A double from Canadian Justin Noble, alongside efforts from Andy Smith, Peter Vaisanen, Nicky Lewis, Callum Fowler and Joe Bliss, saw the Invicta Dynamos kick-off their 2012/13 campaign with a winning start in a 7-2 victory over the Milton Keynes Thunder.

Coming into the opening game of the new season, only blue liner Anthony Lennon and hard man Bradley Watchorn were absentees for the Dynamos who gave new signing David Wride a home debut in net. Wride perhaps marginally received the sterner test of the two netminders in the opening frame as the hosts exhibited signs of preseason rust and struggled to click into gear.

The Thunder’s Latvian forward Maksims Petruks really should have had the visitors ahead early on, when Tom Mboya presented him with a gift on the back post, but the ‘import’ recruit merely waved at the puck to the relief of the Dynamos’ rear guard. Moments later and Michael Whillock was presented with a similar opportunity but netminder Wride scurried across his crease to make an impressive stop.

The threat of falling behind seemingly spurred the home side into action and they claimed the go-ahead-goal nine minutes in as Callum Fowler skated the length of the rink down the right channel before firing towards the crease where a waiting Andy Smith redirected just inside the back post for the 1-0 edge. Moments later and the Dynamos were then awarded a penalty shot, with the Milton Keynes defence guilty of lying on the puck, but Callum Best’s backhand over the sizeable David Cassidy in net flew over the bar.

With time winding down the visitors then went in search of the equaliser and they were duly rewarded four minutes from the buzzer as Harrison Goode escaped through on a breakaway, stick shifted right to take the puck beyond the grasp of a diving David Wride and then coolly backhanded over the line for the 1-1 score come the intermission.

Having finished the first on the front foot, the Thunder started the second in similar fashion and added to their tally to go 2-1 up. From the right corner Mark Turner found Makisms Petruks on the far stick and he dispatched a one-timer back across goal and over the line for his first in Milton Keynes colours.

Their time in front was shortlived however as, seven minutes in, Justin Noble beat David Cassidy to restore parity at 2-2. Jack Tarczycki’s foray forward ended on the opposition’s red line and he passed back to Callum Best on the edge of the zone whose play towards the crease was stabbed under the legs of the netminder by the outstretched stick of the Canadian forward.

Six minutes from time the hosts then claimed the third of the frame and their third of the evening in an otherwise disjointed period. Adam Copland prevented a Thunder clearance from leaving the final third before finding Peter Vaisanen on the right boards and he skipped in from the channel before rifling high over the glove of the goalie for the 3-2 edge.

Holding just a slender lead going into the last, the Dynamos were gifted the chance to add to their advantage in the opening moments of the third as Maksims Petruks’ high stick saw him take a seat in the penalty box. A man up, the hosts then made the difference count on a counter attack as Tom Avery’s breakout pass set Justin Noble down the right channel and he drilled a wrist shot low into the far corner of the net for his second of the evening.

The Thunder’s two goal deficit would then become three, just moments later, when Peter Vaisanen’s searching pass from the left side found Nicky Lewis unguarded between the faceoff circles and the Welsh winger lashed inside the left upright to open his account for 2012/13. Having teed up a goal, Vaisanen was then helping deny a reply for the now struggling visitors as he powered back to make a brilliant diving interception and thwart a breakaway opportunity for Maksims Petruks.

The effort typified the attitude Head Coach Kevin Parrish wants to see from his team throughout the campaign and spurred the hosts to go back on the hunt for goals. They would soon reap the rewards when, midway through, Andy Smith picked out the ever involved Vaisanen against the right boards and his sweep to net was claimed by Callum Fowler who guided the puck onto his backhand before flicking high into the roof of the frame.

A questionable interference call on Nathaniel Rose, which saw the forward also take a misconduct penalty after arguing with the officials, then had the Dynamos a man down but, eight minutes from time, they added a seventh with what would prove to be their last of the night. As the puck broke from the defensive zone, Joe Bliss saw an opportunity to use his pace as he poked beyond the last Thunder defenceman to race in on net from the halfway line. Charging in on David Cassidy, the young forward managed to keep his cool as he kept control before firing through the five-hole for the 7-2 lead.

So it was a comfortable win come the final buzzer as the Dynamos defeated the Thunder’s tactical approach with an impressive third period display. After looking disjointed over the first two periods, unsurprising given the influx of new faces and the time required for to lines to settles, the hosts began to click in the last and provided glimpses of what should lay ahead with some neat attacking play. Arran Strawson was the pick of the Dynamos’ players on the night, after his excellent defensive display on his home debut, whilst Mark Turner took the same accolade for the visitors.

Picture supplied by David Trevallion