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NIHL 1 Devils weekend roundup Hornets & Devils

22nd Nov 2012 | Posted by Geraint Walters

Cardiff NIHL Devils 4 – 2 Bracknell Hornets
 
Having watched the aspiring young U18 Devils beat Bracknell U18s in the game before theirs, the NIHL 1 boys managed to complete the double over Bracknell by beating the Hornets in the game that immediately followed. Bracknell Hornets brought a fully fit strong side to the BBT on Saturday, affording to leave star goal keeper Chris Douglas on the bench and play EPL experienced forward Handislides on the 3rd line an indication of their strength and depth.
 
Bracknell struck early when Danny Hughes saw his effort deflect in from an awkward angle off defenseman Dixon’s skate but the Devils levelled through Sean Scarbrough. The Devils then took the lead when Fisher circled behind the Hornets net and ‘saucered’ a pass across to Sedlak at the back post to tap home from the back door. The game then stagnated for a bit as the Devils suffered a crazy 2 mins where they lost 3 key players to injuries. First Sean Scarbrough went into the locker room with a suspected broken finger and he was soon joined by line mate Osman who suffered an accidental blow to the face from one of his team mates. Next Warman took a cut to the face ensure it was a busy spell for the Devils physio and bench coaches. Warman was swiftly sent back out with a plaster and hockey tape patch up job on his face whilst the 1st line forwards received lengthier treatment for the rest of the period. In the meantime Jordan Powell made the score 3-1 with an excellent goal, using his pace to round the defenseman and shoot blocker side.
 
Scarbrough’s finger turned out to be a dislocation, so it was popped back in and he was sent back out for the second period. Osman had a massively swollen nose but also declared himself fit to carry on. With the first line back together they scored again, when Scarbrough tucked away a fine goal with his finger now back in its joint correctly. Some fine goalkeeping prevented the Devils from adding to their tally for the rest of the game despite creating some good chances but the biggest achievement of the day goes to Alan Armour, for not collecting a single penalty despite his old foe Hayden being the referee. Bracknell pulled one back to make a game of it but the Devils saw the game out professionally enough.
 
 
Solent & Gosport Devils 4 – 5 Cardiff NIHL Devils
 
Sunday and the NIHL 1 boys were heading back to the small ice rink in the town of Gosport on the south coast, having made fairly light work of their opponents on their previous visit only 2 weeks earlier in an emphatic 9-1 win. However the S & G Devils seem a much improved side in recent weeks, highlighted by the fact that they picked up their first win of the season the weekend before. The Devils took the opportunity to rest Brabon and give more valuable experience to Takel, whilst they were missing Sedlak and Osman up front. The latter having been remanded in hospital after getting his face checked out from the game the night before. A routine check up resulted in an emergency minor operation to have a giant haematoma removed from his nose that had looked so swollen the previous night. Scarbrough, whose finger was now turning various shades of black and blue, showed little signs of the pain holding him back, as he stuck away 4 goals in emphatic form. The Cardiff side lead throughout but never extended their lead beyond 2 goals as the S & G Devils played with real tenacity. Shooting at every opportunity in the small ice surface was a strong game plan that nearly paid off with a point for the struggling south coast side, but they just fell short as the Cardiff side again professionally saw the game out to claim a good 4 points from their weekend’s work. Another mention goes to Buglass, Morris and Griffiths the 3 lads from the U18s that are continuing their development at an excellent rate and put in a great set of appearances yet again.
 
That’s 4 wins in a row now as the Cardiff NIHL Devils start to gather some pace, it will be that kind of form that is required is they are to get anything from Rom Valley Way, where they head on Saturday to play the Romford Raiders.

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