Invicta Dynamos were edged out with a narrow 5-3 defeat to rivals Streatham IHC on Sunday evening.
Kevin Parrish’s side raced off to a 3-0 lead thanks to a brace from Owen Dell and another goal from Harrison Lillis, but they were pegged back late on in the third period.
Dynamos went into the game without Joe Allen, Ryan Giles and Matt Foord, who was unavailable due to his new born daughter. With the addition of Invicta Mustangs player, Luke Thirkettle.
Streatham IHC were without Damien King, as well as Rupert Quiney and Jordan Gregory who both remain sidelined due to injury.
Streatham quickly called Connor Morris into action as Andreas Siagris tried to wrap the puck around for an early goal but the netminder denied.
Arran Strawson set the tone of the game with a high hit on Thomas Beesley who then stumbled back to bench.
With Streatham back in the Dynamos zone, Morris performed a double save as Michael Farn fired a slap shot from the blue line, which rebounded off the netminder’s pads. Alex Roberts tried to score on the rebound, but Morris covered the puck.
Both teams fought for dominance. Lewis English went end to end with the puck, dodging past all five Streatham players. English tried for the first goal of the game with a wrist shot but was not successful and his shot was saved by young stand-in netminder Brett Shepherd.
Owen Dell raced up the ice from the Dynamos zone with the puck and out skated both the Streatham defensemen. Dell alone with Shepherd sent the puck flying with a wrist shot. The shot went between the legs of the netminder putting the Dynamos on the score board. Goal was scored at 13:38.
Dynamos bullied the Streatham team with hits and slashes. Harrison Lillis with a wraparound sent the puck up and a bundle of players in front of the net led to the second Dynamos goal. Timed at 15:35.
Not even a minute later Dell and Luke Thirkettle teamed up in the Streatham zone and Dell slotted the puck home to give the Dynamos a 3-0 lead over the visitors at 15:56.
Streatham worked hard to get their first goal. On the next faceoff Roberts sent the puck towards Morris but the puck found the back of the net to put Streatham on the score board at 17:01.
Jake Stedman was hit from behind by Roberts off the puck, but the referee ignored the encounter.
Jacob Ranson knocked Brandon Miles into the Dynamos bench door and the two tangled for a minute until they were interrupted by the officials.
End of the first period, Dynamos led the scoring 3-1.
Beginning of the second period and the Dynamos sent a puck flying at Shepherd but the whistle is blown before the puck slid into the goal. No goal for the Dynamos.
Dynamos had a 5 on 3 chance as Adam Wood sat two minutes for slashing and Joshua Condren received two minutes for hooking. However, nothing was gained from the powerplay.
Both teams began to play dirty with hits, Ondrej Zosiak hit Thomas Soar mid ice and sent the Streatham forward crashing to the ice.
Wood in front of the Dynamos net encounters Andy Munroe and the two pushed and shoved. Wood threw his gloves and stick as he decided to try and fight the Dynamos defenseman, but Munroe just fell to the floor as he had no interest in fighting the Streatham player. Wood received a two minute penalty for roughing and a further 10 minute misconduct penalty.
Dynamos with so many chances but Shepherd and the rest of the Streatham team tried to keep the Dynamos at bay.
Zosiak and Farn tangle in the corner and both received two minutes for roughing.
End of the second period and the score was still 3-1.
Third period opened with a Streatham goal at 41:20 as Ryan Webb found the back of the net.
Ranson and English fight after English sticked the Streatham forward. Ranson with the take down after a short fight. The pair received 2+2 for roughing.
Streatham’s third goal was scored by Adam Carr at 46:43 to level the score at 3-3.
Wood then received a two minute penalty for boarding. The defenseman decided on his own accord to leave the game and headed for the changing room.
Miles continued to assert his dominance over the Streatham players as he charged down the ice without any competition from Farn or the other players. Shepherd saved his attempt at a goal.
Streatham called timeout with five minutes left of the period.
The visitors took the lead with a fourth goal scored by Carr at 56:48.
Last two minutes of the game and the Dynamos pressured to take Streatham to overtime. Morris was pulled. Siagris with the puck headed towards the empty net and the Dynamos defense were too slow to stop the Streatham forward. Goal five for Streatham was scored at 59:10.
Disheartened Dynamos tried to find the Streatham net but was defeated 5-3 at the end buzzer.
Dynamos battled hard and dominated the game but Jeremy Cornish’s side played dirty to get their four goals in third period giving them the 5-3 win.