A Callum Fowler hat-trick, alongside efforts from Callum Best, Justin Noble, Joe Bliss, Peter Vaisanen and Andy Smith, saw the Invicta Dynamos complete a four point weekend with an emphatic 8-2 victory over the Streatham Redskins in their final outing before Christmas.

Buoyed by their road win over Cardiff the night before, the Dynamos made a fast start back on home ice and broke the deadlock in the fourth minute of play. Andy Smith’s long diagonal sent Callum Fowler in all alone on the right side and he coasted across the crease, grounded the netminder and then tucked the puck just inside the left stick to make it 1-0. Just over a minute later it was then two when the second line pairing of Justin Noble and Callum Best escaped on a 2-on-1 counter. Noble entered the final third in the right channel and passed across the reach of the lone defenceman to an on-rushing Best who slotted home just inside the far post from between the faceoff circles. The game then only went from bad to worse for the visiting Redskins when, despite being given the extra man courtesy of an icing infringement by the hosts, they conceded a third. Dynamos captain Andy Smith was gifted possession on the left boards following a poor defensive clearance and he skated in on net, shifting from right to left in front of the target before converting just inside the left upright for 3-0. In danger of having nothing to play for with just one period behind them, Streatham then finally mustered a reply in the final moments of the frame when a rebound from a Jakub Klima effort dropped kindly for Joe Johnston – the visiting captain roofing high over a grounded David Wride to cut the deficit to 3-1 ahead of the break.

After a lively first period, in which the home side had dominated the game and reaped the rewards of some excellent attacking play, the second saw a minor dip in form allowing the visitors an opportunity – ‘import’ Jakub Klima spurning an early breakaway. This allowed the hosts to restore their three goal edge five minutes in with Peter Vaisanen adding his name to the list of scorers. Tim Smith’s searching pass sent the Canadian in all alone on the opponents’ blue line and, despite being tripped from behind, he maintained his composure to snap the puck back before rifling high into the roof of the target to make it 4-1. Despite a flurry of chances the Dynamos were then unable to add to that tally for the remainder of the second as Vaisanen later hit the crossbar, Joe Bliss saw his one-timer deflect agonisingly short of the goal line and Callum Fowler over complicated a breakaway to lose his balance and spurn an excellent opportunity. As a result the score remained at 4-1 with forty minutes played.

Following a low scoring second frame, the third saw a flurry of action in front of the net in comparison and started with the sides trading efforts early on. Justin Noble became the home side’s fifth scorer on the night when Anthony Leone’s shot from between the faceoff circles rebounded to him on the left stick – the Canadian left with the simplest of finishes he has perhaps ever enjoyed in Gillingham. However, just seconds later, the Redskins replied when an Adam Copland trip allowed Jamie McIlroy a clear route to goal – McIlroy dispatching beyond David Wride from the left circle with a well taken finish to make it 5-2. Five minutes in and goals were no longer the talking point as what started as a minor scuffle in front of the Streatham net, escalated into a mass brawl with all ten players coming together. Goalie Will Sanderson froze the play and Shaun Smith’s push to the face of Andy Smith resulted in the likes of Peter Vaisanen and Tim Smith leaping to his defence. In the aftermath the Redskins man was immediately escorted from the play with a major for headbutting whilst the home side merely suffered two minors. With Russell Stevens already serving a tripping penalty for the visitors, a prolonged spell of 3-on-3 followed in which the Dynamos stretched their lead to 6-2. Callum Fowler’s turn at pace left blue liner Dominic Hopkins a mere spectator as the prolific forward then charged in on net from the left side and rifled in from close range for his second of the evening. Not content with a pair, Fowler then made it a hat-trick with another great finish that left Will Sanderson soundly beaten. Andy Smith sent the attacker into the final third down the left channel and he swept to the crease with a defenceman at his back before steering in at the near post to make it 7-2. With five minutes remaining the home side then ended the scoring to complete an emphatic 8-2 victory. In his final game for the Dynamos, Anthony Lennon claimed an assist with a pass from deep that found a waiting Joe Bliss on the back post – Bliss tucking inside the upright with Will Sanderson still scrambling across his goal line.

So it was a comfortable win back on home ice and one that completed a four point weekend for the hosts. The Dynamos exhibited some excellent attacking moves, especially the first line of Peter Vaisanen, Andy Smith and Callum Fowler. The back to back wins sends the team into the festive period in good spirits and they will not be back in action until 30th December when they travel to Milton Keynes. Man of the match awards on the night went to retiring blue liner Anthony Lennon of the Dynamos whilst Jamie McIlroy took the spoils for Streatham.

Picture supplied by David Trevallion.