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Chargers tie last season's start and win 2nd straight.
Saturday 28th October saw the Chargers 2nd game of the season and taking on the returning Basingstoke Hyenas. The Home team were keen to win after they were on the end of a 9 - 1 defeat in Basingstoke earlier in the year.
With a full squad the Chargers looked strong against the shorter than normal Hyenas bench. After a fast, strong start by both teams keen for a win it was Hyenas Dave Findlay who started the ball rolling with an assisted goal at 5:03.
At the start the Chargers were struggling to get any set players working and frustration set in early, it looked like it was just going to be one of the nights for the home team. Everything the Chargers fired at the Hyenas, they broke it down and forced the team to reset the plays in their own zone. With the Chargers missing Defence man Simon Hales through injury along with the absence Craig Ford the forwards were back checking to help the defence.
But at 26.35 Richard Webber received a nice pass from new line mate Ian Watts to tie the game 1 -1.
It was now into the 2nd and both teams were fired up and not ready to lose the game, but it was a quiet period for the scoreboard, but not for the goalies who both face a shooting gallery of pucks. It was an end to end period with all lines still not connecting with the bouncing puck.
During the 2nd break Mike Ford decided his team needed to be boosted and guided to the way forward in this tighter than normal game, and how they could try and get some simple hockey plays working. It seemed to work, as within 2 minutes of the period opening it was again Ian Watts setting up Rich Webber for his 2nd goal of the night.
The Chargers got the boost they needed to get them back on track. It wasn't until halfway through the 3rd period, a one goal cushion was achieved by a beautiful blue line slap shot from Darren Wakeling, which whistled past his team mates ear to hit the top left corner of the Hyenas goal. It was then minutes later when Paul Revill was out with his line, when he received a pass from Andy Malyon to bring the score to 4-1.
With clock at 55:12 the night still wasn't over and the Hyenas were still attacking with full force at the Chargers defence and they were get some good set plays done, this eventually broke the Chargers tiring defence and tested Andy Smith a number of occasions. Then at 56:19 James Hollick fired home another powerful blue line slap shot to finalise the game at 5-1.
It was a tight well fought game and the return match to Basingstoke in 2007 will be one to watch.
Top points scorers of the game
Chargers - R.Webber 2+0, I.Watts 0+2.
Hyenas - D.Findlay 1+0, P.Frietag 0+1
Top penalty points
Chargers - G.Stiffel 4 mins
Hyenas - W.Pearce 4 Mins
Man of the match
Chargers - Andy Smith
Hyenas - G.Woolford
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