A second period in which the Invicta Dynamos conceded three powerplay goals was the difference between the sides on Sunday night as the hosts were then left chasing the game and fell 8-4 at the hands of the Junior Raiders in Gillingham.
The Dynamos chose this game to show the club’s support for the people of Ukraine and ahead of the tie Ukrainian nationals from local firm AC Goatham & Son joined the teams on the ice for their national anthem which was played in place of the UK version. It was an emotional moment rounded off by emphatic applause from around the rink before both sides joined the visitors for a photo to mark the occasion.
Coming into the tie the Mos iced a roster of 14 whilst the visitors had a squad of 18. Ben Clements started in net with Daniel Milton his opposite number.
In the opening period the Dynamos started brightly and they were ahead at 01.10 – the Raiders defence misplacing a pass allowing Tomas Banovsky to escape clean through and rifle into the bottom far corner from close left for the first of the night. The hosts had opportunities to add to their early strike – Billy Phillips being robbed by Daniel Milton when one-on-one before Richard Harris sent a shot wide of the post when he was found alone in front. At 11.06 they were made to pay for their misses as the Raiders responded – the hosts overcommitting up the ice allowing Tjay Anderson to speed down the channel and dispatch beyond Ben Clement from close left to make it 1-1.
Despite the setback the Mos were back in front as soon as 12.39 – Billy Woods threading the puck through to Juraj Huska who escaped on the breakaway and flicked beyond Daniel Milton despite two defencemen snapping at his heels. Again the home side then had chances to add to their lead – Tomas Banovsky’s backhand from between the circles read by the goalie before Tom Davis squandered a big chance when found alone close left. Again they would pay for their lack of ruthlessness – at 15.12 Tjay Anderson’s wayward shot turned into the perfect assist as it bounced off of the backboards straight to Vilius Krakauskas who turned in from point blank right.
After a mostly positive opening period in which they had been the better side, the second was where it went wrong for the Dynamos as they picked up a total of eight penalties across the frame allowing the visitors to seize control. Arran Strawson took the first with a slashing minor and the Raiders made it count in just seven seconds – Tjay Anderson setting up Austin Osborn for the finish from point blank range. The Mos did immediately hit back – Strawson applying a decisive touch to a Billy Woods blue line shot that took it over Daniel Milton for an equaliser at 26.52 – but it was a rare plus point in an otherwise frustrating period.
A slashing minor on Tom Davis gave the away side another powerplay and they made it count at 30.41 – James Hounsome slotting beyond Ben Clements from close right to make it 4-3. In the aftermath of the goal Billy Phillips was called for slashing and soon after Billy Woods joined him in the box for tripping with Tomas Banovsky heading that way at the same time for a reaction that secured him a ten minute misconduct. The Raiders then netted their fifth at 32.45 – another powerplay goal tallied as Tjay Anderson rifled beyond the goalie from the right side for the 5-3 edge.
The away side’s lead grew further at 34.11 when Gian Luca Pascale brought an end to an incredibly long scramble around the Invicta net by bundling home from the crease for the comfortable 6-3 cushion. The visitors then took their only penalties of the night – Harvey Briggs called for hooking and his protests then securing him an unnecessary ten minute misconduct. It was still the Mos who took the brunt of the calls though – at 39.12 Tom Davis was given minor penalties for both hooking and roughing as he tried to prevent a breakaway whilst Billy Phillips picked up an interference penalty on the buzzer to gift the Raiders a 5-on-3 heading into the last.
In the final frame the Dynamos killed off the lengthy spell two men down to give themselves hope of a comeback but the visitors all but extinguished those ambitions at 46.05 – a lightning fats counter ending with Vilius Krakauskas lifting over the shoulder of Ben Clements on the backhand from close right for -3. The goal signalled the end to Clements’ night who was replaced in net by Owen Rider.
When the action restarted the hosts hit back to pull within three once more. At 47.34 Juraj Huska found Anthony Leone in the left circle and he drilled a one-timer beyond Daniel Milton to retain his team’s interest in the tie. The pair linked up again moments later with a similar move but this time the netminder came out on top and denied Leone from the edge of the crease.
At 53.05 the visitors struck their last of the night to seal the two points. At 53.05 Gian Marco Pascale found Tjay Anderson at the bottom of the right circle and he dispatched a one-time shot beyond Owen Ride to complete his hat-trick/ In the aftermath Anthony Leone picked up a minor penalty for unsporting conduct as the home side’s frustrations continued to mount. To their credit they battled until the final buzzer looking for further consolations but Daniel Milton Denied a Juraj Huska slapshot whilst Billy Phillips fired over the bar from right in front and another goal was not to be.
So it was an 8-4 defeat for the Dynamos and a night of frustration given early on there had been little between the sides before penalty trouble allowed the visitors to pull out of sight. The Raiders had youth, energy and speed on their side with the hosts unable to make up the difference once they fell behind. Man of the match awards went to Billy Woods of the Mos and hat-trick hero Tjay Anderson of the away side.