Romford Raiders Vs Bracknell Bees 15th November 2009

Romford Raiders 6 Bracknell Bees 3 (2-0 : 2-1 : 2-2)

Romford made it 2 home wins on the spin, as they defeated Bracknell on Sunday night. With Joe Allen, Darren Cotton and Joe Myers injured, Fury players AJ Boot and JJ McGrath were called into the team.

It took just 1.34 of the game for the first penalty to be called, when Mikko Silvennoinen was called for tripping, but Romford were able to kill off the penalty with no scoring. The Bees then found themselves short handed, when Adam Jones was called for interference, but Romford succeeded where Bracknell failed, as they took the lead. Frankie Harvey fed the puck to Silvennoinen on the left, and he sent a perfect pass across the goal for the rushing Jon Sitko to slam home, at 7.47. Romford had 2 further powerplay chances, as the Bees were twice called for delay of game during line changes, but they were unable to convert either of them. Romford were still on top going into the last 2 minutes of the period, and it was, therefore, no surprise when they moved 2-0 ahead. Jesse Hammill mis-hit a shot from the left, but the puck went straight through Carl Ambler's pads, and into the back of the net, at 18.21. Dallas Costanzo should have made it 3-0 with 2 seconds left in the period, but he was unable to get the puck into the net from a tight angle.

The second period also belonged to Romford, and they went 3 goals clear, at 22.51, with another beautifully worked goal. Again it was Sitko and Silvennoinen involved as the Finn carried the puck deep into the zone, before picking out his team mate with another lovely pass. Sitko controlled the pass before ripping a wrist shot past Ambler. Bracknell got another powerplay chance, when Dan Cox was called for interference, and this time they did make it count, to get themselves on the scoreboard. A long range effort from Jaroslav Cesky cannoned back off the post, and with the puck loose in the crease, Michal Pinc was finally able to force it home, at 29.11. The home side quickly erased any fears of a Bracknell comeback, with a powerplay goal of their own. Danny House was sitting out for holding the opponents stick, when Silvennoinen found Frankie Harvey in neutral ice, and the youngest carried the puck into the zone, before firing a wrist shot over Amblers shoulder, and into the top corner, at 30.59. Referee Thompson continued to call plenty of penalties, but neither team was able to make the most of their powerplay chances before the end of the period.

Sitko completed his hat-trick, at 44.53, when Danny Marshall won a face off back to the big defenceman, and he beat Ambler, with a slapshot from just inside the blueline. A boarding called on Andrius Kaminskas gave Romford another powerplay, but it was the Bees who scored, as Pinc broke away, and set up Greg Randall for a short-handed goal, at 46.22. Once again Romford hit back quickly, as Dean Tonks intercepted a pass in the Bracknell zone, before slamming the puck home, just 36 seconds after the Bees goal. The flow of penalties didn't stop, and both teams had to kill off penalties as the game entered its last 3 minutes. The final penalty of the night was called on the Bees, as Callum Best was binned for tripping at 57.01, but once again the Bees scored short-handed. Silvennoinen lost the puck just outside the Bracknell zone, and Pinc broke away, before finding Cesky to score, at 58.28, and complete the scoring for the night.

Man of the match for Romford went to Harvey for his 4 points, with Randall the Bees choice.