SUNDAY 5TH JANUARY 2025
SIHC V Oxford City Stars
Match Report by Chris Beal
Streatham got the New year off to a winning start on Sunday evening on the high road defeating the Oxford City Stars 12-0.
Streatham has been in good form on home ice having won 9 straight games at home on the high road. Oxford have not had much to celebrate on previous visits and a season where they have only won 4 and lost 20, indicated it would be an uphill battle for the Stars.
2 minutes in the RedHawks would strike to open the scoring, Roman Cathcart and George Norcliffe setting up Tomasz Skokan for the hosts 1st.
Oxford netminder Ross Miller would then endure an 8-minute barrage before conceding again. Damon Porter would score his first point for the club with an assist, setting up George Norcliffe at 10 minutes to make it 2-0 Streatham.
Near the close of the first period Harvey Stead would score unassisted at 16 minutes, to put Streatham ahead, 3-0.
The ice would continue to be tilted towards the Stars end from the beginning of the second period. And 3 minutes in at 23 on the clock Norcliffe would land another assist, helping Skokan net his second. To make it 4-0.
Barely 30 seconds would pass, before Ryan Watt and Ziggy Beesley would set up JJ Pitchley, making it 5-0 Streatham at 23:38.
It would be another 3 minutes before the RedHawks would strike again, after more sustained pressure. At 26 minutes Roman Cathcart would convert from a pass by Henry Aiken to make it 6-0 Streatham.
Streatham would continue to pile the pressure on Miller in the Stars net forcing several impressive saves from the netminder. But at 32 minutes Streatham would add a 7th as Sam Waller would score making it 7-0.
The second period would be rounded out at 39 minutes as Ryan Watt would score the 8th of the game for the hosts at 39 minutes. With the period ending Streatham 8-0 Oxford.
The shot counter showcasing just how dominant Streatham has been in the opening 2 periods. With just 8 shots on Danny Milton in the Streatham net, and 54 on Miller.
The Stars would opt for a change of netminder in the 3rd hoping to spark some form of a comeback, or at least to stem the bleeding. As Morgan Parsons would swap places between the pipes with Miller.
However, the hopes it would reverse the Stars fortunes ended quickly as 29 seconds into the 3rd period. At 4029 on the clock, JJ Pitchley and Ziggy Beesley would set up Ryan Watt. Who would add the finish to make it 9-0 Streatham.
4 minutes later Waller would net his second of the game, on 44 minutes. Pitchley and Watt assisting in making it 10-0 to the hosts.
Having scored his first point as a Redhawk, Damon Porter then netted his first goal for the club at 46 minutes, with Danny Ingoldsby assisting the Canadian in making it 11-0 The scoring would be wrapped up at 12-0 to the hosts, at 52 minutes. Ryan Watts pass releasing Ziggy Beesley who would dangle the puck around the last remaining stars D man and fire it by Parsons to put the exclamation mark on the 12-0 victory.
After the game head coach Ben Paynter was happy to have gotten going with a win,
“It was good to get our feet back under us, after 2 weeks off with the Christmas break. As you never know how you’re going to fare after those 2 weeks off. But was good to get a good skate in on Thursday, in training and move into the game Sunday, with a comfortable 12-0 win. I think we did a lot of stuff the right way, got back to playing the right way and the way I want us to be playing consistently all year. It was good to see that didn’t change at a couple of goals up, and was good to start the new year on a positive.”
This evening we welcome, the men from Medway. As the Invicta Dynamos join us for what should be another sensational Saturday showdown between our 2 sides. Before next weekend when we will meet the Chelmsford Chieftains Saturday and Sunday in the cup semi-final. With leg 2 on Sunday the 19th at 18:45pm.