SUNDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2024
Streatham fight back for win
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham continued their undefeated home streak on Saturday, extending to 6-0 on the season with a 9-2 win over the Invicta Dynamos.
Games between the Mo’s and Streatham always have a derby feel about them, and the rivalry between the teams is bitter, and this game had that kind of an undercurrent.
Streatham would need to find a way back from two one goal deficits in the early going to win this game, however.
4 minutes in Harvey Stead would be given a 2-minute penalty for cross checking. The Dynamos would score on the following Powerplay as former Redhawk Tom Soar netted for the visitors.
Streatham would immediately apply offensive pressure and be rewarded on 6 minutes. As Ethan Lane would bank a puck in off the skate of Dynamos Dylan Worthy. As there are no own goals in hockey Lane would be credited the goal.
The Dynamos would restore their lead at 13 minutes, as Dan Scott and Tom Soar would link up to put the visitors back into the lead 2-1. Streatham would push for an equalizer, but the period would end with the Dynamos in the lead.
The second period would see Streatham hit the Dynamo’s with wave after wave of attack looking for a break in the wall that was Mo’s netminder Brad Windebank.
Finally, being reward on 33 minutes as Jared Lane tied up the game. Aaron Connolly delivering a cross check to Ziggy Beesley on the restart would lead to Ryan Watt putting Streatham in the lead a minute later, on another powerplay.
A fighting major for, former Redhawk Callum Burnett at 39 minutes would see Streatham double the lead at 39 minutes as Luke Brittle netted with 10 seconds on the clock in the 2nd.
Tempers which had been flaring in the second boiled over with a hit by Connolly on Beesley at the buzzer. A crowd would gather with some pushing and shoving but no fighting breaking out, as the officials sent both teams to the locker room.
As Burnett’s penalty was a major, he remained in the box. And the Dynamos would spend the opening 4 minutes of the 3rd a man down on the penalty kill.
Streatham would capitalize on the man advantage scoring 2 in the opening minutes of the 3rd period. Harvey Stead netting first to make it 5-2 Streatham at 41 minutes, then at 42 minutes Jared Lane would add another making it 6-2.
2 minutes later at 44 minutes, Jared Lane would complete his hattrick on the night, making it 7-2 Streatham. Invicta would call a timeout at this point, and swap Windebank for Nikolai Divall.
The tempers that had been bubbling up all game, finally boiled over at 46 minutes, as Ethan Lane would drop the gloves for a fight with Worthy after a hit in the corner.
Streatham would close out the game with Danny Ingodlsby netting the sides 8th at 55 minutes. And then Luke Brittle adding the 9th at 57 minutes. To wrap up the scoring Streatham 9-2 Invicta
Post-game assistant captain Ziggy Beesley was happy with all but the first period.
“We came in, not really knowing what to expect, Invicta are a really strong team. And we’ve seen before teams come in here with a short bench and cause an upset. So it was critical we came in with the correct mindset. We overcame the deficit, and I think their 5 min penalty killed the game. They had a good first, we weren’t as good as we would have liked to have been in the first. But we got the job done in the 2nd
and 3rd."
Coach Paynter was pleased with the overall result, but not having to claw back to do so.
“They came in short benched; we knew that if we stuck to our game plan, we’d keep wearing them down and be in a very good position by end of the game. And we did just that. I don’t think our first period was great to be honest, wasn’t our game plan to finish the 1st 2-1 down. The 2nd goal was a bit of an unlucky bounce, those things happen. But I think the hockey gods gave us a warning there to turn it on a bit, and I think 2nd period we did just that and I think form there on we were in control start to finish.”
Tonight Streatham will face fellow title hopefuls Slough Jets. Before next weekend welcoming the Cardiff Fire on 7th December