Invicta Dynamos suffered a 9-2 defeat against Bracknell Bees on Sunday night at Planet Ice Gillingham.
The Dynamos missed Callum Best, Joe Allen, Ryan Giles and Arran Strawson. The visitors were without Ben Paynter, Joe Baird and Ryan Sutton.
Connor Morris was called into action rather quickly just over one minute into the game, as Ryan Watt shot the puck towards the Dynamos netminder. Louis Colvin came in with a counter attack on Danny Milton as he shot the puck from the blue line seconds after.
Bees opened the scoring as Josh Martin after a set-up pass from Shaun Thompson, timed at 4:40.
Andy Munroe sent James Galazzi skidding to the ice with a clean hit in centre ice. Ondrej Zosiak followed suit but tripped a Bees player resulting in a two minute tripping penalty.
The Dynamos used their physicality to get the better of the Bees, Leone skated shoulder to shoulder with Harvey Stead. The Bees defenceman smacked the back of Leone’s skates which resulted in a few words from the Dynamos captain.
Edward Knaggs took a shot on Morris but the netminder padded the puck away. Then Stead lined up a slapshot, but Morris gloved the shot. Dynamos managed to kill the penalty.
Bees managed to score their second goal at 12:10, Josh Smith fired the shot home as Galazzi screened Morris.
Seconds later the Bees scored another goal using the same tactics. Stuart Mogg fired a slapshot through a crowd of bodies and into the back of the Invicta net. Third goal timed at 12:48.
Jake Stedman on the breakaway deked past three Bracknell players. One of the Bees defenceman intercepted the forward and the Bees advanced on the Dynamos zone. Vanya Antonov with a shot on Morris, Bees thought they had scored but the officials wiped the goal.
The Dynamos were on the penalty kill again as Louis Colvin was given a two minute penalty for high sticks.
In the Dynamos zone, Ondrej Zosiak and Thompson pushed and shoved but Zosiak over powers the forward and sent him to the ice.
The Bees have another goal washed out as the puck was swept in from the left circle, but the goal was off and Morris’ attempts at alerting the officials were ignored until the whistle was blown.
End of the first period and the Dynamos trailed 3-0.
Second period began and the Dynamos emerged from their changing room ready to fight for their first goal of the game.
Harrison Lillis was beat by Scott Spearing to the puck, but the Dynamos defenceman used his body to send Spearing up the boards.
With play back up in the Bracknell zone, Owen Dell and Stedman teamed up in front of net and tried to ram the puck home but Milton manged to cover the puck after the fourth attempt.
Dynamos controlled most of the play in the opening few minutes of the second period but both teams turned physical. Matt Foord sent Thompson to the ice hard against the boards which grabbed the attention of Watt and Brandon Miles who both started to push and shove. Zosiak pushed Thompson and Watt and the bundle of players separated.
Seconds later Zosiak slashed his stick against Martin’s legs before he threw his stick to the ice and jumped the Bees winger. The two threw punches and before long both lines were bundled and throwing punches at each other. Morris left his crease to hold back Mogg.
Lillis and Spearing emerged from the bundle and squared up. Lillis threw punch after punch whilst he pulled at Spearing’s jersey. The two tumbled to the ice but continued to fight. Two officials finally got involved and broke the pair.
After several minutes of waiting the officials finally decided on the penalties which were all recorded at 28:58: Zosiak received 2 minutes for slashing and a further 2+2 plus game for fighting; Lillis received 2+2 for fighting; Connor Morris received 2 minutes for leaving his goal crease; Thompson received 2+2 for fighting; and Spearing also received 2+2 for fighting. Which left the Dynamos on a 3 on 5 penalty kill.
Bees scored their fourth goal of the night on the powerplay at 30:20 as Spearing flicked the puck over Morris’ pads.
Another powerplay goal followed soon after as Antonov fired a wrist shot which came too fast for Morris to catch. Goal timed at 30:51
Hope for the Dynamos came only 12 seconds later at 31:03 as Colvin put the team on the score board with a goal over the pads of Milton.
Both teams battled hard for the remaining ten minutes of the period. Stedman took a shot on Milton but the netminder made the easy save.
Two minutes left of the second period and Lewis English tried to add another goal to the scoreboard, but Milton knocked the puck away.
Second period ended with the Bees leading 5-1.
English tried his luck once again straight off the opening faceoff of the third period, but Milton padded the puck away.
Miles who was still riled up from the line brawl slashed at the ankles of Spearing and Martin but the two were not interested in fighting the Dynamos enforcer.
Bees’ Roman Malinik stood just left of the goal post but mishit his one-time shot and sent the puck wide.
Stead and Watt skated 2 on 1 against Foord but the Bees pair send the puck into the top right corner of the net. Bees lead 6-1 at 47:16.
The physicality continued as Spearing checked Stedman from behind, but no call was made by the officials.
Goal 7 was quickly secured by the Bees as Galazzi received a pass from behind the Dynamos net and smacked it home passed Morris (49:01).
Watt tried for his first goal of the night to further the visitors lead by rocketing a slapshot from the blue line, but the shot was too high and hit the plexiglass.
The Dynamos desperately tried to close the gap with another goal as Miles, Foord and Leone teamed up and skated past all five of the Bracknell players, but Milton saved all attempts.
Colvin received a two minute clipping penalty with just under 10 minutes remaining of the game. Foord complained about the call and picked up a misconduct penalty which saw him leave the game.
Bracknell Bees scored another powerplay goal as the players lined up for shots in front of the Dynamos net, but it was Malinik who found the back of the net. Goal was timed at 55:06.
Minutes later (57:32) the Bees furthered the lead even more as Malinik beat his man into the zone and fired the shot top corner over Morris’ shoulder.
At 57:44 Thompson received the Bees first two minute penalty outside of the earlier line brawl for tripping.
Antonov took the opportunity on the penalty kill to steal the puck and go 1 on 0 with Morris but the netminder saved the oncoming shot.
Under a minute remained of the third period but Colvin slapshot the puck down from the blue line and was deflected into the goal. The rink erupted as the fans and players cheered until the final buzzer.
The Bracknell Bees may have walked away with a 9-2 victory, but the Dynamos fought hard and stood toe-to-toe with their opponents.
Invicta: Louis Colvin 2+0, Ryan Morgan 0+1, Harrison Lillis 0+1
Bracknell: Roman Malinik 2+0, Vanya Antonov 1+3, James Galazzi 1+1, Harvey Stead 1+1, Josh Martin 1+1, Stuart Mogg 1+1, Josh Smith 1+0, Scott Spearing 1+0, Shaun Thompson 0+2, Aidan Doughty 0+1, Ryan Watt 0+1
Picture supplied by Dave Trevallion.