Guildford Smoke at Bracknell Blizzard

Summer Conference Cup – Final Game 2

The night when it would all be settled – in the Red corner, the visitors and holding a 3 goal lead after the first leg; in the blue corner the hometown Bracknell Blizzard determined to get vengeance.

The game started fast and furious, both teams rolling their top lines to try and get an edge over the opponent. The first goal fell to the sticks of the Blizzard, just like a week before, as 4:41 into the game Phil “Dobby” Dobson stole the puck and broke in alone on Vic Falsetta in net, just managing to squeeze the puck past him.

No need to panic, the Smoke knew they had a cushion and that they could come back just like the week before. It took a while, nearly 12 minutes, much of it good pressure in the Blizzard end, before Tomas Navratil stole a clearance pass, deked one defender and despite the close attentions of a 2nd that resulted in him flying through the air, Bobby Orr style, beat Holt in the Blizzard net. The puck found the twine only just before a flying Tomas, but the grin said it all, 1-1 and that aggregate lead was restored.

To be extended with 30 seconds left in the period, Gary Freemantle hit Tomas with a long pass, Tomas swapped passes with Mikey Michalov, getting the return and again out-waiting Holt to calmly slot his 2nd of the game. Cue jubilous uproar on the Smoke bench.

At the break the talk was about not letting our guard down and keeping Bracknell out of the game, they were the ones with it all to do.

The team took the message to heart. After good set up work by the 2nd and 3rd lines, Team Slovakia all touched the puck, working it around and through defender, Marcel Cigan getting the final scoring touch.

2 minutes later it was that man Tomas again, robbing a Blizzard player on the blue line, just in front of the Smoke bench, he cut slightly into mid ice before unleashing a “sick” shot (description copyright of Katie Girdler) that lashed past the stranded Holt and inside the far post.

4-1 on the night and up by 6 overall, the pressure was beginning to tell on the Blizzard as they got into penalty trouble. Things only got worse for them when Mikey beat Holt in the net to a manic reception on the Smoke bench.

The Blizzard heads were dropping a bit but they quickly came back when lapse defensive play by the Smoke led to turnovers, the first a short handed goal and the 2nd on even strength gave them a glimmer of hope. This was harsh on Vic who’d pulled some tremendous saves to preserve the lead, including a wonderful double stop.

Into the 3rd, 5-3 as the score and tiring legs trying to protect the lead. With the aggregate position the hard things was not getting over confident especially in the face of the momentum that the Blizzard went into the break with. However the period started at odds to that, Bracknell not creating much and almost resigned to the result. Going the other way the Smoke couldn’t seal the result and although they tested Holt in net they couldn’t breach his defences.

As the clock ticked down though it was always to the benefit of the Smoke, although there was still the matter of this match to resolve and pride alone wanted the win.

With only 3:22 left in the match it was a Smoke mistake again that let the Blizzard in, Vic having no chance in net. This seemed to spark Bracknell and within 30 seconds they’d pulled even for the night – could they do more? Certainly on the Smoke bench the fire was reignited, the title couldn’t slip away, not now.

Thankfully there wasn’t much time left and the Smoke were upto the task, swapping glory for defensive responsibility (finally, some might say), the team went out and killed the game off.

The Cup belongs to Guildford !!!!!

This was a good advert for hockey, back and forth. Bracknell did well to fight back into the game, although some of that was a result of the costly turnovers by the Smoke; we have to learn to play the game according to the position – sometimes the best play really is a quick dump off the boards, it must be stubbornness that persist in believing otherwise since we’ve been told enough. But that shouldn’t detract from what was a truly great performance through the whole season and a title that was thoroughly deserved. The team have really bonded this year, everyone has contributed, both in points and hard work – it says a lot when you can put out your 3rd or 4th line and they not only don’t give up a chance but reverse the ice position and force a face-off in the opposing end as happened more than once tonight; when a goal follows on the next shift it’s that sort of work that has got us there.

The celebrations went on long and loud, we’d deserved this trophy.

A big shout out to all those who have come and supported us through the season and especially at this match, it really does help.

MoM was Vic Falsetta (someone the Blizzard must be sick of by now!)

Bracknell Blizzard at Guildford Smoke

Summer Conference Cup – Final Game 1

So here it was, after several attempts to re-arrange the dates and ‘discussions’ over the format (bet the Blizzard are glad we didn’t agree to a single game now, eh!) the finals of the Conference were upon us.

A good crowd turned up, many of them Blizzard fans (expecting to see a victory), we should have charged an entrance fee and made some money for the club.

The league games had been close with little to spare between the two teams and more of the same was expected. Coach Parker set out his game plan, to roll the first two lines for 6-8 shifts and get the game rolling, with an intent to match lines through the game. This would mean a lot of awareness was needed by the team to know who’d be up next as lines (especially in D) were juggled to suit the situation.

