As seventh in the league, Solent Devils continue their season, Saturday night they went to Milton Keynes to face sixth place Thunder.
Aiden Doughty – Pictures are courtesy of Dave Chapman
A win for either team would mean a lot here, and both teams went to play the cleanest game they could, while making sure they gave no chances.
The first period, with both teams attacking and defending in equal measure, neither found the purchase on the game to take control, and despite the Devils outshooting the Thunder by thirteen shots on target to the seven Thunder got in, both net minders were without fault and kept the score 0-0 right to the buzzer.
The second period looked to be the same, except with the addition of a pair of penalties.
First, for Thunder, James Clarke was sent to the penalty box for roughing, and as he stepped out the Devils lost head coach, Alex Murray, on a two minute minor for tripping.
As the clock was running down, Drew Campbell and Aiden Doughty helped Richard Facey put the Devils in the lead.
The puck dropped at the start of the third, and it took Thunder just fourteen seconds to level the score again, Ross Bowers with the assist and Jakub Klima beating Christian Cole.
Just over a minute later, Connor Goode was assisted by Harrison Goode and Boris Ruzicka, putting the home team in the lead for the first time of the game.
The Devils fought back, and it took just three minutes before Facey with Mark Pitts got the puck to Doughty, who once more balanced the score.
Mark Pitts – Pictures are courtesy of Dave Chapman
The game took on a frantic feel, both teams wanting so desperately for the win, David Wride in the Thunder goal, getting in the way of everything coming his way, but, heartbreakingly for the Devils, with just over a minute to go, the Goodes found a gap, this time Connor providing the assist for Harrison.
The Devils didn’t have the time to pull the goal back, and the final buzzer went with the score at 3-2 to Milton Keynes.
The Devils head home to regroup for a week, before hosting the Oxford City Stars on Sunday 12th February, where the Stars will be hoping for a different result to the 10-4 defeat they suffered against the Devils, just three weeks ago.
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