Invicta Dynamics Women’s Ice Hockey team are set to compete in WNIHL2 after club expansion

The Invicta Dynamics were close to folding a year ago - but have now got a new lease of life - and a new league team, too.

Former Elite League player Stuart Long took over as chairman of an ailing club, along with a new committee, and they have not just stopped the development side from going under, but have now successfully entered a team in the Women’s National Ice Hockey League 2 from next season.

The club are holding trials on Sunday for potential players to feature for them in WNIHL2 or their existing Development Cup team.

Long started his career in Gillingham with the Mustangs before travelling around the country and beyond and is now working flat out along with the committee to get things ready for an exciting time ahead. It’s eight years since the Dynamics last played league hockey.

Mr Long said: “Myself and my amazing team on the committee have put in countless hours of hard work and dedication and without them, and the support of parents, it wouldn’t have been possible.

“The club was going to fold at the end of last year and a few parents and members stepped up and kept it going. In the process of that and with recruitment and interest from people who used to play at the club many years ago, we looked into the possibility of a league team for next year.

“We put our bids in with the league and did everything that we had to to support that and get the ball rolling.

“Now we have got permission to put in a league team for next year, so it’s a big step for women’s hockey in Gillingham to go back to a league.

“It’s been a long time waiting to get back there and it has taken a lot of work from everyone to get even remotely close to this.

“I took over as chairman last September without having any idea what it entailed, what was required. It was a rocky start for everyone and none of us in the committee had done it before but we wanted the club to stay alive.

“It was a tough first year and to finish on a high with everything running smoothly, to then say let’s throw a spanner in the works and get a league club and double our load!

“The development team would have ticked over and been fine, with no issues, but as anything in life you have to appreciate a challenge every now and again.

“For the team to have gone from the brink of folding to developing how we have is unreal.”

Both the league team and the development cup side will run with the same Dynamics name for now and provide a two-tier set-up for those players aged 14 and older.

The WNIHL 2 league is at the third level of the women’s game, with WNIHL 1 and then the Elite League above them.

Mr Long said: “We are hoping that we have got existing players who used to play for the Dynamics coming back to Gillingham, which is amazing.

“For me, it is nice to see familiar faces who used to play at that rink, so many people’s idols, being able to come back and be the youngsters’ idols again.

“Any of our junior girls are having to travel to places like Haringey, Streatham or Chelmsford to actually play the next level up because it hasn’t been there for the last eight years, for me to give back to my hockey community where I have grown up from is big.”

Sunday’s trial date takes place at Planet Ice in Gillingham between 7.45pm and 9.15pm, with entry costing £10. Players can register their interest until Friday by emailing invictadynamicstrial@gmail.com