Invicta Dynamos suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat on the opening night of the season to the Bracknell Bees at Planet Ice Gillingham.

Dynamos were without Joe Allen and Thomas McKinnon, but with the addition of netminder Thomas Adams. While the visitors missed Vanya Antonov, Shaun Thompson, Danny Milton and Ryan Watt with Zach Milton and Ethan Frain joining the lineup.

Grant Bartlett and Ondrej Zosiak secured a goal each but it was not enough to catch the visitors.

Both teams started off strong with shots fired at both Invicta’s, Adam Long and Bracknell’s, Dean Skinns.

But it was Stuart Mogg who fired a slap shot into the top right corner of Long’s net from the face off, giving the visitors the lead.

Bracknell secured a two goal lead (2-0) soon after as Josh Martin tucked the puck under Long’s pad from right in front of the net.

The Bees continued to put pressure on the Dynamos towards the end of the first period. On the break away Callum Best took a shot on Skinns but could not get it past the Bees keeper.

Long was penalised for covering the puck outside his crease after a shot and was given a delay of game at 19:05 which left the Dynamos on a penalty kill for the start of the second period.

The start of the second period saw the Bees try to further their lead on the powerplay but to no avail as Long continued to block the visitors shots.

Matt Foord took a two minute tripping penalty giving the Bees another powerplay.

Martin quickly secured his second goal of the night as Long tried to defend against three Bracknell players with one second left on the powerplay at 30:37. Furthering their lead to 3-0.

On the breakaway Cameron and Grant Bartlett teamed up to beat the Bees defencemen. G. Bartlett fired a slap shot from the blue line which bounced off the post and into the goal making the score 3-1 at 31:56.

Dynamos who were fired up from G. Bartlett’s goal put pressure on the Bees and their netminder. Ondrej Zosiak came round from the back of the net and shot the puck between Skinns and the near post giving the Dynamos their second goal of the night (3-2).

Edmund Piacka was sent to the penalty box with a two minute interference penalty, giving the Bees yet another powerplay chance. Skinns skated to the bench giving the Bees a sixth player for the last twenty seconds of the period but no goals were scored.

Both teams returned to the ice for the third period determined to score. With end to end play and shots fired at both netminders, Aidan Doughty fired a canon shot which hit Long’s mask and the netminder fell to his knees. Long shook off the hit and saved a shot seconds later from Roman Malinik.

The end to end play continued as C. Bartlett battled through four Bracknell players and took a shot which landed in the glove of Skinns.

Dynamos called a time out with one minute left to play with the score still at 3-2. Long stayed on the bench as the Dynamos resumed the game with six players.

The Dynamos scrambled to find the net, Skinns held the puck as the buzzer called to signify the end of the game.

Bracknell Bees preserved their 3-2 victory after an end to end game, which had both teams putting pressure on the other, an eventful beginning to the season at Gillingham.

Invicta Dynamos: Grant Bartlett 1+1, Ondrej Zosiak 1+0.

Bracknell Bees: Stuart Mogg 1+0, Galazzi 0+1, Josh Martin 2+0, Aidan Doughty 0+2.