The Invicta Dynamos got the new season off to a winning start beating the Oxford City Stars 9-7 on Saturday night.

Kevin Parrish’s side took to the ice in Gillingham with a number of new faces on the roster, whilst some familiar faces like Andy Smith and Callum Fowler gave the home fans plenty to cheer. Meanwhile, Mustangs Danny Terry and Richard Smith stepped up with both Billy and Charlie Phillips suspended.

Having been promoted to the NIHL South after winning their league last season, the Oxford City Stars proved from the off that they weren’t just there to make up the numbers, although it was record scorer Smith that took just two minutes to open the scoring.

Shorthanded, Smith combined well with Fowler before firing the puck home and it could have been even better for the Dynamos had Adam McNicoll’s strike not come back off the post.

Taking the lead only served to inspire the visitors though and they drew level in the tenth minute making the most of a powerplay with Darren Elliot firing home and little over three minutes later they took a shock lead when James Pentecost got on the scoresheet.

Sensing they needed to up their game, the Dynamos were level by the end of the first period with Fowler getting himself on the scoresheet after Oxford’s netminder blocked Arran Strawson’s first time shot.

With Parrish’s words ringing in their ears, the Dynamos came out in the second period with more purpose and scored twice in the space of little over thirty seconds.

First Steve Osman fired home his first goal in a Dynamos short after great build up play involving skipper Anthony Leone and the fourth goal for the Dynamos came 31 seconds later when Smith bagged his second of the night, taking a loose puck despite being shorthanded, dancing down the ice before tucking the puck home off the bar.

Once again the Stars showed they weren’t to lie down as they pulled it back to 4-3 in the 24th minute with Mike Whillock the man to tuck it home, but with just over two minutes left in the period McNicoll restored the Dynamos’s two goal lead after great work by Fowler.

At 5-3 going into the last, the Dynamos showed their class as they scored just nine seconds into the final period with import Juraj Huska rounding off more great work from Fowler.

Just a minute later and Smith bagged his hat-trick and made it 7-3 as he turned the puck home with Huska and Strawson proving instrumental in the move.

The Stars were to claw another goal back in the 46th minute as Greg Chambers inadvertantly kicked the puck into this own net past the stranded Chris Douglas, but just 27 seconds later Smith grabbed his fourth of the night to make it 8-4.

With little under five minutes left on the clock, Parrish withdrew number one netminder Chris Douglas to give Steve Nightingale some ice time, but within 36 seconds he had conceded as Jamie Newton scored his first for the Stars.

Two minutes later and the Dynamos made it 9-5 as Mustang Danny Terry capped a fine individual performance by scoring his first goal in a Dynamos shirt.

That should have wrapped up the game, but the Stars were to score twice more in the final two minutes to take it to 9-7 at the buzzer, a scoreline that somewhat flattered the visitors and gives the Dynamos something to work on.

Jacob Smith and Josh Oliver were the scorers for the record, but it mattered not and the Dynamos hung on for two vital points.

Parrish’s side have little time to reflect though as they head to Bracknell Hornets on Sunday evening looking to make it two wins from two.

To listen to Andy Smith’s post match interview having scored four goals, click here: https://soundcloud.com/kent-sports-news/andy-smith-after-oxford-win

To listen to Kevin Parrish’s post match thoughts, click here: https://soundcloud.com/kent-sports-news/kevin-parrish-after-oxford-win

Picture supplied by David Trevallion.