The Invicta Dynamos made it their fifth win of the season against the London Raiders on Saturday night.

Invicta had to make do without Callum Fowler, Bailey Wootton and Grant Baxter for the trip to London, but did welcome back Adam McNicoll after a long injury layoff. Young twins Haydn and Taylor Wootton also gained more ice time to make up a roster of 18 skaters.

Invicta had a goal washed out early in the opening period when Eriks Ozollapa beat his marker and played a cutting pass across the goal for Steve Osman to score – but ref Cloutman ruled the player was in the goal crease.

With a few penalties going each way and shots not seemingly troubling each netminder it took a bit of magic from Adam McNicoll to break the deadlock on a powerplay. Steve Osman found McNicoll on the right wing and McNicoll shot the puck across the goal into the net for one-nil on 14:05.

Two minutes later Josh scored against his old team when Ozollapa skated behind the home goal and cut the puck across the face of the goal for Condren to tap-in goal two. Condren was then awarded a penalty shot seconds later after being brought down when charging towards goal – only to leave the puck behind him and fall over his own feet trying to make amends. At the other end, Damien King was on guard to deny both Bailey Chittock and Rio Grinell-Parke in the first period.

The second period was a bit busier for Damien King, mainly down to Invicta picking-up quite a few penalties. On one occasion, Dynamos were down to three skaters on the ice and when Marek Nahlik lost the puck Adam McNicoll broke clear and only a good save denied him a shorthanded goal. Invicta went three nil-up on 28 minutes, Eriks Ozollapa scoring after being set-up by Josh Condren and Damien Welch.

The final period gave was Damien King’s busiest, saving 17 shots on his way to a shutout, with a save from Rio Grinell-Parke one of a number of good saves and then getting the better of Bailey Chittock when London were awarded a penalty shot. There was time a couple of minutes towards the end of the game for Mason Webster to hold his stick two-handed into the face of Josh Condren, with referee David Cloutman giving the Raiders man two minutes for roughing.

So it was two points, a shutout and three goals that give the Invicta Dynamos the perfect start to the weekend ahead of a nail biting game at home to the Wightlink Raiders on Sunday. Unsurprisingly Damien King picked-up the man of the match beers for Invicta, remaining unbeaten despite facing a total of 39 shots. For the hosts, Jack Cooper accepted the man of the match award.