Ice-hockey: Streatham closing in on more title glory
A sellout crowd watched the Streatham RedHawks continue their undefeated start to 2023 with a 10-3 win over the Invicta Dynamos.
The RedHawks came in to the game off the back of two wins on the road at Romford and Slough, writes Christopher Beal.
The Dynamos were not unnerved by wall of noise from a full house and struck after two minutes, Tom Davis fired a slapshot past Zack Milton.
It took Streatham until the 18th minute to score. Scott Bailey fired in from the high slot.
Streatham took the lead five minutes into the second period. James Warman and Bailey added to their points tallies, setting up Jared Lane to bury a backhander from the back post. Tomasz Skokan scored unassisted from point-blank range making it 3-1.
Streatham converted on a powerplay to make it 4-1. Bailey set up Maks Maslak for his first goal for the club.
Louis Colvin netted for the Dynamos before the end of the second period.
Invicta found themselves in penalty trouble throughout the third period and Streatham capitalised on their tiredness.
Bailey passed the puck into the path of Maslak to make it 5-2.
Watt set up Danny Ingoldsby, out by the boards, whose shot found the net in the 48th minute.
Dynamos tried to stem the bleeding at 6-2 as netminder Owen Rider was swapped out for Harvey Bryden.
But the RedHawks offence needed just two minutes to score past him, Skokan and Watt released Brandon Miles to wrist it home and make it 7-2.
Ingoldsby and Ben Paynter connected a pass to Conner Smith in the high slot area and he added the eighth.
Vanya Antonov’s attempt was saved but Ingoldsby fired the rebound over a prone Bryden.
Paynter skated in almost unchallenged to fire the puck under Bryden from close range to make the score 10-2.
Brandon Chard grabbed a late consolation for Invicta.
The win puts the RedHawks within four points of a third straight title win in NIHL South 1.
They have a double header against Slough Jets this weekend and could seal the championship in the return fixture at the High Road on Sunday.
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