It was a weekend of highs and lows, this weekend for the Solent Devils.
Saturday, saw the Devils take the long trip to Cardiff, for the second Devils/Devils match up of the season. The last time these two teams met, was early September in Gosport when the 3-3 score didn’t convey the excitement of the game, but obviously left the two teams wanting to get back together and settle the score.
As ever, when these teams get together there is always friction in the air and the fans are rarely disappointed, this game was no different. Each team received just eighteen minutes of penalties, which is pretty light for when these two sides meet, although Cardiff would have received an additional two minutes just five minutes in, but while the ref’s hand was in the air for a delayed penalty (Cardiff captain, Christopher Hart – Holding), Solent captain, Alex Cole, and alternate captain, Stephen Gosset, assisted Mason Wild in getting his first league goal of the season.
Five minutes later, the other Solent alternate captain, Richard Facey, put the visitors 2-0 up with his unassisted goal.
Despite Cardiff outshooting Solent 13 to 11, Christian Cole in the Solent net took it to the break unbeaten. During the break, the Cardiff team talk must have been all about getting back in the game, and they managed eighteen shots on goal to Solent’s ten, however, the net minders were both superb and didn’t let anything through.
Heading in to the third, both teams were giving it their all, when almost half way through the period head coach Alex Murray and, Alex Cole were given assists on Facey’s second goal of the game.
Obviously, with just ten minutes left to play, and Solent being 3-0 up everyone expected Cardiff to roll over. Everyone that is, except for the Cardiff players, who, when on a power play in the 59th minute managed to send the puck in to the net, the goal coming from Giacomo Raffaelli (assists by Jonathan Nash and Hart). Then, just thirty one seconds later, with six seconds left to play, Thomas Stuart-Dant and Jack Randall received assists for Zak Shanahan’s goal.
Returning to the Gosport Arena after beating Cardiff 3-2, put the team on a high, but Sunday they were playing against the unbeaten Chelmsford Chieftains. Chieftains were coming in to this game as strong favourites after winning their last eleven games (some of which they recorded double figure scores which is why, 11 games in, they already have 78 goals and have only conceded 16).
When playing against such a unit, the effort must come from the team – not individuals on it – and it was obvious from the outset that the Devils wanted to remain as strong as possible, only giving up 6 minutes of penalties for the whole game.
Chieftains started out well, and Lukas Zatopek managed to bag an early, unassisted goal just over three minutes in. Despite facing twenty shots in the first, Christian Cole in net for the second night in a row, turned away the other 19.
Just past the half way point, Darren Brown got an assist for Matthew Turner’s goal, the only goal of the second period and putting Chieftains 2-0 up.
The Devils came out hard in to the third, and after just one minute and thirty seconds of play, Ralfs Circenis returning this weekend from a concussion, delivered the puck to Devils leading goal scorer, George Norcliffe, who got his tenth of the year.
Unfortunately for the Devils, this didn’t seem to affect the Chieftains, who in just under eight minutes of play scored three more goals, with huge points scorer, Juraj Huska getting a pair of assists, Ross Brears with a goal and an assist, Brown getting a second assist of the game, John Connolly also getting in on the points with his assist, and Grant Bartlett with the final nail in the Devils coffin and the last goal of the game with just under five to go on the clock.
Final score, 5-1 to Chelmsford Chieftains takes their unbeaten season to twelve on the bounce.
Devils prepare this for this Sunday’s match up against struggling Invicta Dynamos, face off 7pm, Gosport Ice Arena.
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