Chieftains & Invicta Throw Up Another Thriller!

From those of you who've been following SportTradesReport over the last couple of months you're know that we've been following the Chelmsford Chieftains, an Ice Hockey team this season. Anyway last week they narrowly lost home at the Riverside to their fierce rivals the Invicta Dynamos, with the winning goal being scored late on. Kevin Howland from the Dynamos has got cracking highlights of that game which you can view from this link -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSmNdAf8mjw

Anyway last saturday saw the two teams clash again, this time round Invicta were the hosts and the Chieftains were looking to bounce back after that heartbreaking defeat a week earlier. SportTrades Pete Lewis as ever reports on the game for us:

In a great game of Ice Hockey, there was action right at the start of the game with the hosts having an early shot saved by Ben Clements. Chieftains though had the first real meaningful chance of the game though when Ross Brears and Danny Hammond broke clear only to see goaltender Joe White pull of a double save to stop the puck going in.

In a game like this, the first one was always going to be important and it went to Chelmsford after they grabbed the intiative after Invicta lost 2 players to the penalty box. Mark Williams and Ryan Giles both found guilty for needless infringements. Adam Copland doing the damage from the blueline with a powerful snapshot, which Shane Kemp in goal failed to see. Not long after that the Chieftains were 2-0 up, following a well-worked move. Good work from Rich Whiting and BT Williams (pictured by Ian Snoding) set up Darren Brown who slotted past the goalie with style.

It was all going so well for the visitors who really wanted to end the first period 2 goals to the good. Invicta though like league leaders should fought back and Nolan Boike did well to slot past Clements at his near post with just 4 minutes to go until the end of the period. Just into the second period and it was almost 1-3 but Kemp in goal for the hosts made a save from the tireless Brears somehow keeping the puck out down at his near post. A few minutes later and a mistake from Sean Easton in clearing the puck almost allowed the Dynamos to tie the game up, but Ben Clements made a great poke check to deny the onrushing Dynamos.

Tempers began to heat up a few minutes later when a save by Joe White (who had replaced Kemp in goal) was spilled and a scrum of players ensued after some nasty pushes and punches were thrown behind the net. Only the instigator of the ensuing scrum, Blaho Novak, took any penalties though - which is often the case in hockey unlike football for instance.

With the minutes ticking down it looked like Chieftains could just hold out for a famous victory and send Invicta to only their second league defeat of the season. Sadly with around twelve minutes left, Peter Vaisenan took a chance at the near post to tie the game up. It was harsh on Chelmsford, but in such a good game of Ice Hockey perhaps both teams derserved a point.

After the game, Chieftains coach Dean Birrell said “I’m very pleased tonight to have got the draw from here. Not many sides this year will get anything from this rink, so to be the first is an excellent feeling. What was interesting was seeing who scored the Invicta goals and who scored our goals and who our main players were. It was our British and local players who were the main danger tonight, but on the other side it was only their imports who looked really dangerous, with the exception of the odd attack”.