The Invicta Dynamos started 2013 with an 8-5 victory against the boisterous Cardiff NIHL Devils on Saturday night.

Callum Best and Peter Vaisanen doubles, alongside efforts from Jack Tarczycki, Andy Smith, Arran Strawson and Harrison Lillis saw the Dynamos through to their fourth victory on the trot.

Wonder saves from both David Wride and Mike Brabon prevented an early breakthrough in Gillingham on Saturday evening – Wride quickly gloving a close range Stephen Deacon effort following a 2-on-1 whilst his counterpart performed a similar feat to deny Callum Fowler. The stalemate would come to an end midway through though – Steve Osman’s mishit from between the faceoff circles dropping perfectly for Sean Scarbrough at the right stick – the American roofing the puck to grab the opener on the powerplay whilst Adam Copland sat for tripping. However, just over a minute later, it would be 1-1.

With his forwards going for a line change, blue liner Arran Strawson elected to move up the ice himself, entering the final third before sending a slapshot low and through the legs of the goalie to level it up. Soon after and the hosts would then lead. This time a neat interchange between Callum Fowler and Andy Smith ended with Fowler finding his captain just right of the target and Smith sweeping beyond Mike Brabon for the 2-1 edge. Despite the goalscorer then picking up a slashing minor moments later, the Dynamos would go on to quickly add another.

More fine work from Fowler saw him steal possession against the right boards in the final third and his pass inside found Peter Vaisanen heading towards the goal – the Canadian shifting onto his backhand to commit the netminder before steering in at the back post. The shorthanded effort provided a two goal cushion but it was cancelled out on the same penalty – Steve Osman’s pass from the right side setting up Jamie Newton for the one-timer finish from between the faceoff circles for 3-2. However, with just 34 seconds remaining on the clock, the Dynamos maintained the momentum as Andy Smith’s play from the left corner found Peter Vaisanen inside the left circle – the ‘import’ forward sweeping low into the back of the net for his second of the night.

Soon after the buzzer sounded to signal that the period was over but that was not so in the case of Cardiff’s Ross Wilkinson – the skater deliberately checking Smith into the boards way after time in a move that was easily avoidable and seemingly an intent to instigate. Riled by the cheap shot, Peter Vaisanen jumped in to land blows on the Cardiff enforcer whilst Tim Smith’s attempts to reach him were halted by James Parsons. Whilst Vaisanen took retribution on Wilkinson, Smith and Parsons exchanged hefty blows with the Invicta blue liner fairing better and securing the takedown. In the aftermath both teams then found themselves short a man – Wilkinson kicked from the game for charging whilst Vaisanen suffered the same fate for roughing.

After a frantic end to the first frame, the second, inevitably, looked tepid in comparison as the Dynamos controlled the play and set about adding to their lead. Seven minutes, in a neat reverse pass by Callum Fowler sent Callum Best in on the breakaway – the former Slough man shifting right around the netminder before dispatching inside the near post for 5-2.

The hosts then had another, just moments later, when Jack Tarczycki’s foray forward ended in the right corner behind the opposition’s goal line and his dump towards the crease saw a mix up between defence and netminder – the puck fortuitously deflecting over the line for 6-2. By now the Devils were at risk of falling out of sight but a high sticks minor to Grant Baxter allowed them the chance to answer – Steve Osman’s pass across the crease converted beyond David Wride by Sean Scarbrough at the back post.

Their deficit was back to four before the buzzer though as Andy Smith sent Callum Best into the final third – Best enjoying a clear shot at goal from just over the blue line and sending a wrist shot over Mike Brabon to kick the water bottle for 7-3.

In the final period the pace of the game dropped another notch with the Dynamos seemingly now able to coast to victory and Cardiff unable to find a way beyond David Wride to threaten a comeback. Tensions were still high though and two Jordan Powell checks to Sam Cheema in front of the Devils’ bench saw Tim Smith react by ditching the gloves in an offer to dance – Powell instead opting to retreat to the away exit leaving Smith to be penalised with a misconduct that would keep him off of the ice for the remainder of the tie.

When play restarted a wayward elbow from Gareth Dixon saw him invited to tussle by Nathaniel Rose but, despite exchanging shoves, the pair were dispatched to the boxes with nothing doing as Dixon looked to avoid the bout. Nicky Lewis was then also sent from the ice on a hooking minor and, on the powerplay, Cardiff netted their fourth of the night to make it 7-4. Alan Armour’s shot from wide right was hidden from goalie David Wride by a forward skating across his line of sight allowing the puck to find the top far corner and cut the visitor’s deficit to three.

Just two minutes from the buzzer it was then back to four when Anthony Leone’s looping effort on the backhand from wide right fell to Harrison Lillis right in front – the young forward firing in at point blank range for his second of the season. Leone then made his customary visit to the penalty box on a slashing call and this allowed the Devils the last goal of the evening – their fifth of the night – with all five coming on the powerplay. Sean Scarbrough’s shot from deep left was blocked on the line by David Wride but fell kindly to Steve Osman who poked into the net from close range on the back stick for 8-5.

So it was the Dynamos who celebrated come the final buzzer as they managed their second win over Cardiff in a fortnight. The hosts were excellent in the opening frame and were then always far enough ahead in the final two periods to secure the two league points.

The only downside was the match penalty awarded to ‘import’ Peter Vaisanen who now misses the road trip to Romford on Sunday but Head Coach Kevin Parrish will surely respect the need for him to defend his teammate following the dangerous and unnecessary post buzzer check from Ross Wilkinson in the first. Man of the match awards on the night went to Andy Smith of the Dynamos and promising youngster Callum Buglass of the visitors.

Picture supplied by David Trevallion