V 
6 - 1
Flintshire Freeze deny defiant Fylde Flyers in 15-6 goalfest
After what seems an age, we saw the return of senior hockey on Sunday night as the Freeze welcomed colourful (tangerine shirts!) Blackpool side, Fylde Flyers, to the Deeside Ice Arena. And the game proved just as colourful for the home fans with goals and incidents a-plenty(see the website for photos!)
Freeze were first on the score sheet on 3:33mins when Andy Chappell assisted James Parsons’ first goal of the night. Inside 2 minutes, Parsons grabbed another from a Marc Lovell flick across the crease which went in off Flyers’ net minder Heyes’ skate heel. This was just the start of a bad night for the ex Freeze back up net minder, letting in 15 of the 43 shots against him, compared to Matty Compton between the Freeze posts, who only let in 6 of 36 shots – putting on another fine display with some spectacular saves. But the Flyers did get past him – their first coming quickly when Fylde high scorers Veldze and Caunce teamed up to take advantage of a Freeze defence discombobulated at a delayed penalty call to score taking it to 2-1. The Freeze pairing of Parsons and Chappell looked impressive and worked hard up front, but it was a neat back-handed pass behind him that enable Aled Roberts to assist Parson’s for a fine goal to make it 3-1. At the halfway mark, Flyers cranked up a gear with Valdze forcing saves from Crompton with some shots from the blue line and Freeze found themselves defending with players in the sin bin. Flyers took advantage to get a shorthanded 2nd. Veldze felt confident enough to pick up the puck on the halfway line, pirouette away from a Freeze defender and fire in a shot – but Compton held firm between the posts to make yet another great save. At the other end, Parsons bagged his hat trick (in the 1st period!!! Go Snipper!!!) with the sweetest backhand shot for an unassisted short handed goal with 5 mins left. Defiantly, Flyers Valdze squeezed one past Compton to make it look close at 4-3. Freeze responded by throwing everything at the Flyers goal but didn’t score despite their t efforts.
Period score 4-3.SOG made Freeze – 14 Fylde – 13.
Second period – and I will have a pint of whatever the coach gave the Freeze lads in the break…they came out looking fierce and totally dominated play this period (Elvis who?). Even though Flyers called their bluff with the first goal (but their only goal this period) inside 35 secs to make it even at 4-4. The Freeze took their time and both sides settled down to some end to end play for the next 5 minutes. Then, the fast improving Mattie Wainwright in defence took the puck from a Flyers’ player to pass to Captain Marc Lovell, lurking on the blue line, to slot in a fine shot to retake the lead to 5-4. A flurry of shots on the Flyers’ goal pays off with Wainwright assisted Furnival to yet another goal, to be quickly followed by his hat trick when he took the score to 7 – 4 assisted by Roberts. Compton saved a shot from Caunce but the play went straight to the other end with a poor clearance from Heyes falling straight to the stick of Chappell for a gift an of unassisted goal number 8 for the Freeze. Steve Fellows was rewarded for a solid game by getting on to the score sheet and Lovell also showed his class with his 2nd goal to take it to 9-4. Flyers’ Veldze tried to shine by dummying to Caunce with a back pass though his legs across the Freeze goal… but Compton stood firm, unfazed, to pull off another cool save. It was Freeze’s Captain Lovell who showed his class at the other end to take the home team to double figures assisted by the on-form Parsons.
Period score 10-4.SOG made Freeze – 17 Fylde – 13.
The third period saw both teams finding their feet until Parsons swiftly scored 2 goals to take his tally to 5 for the night and the score to12-4. The game got grittier when Parsons went toe to toe with Flyers’ no 8 Melbourne after some synchronised tripping and falling to the ice (see the website for some interesting pictures of this particular kafuffle) and both cooled off in the sin bin for 4 mins. The niggles continued with both teams taking penalties until Williams ends the tetchy play with a great goal to make it 13-4. Veldze even tried a shot from in front of his own goal but there was no denying Freeze’s hold on this game. Compton pulled off save after save, whether slap shots or bouncers, or even on his knees. But play was mainly at and around the Flyers net. Fylde called time out after D Man Callum Ruddick smoothly slotted in goal number 14 for the Freeze. This tactic played off (make note Freeze coaches!) as they scored 13 secs from the restart but Lovell soon stuck the nail in the coffin with an exquisite unassisted goal for his hat trick 15 -5. With less than 30 secs on the clock, Flyers sneak in another consolatory goal and the games ends 15 -6. Flyers netminder Heyes collapsed on to the ice and had to be stretchered off after the final whistle. Yeah, that is the kind of pressure the Freeze put on visiting net minders. Hoo – hah!!! Eat our ice, suckers!!!
Final score: 15-6. SOG made Freeze – 12 Fylde – 10
Hat tricks scored;
James Parsons: 3 goals
Si Furnival : 5 goals
Marc Lovell: 3 goals
MVP: Freeze – 5 James Parsons
Fylde – 16 Richard Hulme
Total shots on goal: faced by Freeze: 36, by Fylde: 48
Total penalties incurred: Freeze – 18 mins, Fylde – 12
