it in to the net tight to the post.
Alex Trendall managed to send a long pass to Richard Facey, who took the puck behind the Thunder goal. Being held there by the Thunder defence, Facey spotted Ollie Dennis in front of the goal, and managed to get the puck out to him. Dennis hit a one timer, and put it hard in to the back of the net.
Mitch Murray with the puck and George Norcliffe in support- Photo courtesy of Dave Chapman
Thunder finally managed to get a mark on the score board, Ross Bowers and Jamie Line providing assists to Nicholas Poole, on a goal that was originally fired in high and hard from the blue line, so high that it bounced off the glass behind the goal, and the rebound was knocked past Christian Cole.
Devils went on the attack following this goal, but somehow Milton Keynes turned the puck over in their own zone, and Paul Gore sent the puck out to Bowers, who in turn found Line who made the score 4-2
Devils managed to get these two goals back before the end of the second period, Mason Wild and Facey receiving assists on Brown’s second goal of the night, and then Facey receiving another assist, this time with Mitch Murray as they got the puck through to Andrew Magee.
Early in to the third, the puck was being moved around the Thunder zone, a pass from Magee to Norcliffe, was sent on to Wild in the centre, and his one timer gave the Devils their seventh goal of the night.
Milton Keynes received a consolation goal, when Alex Murray was holding the puck just inside the Devils blue line, giving the rest of the Devils time to get in to good positions. Tom Mboya closed in on Murray, and as he tried to move the puck across the ice, Mboya stole it from the end of Murray’s stick, managed to dance around him, and managed to flick it over Cole’s glove.
Feeling sure of their victory, Devils swapped out the net minder with ten minutes to go, bringing on a cold Sam Calder, and letting Cole have a rest. Even in that final ten minutes, Calder had to face down eight shots, but did so with calm composure, and allowed nothing through, ending the game 7-3.
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