The puck dropped and immediately the game was fast and furious, the Blizzard pressed hard from the opening face-off, the Smoke pressed back. Both goalies were called into action early, with Vic Falsetta having to make the most saves as the Smoke shooting radar was a little cold at the start – several shots missing the net. It was nearly 10 minutes before the deadlock was broken and that crucial opening goal went to the…Blizzard L

Not to be undone, the Smoke pushed back. All 4 lines were icing and contributing now, the 3rd & 4th lines doing sterling work in locking down the opposition, giving 1 & 2 breathers. With just over 5 minutes left in the opening stanza, that pressure was rewarded as Leo Chrenko slotted a fine goal past Holt in net, assists went to Tomas Narratil and Mikey Michalov.

An enthusiastic check and subsequent boarding call would send Marcel Cigan to the box at 4.45 but you wouldn’t have known who had the man up as the Smoke pushed the Blizzard back into their zone to see the puck frozen. From the ensuing faceoff Tomas drew the puck back to Nick Sherwin on the point who let fly and the puck hit the cuff of the goalies glove and bounced into the net for a 2-1 Smoke lead.

The scoring wasn’t done though – with only 6 seconds left the Blizzard managed to squeeze a shot in from a tight angle and it found it’s way under Vic’s pads for the equalizer.

This could easily have been a heart breaker, especially as, as Steve reminded us, last time we constantly edged ahead and let the Blizzard back in. This time we needed to go out and build a lead and keep it.

On to the 2nd and both teams continued the frantic pace. 90 seconds in and Marcel gathered the puck on his backhand from a deflection, barely pausing he ripped a vicious backhanded shot that roofed past the keeper and a 3-2 Smoke lead J Back to the to and fro, both of the goals were besieged, forcing the goalies and their defenders to step up. Pucks were cleared frantically, saves made, pucks smothered to force a face off and bring an often necessary pause to the game.

Everything in fact but more goals, the period closed out, a little penalty ridden, 3-2 to Guildford .

So there it was, 20 minutes of hockey and all very much to play for, both teams desperate for that opening win.

4.10 had elapsed before Tomas intercepted the puck at the Smoke blue line and took off up ice, keeping the edge over his pursuers he calmly outwaited the net minder, sending him down before deking, dragging the puck across the face of the net and putting it safely home. 4-2 Guildford !

Less than a minute later and on the powerplay and it was that man again, winning the face off back to Damon Cook who took the shot quickly, Tomas had moved to the front of the net and tipped the puck past the stranded keeper.

5-2 Guildford !

The Blizzard were rattled, you could see it as they snapped at each other. They called timeout to regroup.

As the game restarted, one of the biggest enemies to the Smoke was overconfidence; there was still a lot of time left and a job to do. A timely reminder of that came 6 minutes later as Raos of the Blizzard took a shot, Vic flashed a pad and kept it out but the rebound fell straight to an onrushing Bracknell player who took it quick, giving Vic no time to recover.

5-3 and 9 minutes to go.

The 3 goal lead was restored as Leo fed Dom Ballard who went in and beat the keeper. This was the one where we started to really believe – Holt stayed down, slumped on his knees as his team mates gathered around him.

6-3 Smoke, 7.34 left

The Blizzard pushed back, both teams by now were shortbenching, punch and counterpunch as they tried to gain an advantage. It fell to the home team, made in Slovakia as Tomas set up Leo who again showed more patience than the Blizzard goalie and a precious 7-3 lead.

Thoughts were now beginning to turn to the margin of victory. With 1.55 left the Blizzard used a rare defensive lapse to cut the lead by 1 but that was it. There was just time for an exchange of pushing and shoving to take place after a legitimate collision in front of the net. In the mix up the ref only spotted Leo, retaliating, throwing a punch and gave him a Match penalty – absolutely gutting for this hard working player who now knew he wouldn’t be able to take part in the last match. Dean Orgill accumulated 14 minutes of penalties for roughing at this point, while for the Blizzard, Slade took 10 minutes for (official referee’s call), “being a d1ck”. Proof I guess that for a bad call there’s always a good call.

What a result, 7-4 victory and a vital first win in this 2-leg final, the 3 goal margin is nothing to be sniffed at either!

This was a true team effort, everyone contributed, even if some were called on more than others, but everyone had the team goal in mind – get that win and the ext won to lift the trophy!!!

I want to thank everyone for a great game, it really was, but it only counts if we force it home next week. We can be assured that the Blizzard will be coming back hard and looking for vengeance, let’s go out and do our work on the ice and bring that title home.

MoM was Vic Falsetta for some great saves.