Match Report
Invicta Dynamos 3 v 0 Cardiff Fire
League, Saturday 18th October
The Dynamos hosted the Cardiff Fire at Gillingham in their season’s first encounter, both teams eager to bounce back from losses suffered the previous weekend. The Fire arrived with an 18-player roster, while the home side fielded 17 skaters. Refereeing duties were handled by Solovjovs, assisted by Hill and Reynolds. In goal, Scanlan started for the Fire, while young netminder Nikolai Divall made his first home start of the season.
Period 1
The game began with the home side eager to establish an early tempo, and they quickly settled into a dominant rhythm. The Fire found themselves a player down early on when, at 1:32, Davies received a two-minute minor for Delay of the Game. Taking full advantage, the Dynamos opened the scoring at 2:55 when Connolly fired a shot over Scanlan’s shoulder, assisted by Pascale and Thune, making it 1-0. The Dynamos continued to press, with shots from Connolly, Prentice, and Thune forcing Scanlan into several good saves. As the period progressed, the Fire began to find their footing, with Divall keeping them in the game with some key saves. The Dynamos maintained their momentum, generating more scoring opportunities, including shots from Bronnimann and Pywell, both of which were well saved by Scanlan, frustrating the home team. The visitors earned a powerplay when, at 16:57, Gatenby was penalised for Charging. However, they struggled to create significant chances, and as the period drew to a close, the Dynamos returned to full strength. In the final moments, Bronnimann tested Scanlan again, but was denied, and the period ended with the score still at 1-0 in favour of the Dynamos
Period 2
The second period began with the home side eager to extend their lead. They started strongly, with Pascale forcing a close-range shot that was saved. The closest either team came to scoring in the early stages was when a pass across the crease deflected off Tombs and nearly caught Divall off guard in the Dynamos net, but the puck was kept out. The Dynamos maintained most of the puck possession, primarily shooting from distance in hopes of creating rebounds, while the Fire were content to frustrate and look for counterattack opportunities. The home team did manage to generate some better chances; Bronnimann had a shot saved, and Thune fired a shot that struck Scanlan on the facemask. As the period progressed, the game became increasingly scrappy, with the Fire appearing more likely to find the net. However, Divall stood tall, turning away several scoring attempts. The period ultimately ended with the Dynamos leading 1-0.
Period 3
Period 3 once again saw the home side start strongly, applying pressure on the Cardiff net. However, they struggled to create clear scoring chances. The Fire nearly equalised when Hind-Pitcher broke free, but Divall made a crucial save to deny him. Scanlan in net was busy handling shots from the Dynamos’ attack, and although the home team eventually found a way past him, Pascale’s shot ricocheted off the crossbar. The Dynamos continued to hustle well, disrupting the Fire’s play and preventing them from establishing any momentum. Their persistence paid off at 54:17 when Thune was found in space and fired a shot past Scanlan, with assists going to Tombs and Prentice, making it 2-0. This goal seemed to energise the home side, with Bronnimann going close again, but Scanlan made a key save. At 57:37, the Dynamos sealed the victory when Connolly scored after some excellent work by Thune and Prentice. Despite the Fire calling a timeout immediately afterward, no further goals were scored, and the Dynamos secured a 3-0 victory.
Overall, the Dynamos were the stronger team, but they faced persistent resistance from a resolute Fire defence and an impressive performance by Scanlan in goal. Ultimately, they did just enough to earn the two points. Man of the Match for the Fire was Scanlan, while Divall earned the honours for the Dynamos, recording his first senior shutout.
Written by Jon Akers