Mixed fortunes for ice men
00:00, 11 November 2002
updated: 11:40, 11 November 2002
THE Swindon Lynx ice hockey team gained ample revenge over Gillingham-based Invicta Dynamos on Saturday, ending the Medway side’s seven-game unbeaten run, just like the Mos had done to them last month.
It looked good for the Dynamos early on when player-of-the-match Duane Ward’s deflected shot from a Carl Greenhous pass opened the scoring at 1.42.
However, the home side were quickly level through a strike from Gareth Endicott, the first of four from him in his player-of-the-match winning performance.
Missing Rob Lamey, and without defencemen Dan Madge and Andrew Shurmer, coach Merv Priest shuffled his pack to good effect as his side powered to a comfortable 8-1 victory over a full-strength Dynamos.
Captain Phil Chard was damning in his post match verdict. He fumed: “We absolutely stank. We can have no complaints because we did nothing right. We might have got no breaks, but still have only ourselves to blame. Some players didn’t look like they wanted to be there.
“When you lose after putting in the effort that’s one thing, but when the effort is not there that’s the big difference and it’s totally unacceptable.”
Good hockey came second the following night, this time to fights as the Nottingham Lions visited the Ice Bowl. Chard said: “It was an ugly game, but the youngsters put together two great fights.
“Muzzy (Michael Wales) is under the illusion that he’s much bigger than he actually is, which is why he fights so much.
“He had a fantastic fight and definitely won. As long as he doesn’t pick on too many big guys he’ll be all right!”
The Lions took a shock lead at 12.24 through Stuart Brittle, but Greenhous equalised within minutes on the Mos’ third powerplay.
Michael Wales added two more before his personal face-off with Brittle, who lived up to his name and left the ice bloodied and beaten. Both received 5+game misconduct penalties, but only Brittle needed hospital treatment for a broken nose.
Lee Mercer kept the Lions in with a shout, before a third period hammering saw goals from Greg Hales, Ward, Stuart Low and Matt Beveridge seal it for the Mos.
At 50.17 came the evening’s second fight, this time it was the youngest players on the ice getting to grips with each other.
Sixteen-year-olds Garrett Bruce for the Dynamos and David Radford slugged it out in a decent fight belying their tender years.
Bruce can certainly throw punches. He has learnt well from last season with the Mustangs in the rough and tumble world of English National League (South).
Again both players got 5+game misconduct penalties. Either side of the fight Chris McEwen and Chris Markham beat Matt Van Der Velden to give the scoreline a little bit of respectability.
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