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The Dynamos hosted Cardiff Fire at Gillingham for their sole game of the weekend, aiming to build on their recent form and maintain pressure on the top three in the league. The Fire arrived with a roster of 17 players, matching the Dynamos, who also iced 17. The officiating crew was led by referee Stephenson, assisted by Hill and Myrsikov. Starting goaltenders were Davies for the Fire and Divall for the Dynamos. With everything in place, the puck was ready to be dropped for the game.
Period 1
Period 1 began with the Dynamos establishing a quicker tempo, applying intense pressure on the Fire’s defence, which created numerous scoring opportunities. Ranson, Worthy, Connolly, and Gatenby all tested the Fire’s goaltender, with shots saved or hitting the post. Thune did beat the keeper, but his shot struck the post, keeping the score at 0-0.
At 7:26, the Dynamos finally broke the deadlock, with Connolly firing a shot past the goalie, assisted by Gatenby and Tomb. The Dynamos continued to dominate, peppering Davies in the Fire net with shots from Stokes, Worthy, and Vigar, all testing the Fire goaltender.
Their efforts paid off again at 14:15 when Pascale collected a rebound and scored, with assists from Ranson and Gatenby, extending the lead to 2-0. The Dynamos remained firmly in control, and at 18:45, Lillis converted a rebound, assisted by Prentice, to make it 3-0. The scoring spree continued just before the period ended, as Pascale netted his second goal at 19:10, assisted by Ranson and Connolly, bringing the score to 4-0.
By the end of the first period, the Dynamos were thoroughly dominating the game, leading convincingly and in command.
Period 2
Period 2 mirrored the start of the first, with the home side looking to extend their lead. An early shot from Thune was saved, but the Fire briefly generated some offensive pressure. However, the Dynamos quickly responded, increasing their tally at 24:27 when a rebound allowed Connolly to tuck the puck home, assisted by Ranson, making it 5-0.
Just over a minute later, at 25:25, Prentice scored with a shot assisted by Thune and Lillis, putting the Dynamos further ahead at 6-0. The Fire were awarded a power play at 25:46 when Chard received a two-minute penalty for roughing. Despite the extra man, they failed to generate any scoring opportunities, and the Dynamos successfully killed the penalty.
At 28:02, Connolly completed his hat trick, assisted by Ranson, to make it 7-0. In an effort to stem the tide, the Fire replaced Davies with Evans in goal. The Fire then managed to tighten their defence, limiting the Dynamos to long shots from Pywell and Vigar, which were ultimately saved. The period concluded with the home team maintaining a commanding 7-0 lead.
Period 3
The third period saw the home side once again looking the more likely to add to their score. A shot from Pascale nearly beat Evans but was expertly saved. As the game’s tempo slowed, a powerful hit from Connolly appeared to reignite the play. Gatenby fired a shot that was well saved by Evans, who also dealt with the follow-up from Ranson.
At 49:58, the Dynamos finally broke through when Ranson, showing great perseverance, scored assisted by Gatenby and Pascale, bringing the score to 8-0. Nearly immediately after, at 50:16, Thune found the net with a shot assisted by Lillis, making it 9-0. The Dynamos continued to press, with shots from Yeates, Chard, and Gatenby all denied by Evans.
Their tenth goal came at 56:05 when Tombs fired a shot through a crowd past Evans, with assists from Ranson and Pascale. This marked the final significant action of the game, as the Dynamos secured a commanding 10-0 victory.
The Fire played hard to contain the Dynamos but found no answer at either end of the ice. Despite the result, their effort was commendable and they never gave up. Bigger challenges lie ahead for the Dynamos, as next weekend marks the celebration of 40 years of ice hockey in Gillingham, highlighted by a visit from the Slough Jets. Man of the Match awards went to Caccavale for the Fire and Pascale for the Dynamos.
Written by Jon Akers