Feisty Freeze de-rail marauding Metros

On Sunday night Flintshire Freeze hosted a pre season friendly challenge match and welcomed old rivals from ENL D1 – the Trafford Metros – to the Deeside Leisure Centre.

Despite punching above their weight, Freeze soon showed they were not in awe of the team from the division above them and within the first minute Chris Jones picked up a loose puck in the Trafford end and coolly slotted in a fine unassisted goal. At the other end, returning after a year away, Mattie Compton quickly re-familiarised himself between the Freeze posts with the first of his night’s many great saves diving full length to push a Metro shot wide. Seven and a half minutes in and Metro’s James Rogerson warms up his seat in the sin bin with a 2 minute penalty for high sticks and with 5 players on 4, the Freeze unleashed a flurry of shots at the Metro’s net forcing the Metro’s minder into holding on to a shot just over the bar. From the restart, the Metros picked up the puck and headed down the ice only for Compton to make yet another save this time with his left foot. No sooner do Metros return to full strength when a superb James Parsons’ pass found Si Furnival waiting in front of goal to stroke in a sweet second goal for the Freeze – much to the home fans’ appreciation. Just over half way through the period and old rivalries come to a head as first C Jones and Metro’s Dunn get into a heated conversation – both bizarrely getting two minutes for high sticks – then Michael Jones and Rogerson get into a kerfufflle sending them both to the sin bin for  2 + 2 for roughing. They are quickly followed by Calum Ruddick and Metro’s Gilbert who also get 2 + 2 for roughing after they get up close and personal. These niggles continued until the end of the period and the Metro’s sin bin quickly filled up when a fourth player – Crebbin – got  2 mins for interference (amended from the unusual penalty originally given as ‘excessive rough play’!) but the Freeze couldn’t capitalise on any powerplay. The final say of the period went to Compton making another good save by lying flat on his back on a shot from a Metro’s player taking a pass from Rogerson at the half way line as he returned to the ice from one of his penalties. A scrappy first period saw 9 shots on goal from each team but the Freeze really deserved their 2-0 lead into the first break.

The team talk in the Trafford changing room must have been awesome because they came out all guns blazing at the start of the second forcing some inspired saves from Compton and some great defending from Marc Lovell’s D – men. This is soon rewarded at the other end by a corking goal from C Jones, with another assist from Parsons, and the Freeze are 3 nil up. But this period proved to be the Metro’s best with 3 unanswered goals in 10 minutes to draw the score level from their 23 shots on goal compared to Freeze’s 15. Once more the period ended scrappily and Compton played his part with another unusually titled penalty – this time for ‘whipping!’ – and that allowed Metros’ to take advantage of the power play. Nevertheless he soon redeemed himself with another incredible save standing up to the Metros forwards. Period score: 3 – 3

The third period started with players from both teams taking 10 minute misconduct penalties and with Metro’s Rogerson back in the sin bin for 2 + 10 for a check from behind. Trying to take advantage of the powerplay,  a C Jones attack at goal ends with him being roughed up on the boards behind the net by Metro’s Murray and getting a 10 minute penalty for firing the puck after the whistle whilst Murray only sat out 2 minutes for roughing. The Metro’s players’ frustrations again got the better of them and once more there seemed more of them in the sinbin than on the bench as they took penalties for roughing, clipping and elbows. With just over 5 minutes left, fighting again broke out and this time Metro’s Dunn is ejected from the ice with a match penalty. With 5 players on 4, Stevie Fellows smashed a shot just wide and at the other end a solid Compton between the posts foiled a Metros breakaway attempt. With 2 minutes left on the clock, C Jones rejoined his team mates as the Freeze threw everything into the game. Andy Chappell tried a wraparound goal but C Jones was the one to finish it off in style to take his hat trick (nice goal celebration!). The home crowd went crazy and Metros took an extra long time out because they couldn’t hear themselves over the noise. A decent Metro’s shot from their own blue line failed to rattle Compton who saved on the final whistle as the Freeze and their faithful fans celebrated a great  and deserved win and an incredible game. Man of the match went to Metro’s 2nd goalie Jorge El Hage who faced 16 shots in that last period against Compton’s 8 shots. For the Freeze it went to Captain Marc Lovell – solid as ever.