Saturday 10th October 2009

The B52's faced off against the Royal Navy Destroyers for the
first ever time in Bracknell. The Destroyers came with a small squad
and lacking a goalie as all three of their netminders were either injured or
unavailable, so the B52's Paul Munson started in net for the away team, with
Robbie Birch in for the B52's.

Despite their limited numbers the Royal Navy team were well organised and combining that
with great hustle were able to stifle the B52's attacking intentions, even the free scoring pair of
Downs and Hastings were having trouble getting any clean shots through. After an early B52's power
play it was the Destroyers that opened the scoring, Cameron squeezing a shot through from a sharp
angle at 6:27. The B52's carried much of the next passage of play as they attempted to tie the score. Hastings
was denied by a pad save on the edge of the crease from a tip in attempt, Barringer failed to lift the puck over
the goalies pad in a goal mouth scramble and even a shot that got through Munson in goal stopped on the goal line
before being cleared by the Royal Navy defence. In another scramble at the other end Shaughnessy was able to get
the puck under Birch to give the Destroyers a 2-0 lead at 16:51.

Into the second period and the game flowed from end to end, with both teams enjoying periods of control, but both sets of
defenders doing a great job of keeping shots to the outside. Birch in the B52's net made a series of fine saves at one point to
keep Bracknell in the game, but at 39:16 he couldn't find a rebound that had dropped in front of him and Cameron stole in to nick the puck and score his second of the night, a power play goal.

Now in the final frame, the B52's bench coach Roger Sheppard switched up the lines to give the team a different look and try to break down the Destroyers defence. Sullivan added a fourth for the Destroyers at 44:50 and despite the valiant efforts of the B52's, with Hastings being denied a couple of times, the stifling team play of the Royal Navy team saw them ease to a
shutout victory in a close game between two evenly matched teams.