Hi Hockey Fans,

The Bracknell B52s were again back on the road and heading over to
Gillingham for what is always a tough challenge game against the Invicta
Knights. The Bracknell team only able to muster 2 lines + 1 for this game wasn’t ideal,
knowing we should have our best line-up for these games. This was going to be a hard
night of hockey. The B52s were still buzzing in the dressing room getting fired up for this one.
With 2 new players in the black B52s shirts Rob Anderson and Tom Revans, this was to be a
hockey baptism of fire for them both.

With the warm up over the B52s had a team chat to really get their heads in this game and to give it their best shot.
There was no way that we were going to be in for an easy night. Straight from the faceoff Bracknell were holding on
to stay in this game as Invicta worked the puck fast and accurate to find loads of shots on the B52s netminder Robbie
(silver) Birch. Bracknell trying to contain the speed and assault of the knights were struggling to settle into this game, but
continued to skate hard and force them to rush their breakout play. With Bracknell pleased to have held on for a few minutes it
was at 6:53 that invicta stamped their mark on the game with a well taken opening goal scored by (16). Bracknell still feeling they
had more to offer continued to hustle with forechecking and relentless back checking to really keep the pressure on Invicta. Slowly
Bracknell began to find some space and match Invicta with their workrate and a few scoring chances started to appear.This lifted the B52s
spirits all the more and with a huge team effort Bracknell took their scoring opportunities and were to level the game 1 – 1 when Tony Nicholson
got the puck in the slot and found Russ Harman at the back post at 8:44. We were back in this game in what seemed against the odds...but we
were now even more determined to hold things together as a team. The game now fast and getting physical and already looking like this was going
to be a game full of penalties as countless hooks and trips and interference calls were not called. The ref soon went to both benches to request the
game settled or it would be a long night of penalties. The game was quick with fast breakout plays from invicta and Bracknell had to put in 100% every shift to match them. Then with a loose puck in the neutral zone Arron Barringer was hit and took a full somersault, but the ref allowed Harman to take advantage of the delayed the penalty call and find the back of the net with a great goal which gave the Bracknell B52s the lead 2 – 1. at 11:47. The B52s now believed that they could match this team. With end to end hockey the game was tough on the legs but Bracknell did not want to throw this lead away.
Invicta knights continued to rain shots down on Robbie and at 14:17 were to level the game 2 – 2 (18 Gruber).The period finishing all square.
The B52s needing all the interval to recharge were now really up for this game.

The 2nd period was tough with no letting up as invicta skated hard, passed well and left Bracknell scrambling back to help in defence as they
threaded the puck neatly around waiting for the clear shot on Robbie Birch. A lot of contact around the puck was to see the ref again
approach both benches to try and settle the game.

Next Page >