Ice-hockey: Streatham clinch Challenge Cup final spot with aggregate win over Invicta Dynamos
Streatham secured a spot in the NIHL 1 South Challenge Cup final with a 7-4 win on aggregate over Invicta Dynamos last weekend, writes Christopher Beal.
RedHawks battled through having a short bench in Gillingham to emerge from the first leg with a 3-2 victory.
Tomasz Skokan opened the scoring for the RedHawks in the first period with a powerplay goal and Ziggy Beesley added a second eight minutes into the second period.
Dynamos then got on the scoreboard through Sam Oliver and former Redhawk Tom Soar.
Both teams battled hard in the third before a late Streatham powerplay saw Skokan add his second of the game.
It took Streatham just 14 seconds for Luke Brittle to score in the second leg on Sunday.
Owen Rider stood strong in the Dynamos net for the next 35 minutes of play before Brandon Miles celebrated his return from suspension with a goal.
Three minutes later JJ Pitchley bagged the first of two goals on his return from suspension to make it 3-0 on the night.
Mads Thune scored two goals for the visitors to make it 6-4 on aggregate but Pitchley capped a man of the match performance 36 seconds later as he scored the final goal of the game.
Streatham face Slough Jets in the Southern Cup final on February 24 and 25.
Head coach Ben Paynter said: “We weren’t at our best on the away leg.
“We were about 50 per cent. We didn’t play our game and struggled a bit. We worked hard but it wasn’t falling for us, and we struggled as a result.
“We found a way to come out of there one-up which was massive for us. We came home and we were a different team. A couple of extra bodies made us far more composed and we dominated from start to finish.”
Streatham return to league action this weekend as they head to Solent Devils on Saturday before facing MK Thunder on Sunday, facing off at 6.45pm at the High Road.
PICTURES: MEL O’BRIEN/FUSIONAL
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