Slovakian Stanislav Lascek netted four goals on his home debut for the Invicta Dynamos and his tally alongside efforts from Matt Foord (2), Brandon Webster and Tom Davis saw the team overcome the Milton Keynes Thunder 8-4 in Gillingham on Sunday.

The Mos were without Mason Webster and Ashley Jackson whilst the visitors were short a number of players themselves – a roster of 14 icing in the fixture.

The opening frame was a very open end-to-end affair and the Mos thought they had the lead very early on when Joshua Condren flicked home from right in front but his effort was washed out with netminder James Tipple having knocked the net from its moorings in the scramble across his crease. The Thunder then had the best opportunity midway through – Tom Davis giving Oliver Harris a hook whilst through on the breakaway leading to a penalty shot but Ben Clements batted away his one-on-one attempt with the glove.

It would take until 18.34 for the first goal but it proved worth the wait – Jack Flynn entered the zone down the right and he flicked inside to Anthony Leone who was bearing down on goal but also flicked left to Juraj Huska who then returned the puck to the middle where the on-rushing Matt Foord poked over the line for 1-0 with netminder James Tipple utterly bamboozled. It was a great team move worthy of additional assists.

In the second frame the wait for further goals was short-lived. At 21.13 Alex Whyte collected the puck behind the net then found Oliver Harris in front who atoned for his penalty shot miss with a quick finish under Clements for 1-1. The Thunder’s time on a level footing was over just fifteen seconds later – Stanislav Lascek opening his account for the Dynamos with a wraparound goal through the legs of Tipple at 21.28.

At 22.20 Jack Flynn caught Alex Whyte with a wayward elbow that saw him sent to sit two in the box but he was out quickly as the Thunder levelled the game again. The clock was stopped at 22.27 when Antti Kohvakka’s blue line shot hit a defenceman en-route and fell nicely for Sam Prosser to turn in from right in front for 2-2. Ben Clements then pulled off a fantastic triple stop to keep the Mos in front – Jacob Spurge being robbed twice and Nicholas Mentiply also being frustrated all from close range.

Down the other end the hosts then started to take the game away from the visitros with two quick goals. The first came at 29.59 – Stanislav Lascek beating his man out on the wing for a sight of goal then tucking through the legs of Tipple on the backhand for 3-2. Just eight seconds later at 30.07 it was 4-2 – Lascek entering the zone down the middle before flicking right where Brandon Wesbter swept home into the far corner for the two goal cushion.

As the period drew to a close Lascek then hit the post from close left before completing his hat-trick at 37.04 – the Slovak skated through all three zones, beat the defenceman to go one-on-one and then defeated netminder Tipple with a quick stick shift and high finish for 5-2.

In the final period Milton Keynes again hit back quickly – Connor Goode sweeping beyond replacement shot stopper Owen Rider and just inside the far post from the bottom of the right circle at 42.41 for 5-3. Down the other end James Tipple thwarted Juraj Huska on a breakaway but his resistance was overcome at 48.40 – Jack Flynn’s wrist shot from the right side of the blue line was heading high until Matt Foord redirected down through the legs of the goal from right in front to make it 6-3. Still the Thunder came though – Alex Whyte struck the underside of the bar before they tallied a fourth at 49.34 – Antti Kohvakka found Leo Harris all alone right in front and he fired beyond a diving Owen Rider to cut the deficit to 6-4.

Any comeback hopes were dashed at 53.07 though – Juraj Huska fed the puck back to the blue line from the right corner where Tom Davis fizzed it goalward with a thumping slapshot and over Tipple into the top corner for 7-4. The last of the night then followed at 56.16 – a mazy skate from Brandon Webster ending with a pass to the back post where the waiting Stanislav Lascek simply could not miss.

So it was an 8-4 win for the Mos who had too much for the Thunder in the end. Stanislav Lascek marked his home debut with four goals and an assist so duly took the man of the match beers.

Pictures supplied by Dave Trevallion.