This weekend saw the NIHL 2 South play offs take place at the John Nike Leisure Centre, Bracknell.With the semi-finals taking place on Saturday and the final on Sunday, it was a weekend of fantastic hockey for many British fans.
Championship-winning Devils team- Photo courtesy of Steven Ferguson
Game one on Saturday afternoon, saw the league winners, Oxford City Stars face off against the Chelmsford Chieftains.This game was dramatic and exciting, and Chelmsford took the lead early into the first period and extended it seconds before the break.
Oxford came back in the second, and the third period started with the score tied 2-2.Chelmsford pushed themselves back in to the lead, but Oxford managed to tie the game once more.Chieftains though, used to playing in the finals of the play offs kept pushing, and picked up two more goals before the end of the game, seeing them through to the final on Sunday.
The Chieftain’s goals came courtesy of a hat trick from Grant Bartlett, Anthony Leone and Michal Oravec.Oxford’s goals were pair from Joshua Florey and one from Joshua Oliver.
Game two, was a match up between Guildford Phoenix and the Solent Devils.
Things started quickly for the Devils, with the puck heading in to the Phoenix zone from the face off.Alex Murray’s quick pass to Richard Facey saw Facey’s shot be deflected, but with Drew Campbell perfectly positioned to pick up the rebound, the Devils were a goal up just twenty three seconds in to the game.
Devils gave away a 5 on 3 opportunity to the Phoenix, Alex Cole heading to the penalty box for slashing, then Mark Pitts following him seconds later for delay of game.The Devils successfully held off, and went straight on a power play after Oliver Denis sat a penalty for Guildford.
Despite these penalties, the score remained 1-0 to the Devils at the end of the first.
The score didn’t stay this way for long though, as Facey earned an unassisted goal while on a power play (Jared Lane, slashing).This was followed up a minute later when Campbell gave Murray an assist, Murray making it 3-0.
Jacob Stoodley left the game at this point, having stopped nine of the twelve shots he had faced.He was replaced between the pipes by Samuel Calder.
The start of the third saw Christian Cole lose his clean sheet performance, Jacob Rondeau-Smith and Jared Lane providing assists to Andrew Hemmings, as Hemmings bought the score to 3-1.
Drew Campbell and Richard Facey with the NIHL South 2 Play Off Champions Cup- Photo courtesy of Steven Ferguson
The Devils though, with their fans cheering continued pushing, not content to leave the final score like that, and two goals from Facey with another from Campbell, all within five minutes, saw the game end 6-1, and taking the Devils through to face Chelmsford on Sunday.
Calder faced nineteen shots, stopping sixteen.Christian Cole blocked twenty seven of the twenty eight that beat the Devils defence.
Richard Carpenter (NIHL league manager) came on to the ice at the end of the game, presenting Richard Facey with the NIHL player of the year award, after his outstanding season.
Alex Murray, talking after the game praised the Devils, saying “Our experience showed and we killed the game off.It was important for us to get the win, since I have been here we have headed to the play offs as the bottom seed but we have a lot of experience in the team and everyone stepped up tonight to get the win.”
The Sunday evening final started fast, Chelmsford, used to the big ice pad and ready to play long hockey, trying to evade the Devils who are more at home on the tiny ice in Gosport, but the Devils ready for this and closing down the Chieftains and not giving them the space they so desired.
Despite a smattering of penalties in the first period, the break came and the score remained unbroken by either team.
Devils head coach, Alex Murray, picked up a penalty part way through the second, opening up the game for the Chieftains.Facey, however, didn’t care, and picking up the puck deep in the Devils zone, went on a run at the Chelmsford goal, beating everyone on the ice and scoring a huge, unassisted goal.
With Murray still sat in the penalty box, he got a clear view of Ross Brears’ pass to Michal Oravec just forty two seconds later, and watched Oravec bring the score level again, beating Cole, guarding the Devils net.
Christian Cole holding the NIHL South 2 Play Off Champions Cup- Photo courtesy of Steven Ferguson
As the second period headed in to the final two minutes, Facey was on another run towards the Chieftains goal, two defenders stepping in to try and stop him.With the three of them entangled, crossing the blue line, Facey ended up face down on the ice, with the two Chelmsford players next to him in a heap.As they climbed up, Facey was escorted to the penalty box on a high stick call, but as there was blood on the ice, referee Andrejs Korsaks ejected Facey from the game, and ended the period to have the ice cleaned, playing the one minute forty remaining on the clock, at the start of the third period.
The third period got underway, and Murray, leading from the front scored an unassisted goal, putting the Devils back in the lead.This was followed a minute later with Mitchell Murray and Mason Wild gave Pitts assists on the power play, making the score 3-1.
The Devils fans were on their feet and screaming now, and got to watch Pitts and Alex Murray help Alex Trendall score the Devils forth.
Wild earned another assist minutes later, his pass to Campbell being deflected, but with Mitch Murray there to bury the rebound, Sonny Phillips let slip for the fifth time in the game.
Barely ten minutes after Murray scored the Devils second, Pitts put the final nail in the Chieftains coffin, his unassisted goal making it 6-1 to the Devils, having the fans on their feet for the remainder of the game, and even the Devils on the bench clapping along with the crowd and counting down the final seconds of the game.
Phillips stopped twenty three of twenty nine shots for Chelmsford, while Christian Cole saved thirty two of the thirty three shots he faced, giving him a 0.97 SV%.
Richard Carpenter was once more on hand, presenting the Chelmsford Chieftains their runners up medals, and then presenting the winners cup with personal medals to the Solent Devils.The Devils then spent the next hour, firstly on the ice, then outside their changing rooms, celebrating with the fans, taking photos and generally enjoying their achievement.
An elated Alex Murray said “I am usually a man of many words, but it is difficult to put in to words how I am feeling now, I am incredibly proud of the whole team, we dug deep and it is fantastic to get the win.”As the talk continued, Murray talking about losing Facey said “By the time we got back in the changing room, Facey had calmed down, and he stood in front of the team and told everyone to calm down.Everyone could have been heads down with a five minute penalty kill and our best player in the stands for the third period, but it was a great team effort and we killed the penalty off, got the go ahead goal, and never looked back.”
Drew Campbell came out with Murray, and while given the chance he announced his retirement “This is my final game, it is a great way to go out, I am retiring.I said in the dressing room to the guys, I am so proud of them, I want to give my thanks to the team, to Alex and to the fans, they have been amazing all season, and especially tonight.After winning tonight, I cant think of a better way to go out.”
Campbell retires as the Devils top points scorer of all time, his nineteen year career ends after 913 points in British hockey.
You must be logged in to post a comment.