The Invicta Dynamos extended their fine unbeaten run with a 6-2 win at the Bracknell Hornets on Saturday night.
Invicta made the trip to Bracknell without the services of Taylor and Haydn Wootton along with the experienced Grant Baxter, but were boosted by the return of forward Bailey Wootton following a knee injury.
The games was only 45 seconds old when Callum Fowler found some space but his lofted shot was hacked away. A few minutes later, Josh Condren beat Danny House with ease but home netminder Daniel Milton was on guard to keep the scoreline level. House then tried to start a rumble with Wootton a couple of minutes later whilst supported by two colleagues but the officials stepped-in before it went any further.
The first goal came on 09:36. Josh Condren picked the puck-up from the middle of the ice pad and found Baily Wootton on the attack down the left, Wootton spotted a run by McNicoll through the middle and dispatched a perfect pass for the Scot to fire past Milton for Invicta’s lead.
In the 11th minute a powerful drive by Steve Osman was pushed away by Milton but when the puck found Callum Fowler he cut a pass across the goal mouth for Eriks Ozollapa to double the Invicta lead to 2-0.
Just as things started to look comfortable for Invicta Bracknell pulled a goal back from Danny Hughes who placed a well-timed shot into King left corner on 13:42. A close range save by Milton in the 15th minute from Ozollapa created a mini fracas, JJ Pitchley coming in from the blindside to hit Ozollapa on the back of the head. Ozollapa, clearly not happy replied in the perfect way – by putting Invicta 3-1 up on 15:56, firing the puck past Milton after Fowler and Osman combined on the break.
Damien King was busy in the second period, saving well from Josh Martin on 23.1 and at point blank range on 24.18, whilst on 25.13 Ondrej Zosiak hit one of his trademark powerful shots but Milton caught it well.
There was a delay on 29.38 whilst JJ Pitchley went down injured after a collision with Zosiak. Pitchley got up after a few minutes and retribution from Bracknell was to follow a bit later. With Harrison Lillis penalised for holding Josh Martin Bracknell scored a powerplay goal via Josh Martin and assisted by Danny Hughes on 30.46.
Eriks Ozollapa had a one on one with Milton on 33 minutes but the netminder saved well with his skate.
It took until 33.52 for Bracknell enforcer Brad Watchorn to get a fight he was trying hard to seek, trying to rough Ondrej Zosiak at first but when Conor Redmond tried to get in to protect his import a punch was also thrown at Redmond. Harrison Lillis then stepped-up to wrestle Watchorn until the referee brought things to a stop.
Both Watchorn and Zosiak ended up receiving two minutes each for roughing. A few minutes later JJ Pitchley followed through on a challenge on Damien King, with the Invicta netminder then giving JJ Pitchley a few hits he deserved. King getting 2 minutes for roughing.
More drama was to follow when Danny House tangled with Callum Fowler and was spotted by referee O’Neill and got called 2 minutes for roughing and 2 minutes for holding on 38.09.
With 49.33 on the clock Arran Strawson played a wonderful pass through the middle of the pad, Steve Osman reading it well and his back flick shot saved. Continued pressure by Invicta finally paid-off when Josh Condren rounded 3 Bracknell players and guided the puck past Milton on 51.08, assist by Eriks Ozollapa for 2-4 in favour of the away side – it was a truly magnificent effort.
With the minutes ticking away JJ Pitchley went on the break … looking one on one with King but Strawson slid across to stick away the puck.
Not long after, it was 2-5 on 54.46 when captain Nicky Lewis assisted by Ozollapa and Redmond put the game beyond the reach of Bracknell.
A 6th and final goal for Invicta came from Adam McNicoll who doubled his tally on 57.44 tapping home Conor Redmond’s pass, 2nd assist coming from Harrison Lillis.
Invicta’s man of the match went to two goal hero Erik Ozollapa .