Match Report
Invicta Dynamos 3 v 2 Solent Devils
League, Sunday 28th September
The Dynamos hosted their longstanding rivals, the Solent Devils, for a league match. The Dynamos aimed to secure their first home victory, while the Devils sought to continue their winning streak, having already claimed two league wins this season. Both teams arrived with rosters of 19 players. The match was officiated by referee Solovjovs, assisted by Hill and Haslemere. In goal for the visitors was Taylor, while Windebank defended the net for the home team.
Period 1
The game commenced with the home side demonstrating an early advantage, applying strong forechecking that limited the visitors’ ability to build from the back. This pressure created early scoring opportunities for Connolly and Bronnimann, whose shots were expertly saved by Taylor in the Solent net. Against the flow of the game, the visitors took the lead at 4:12 when a shot from the blue line was deflected in front by Pitts, with assists credited to Lackey and Coleman. At 5:45, the visitors were assessed their first penalty of the night, as Hoppes was called for two minutes for boarding. However, the home team was unable to capitalise, and the penalty was successfully killed. The Dynamos continued to press, with Prentice forcing a brilliant save from Taylor. The deadlock was broken at 14:03 when Chard’s shot sailed past Taylor’s glove, with assists from Tombs and Lillis, tying the game at 1-1. Near the end of the period, the visitors struck the bar, but the puck stayed out, and the first period concluded with the score tied and honours even.
Period 2
The second period began with both teams eager to gain control of the game. Despite an early opportunity for Thune, the visitors gradually started to press the Dynamos into their own zone, appearing more likely to break the deadlock. Windebank managed to keep the hosts in the game with several key saves against longer shots from the Devils. As the period progressed, the play became scrappy, with neither side willing to relinquish control, and strong defensive efforts from both teams stifling attacks. Solent had a prime opportunity when Wedge broke in on a breakaway, but Windebank made a spectacular save. He followed up with an even better stop from a close-range shot to keep the game tied. In the final minutes, the Dynamos appeared to be gaining momentum, but it was the visitors who seized the lead at 39:56. A shot from Pitts slipped through Windebank’s pads and trickled agonizingly over the line, with assists credited to Coleman and Nekrosevicius, giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage to close out the period.
Period 3
The final period began with the home side eager to level the game. Early pressure yielded chances for Thune and Pywell, but Taylor made excellent saves to keep the visitors ahead. At 42:53, Ranson was penalised for boarding for the home team, while Coleman received a cross-checking penalty for the visitors, though the infractions were coincidental, and play continued at 5-on-5. The home side continued to press, with shots from Thune, Connolly, and Bronnimann narrowly missing, and Tombs narrowly missing a close-range chance in front of the net. At 54:47, the home team was awarded a power play when Cloutman was called for tripping. They capitalised on the opportunity, and just 28 seconds later, at 55:15, Gatenby fired a shot from the blue line past Taylor to tie the game, with assists credited to Smith and Connolly. In the final minutes, the Mos came close to winning when a deflected shot nearly caught Taylor out, but the game ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw.
Overtime & Penalty Shots
With the game tied at 2-2, the teams entered a 3-on-3 overtime. The home side came close to securing the win early on, with several shots well saved, including a fantastic save against a chance from Smith. The remainder of the overtime period saw limited scoring opportunities for either team, leading to a penalty shootout.
In the shootout, both teams missed their first attempts. Buckle gave the Devils the lead with his shot, but O’Neill responded to tie the score. After both teams missed their next shots, Smith stepped up for the home side and fired a shot past the keeper to put the Dynamos ahead. Coleman then missed for the visitors, and the Dynamos secured the victory on the night.
Despite the heroics of Taylor in goal for the Devils, Invicta arguably controlled much of the game in what was a highly competitive match between two evenly matched teams. Man of the Match was awarded to Taylor for the visitors, while Andy Smith was celebrated as the shootout hero for the Dynamos.
Written by Jon Akers