Match Report from Ian Dibley

Haringey Huskies 9-7 Oxford Rising Stars (5th October 2024)

Oxford Rising Stars welcomed back defencemen Jeff Sykora and Matt Hayward to their line up for the visit to Alexandra Palace. In front of a bumper crowd, it took the hosts just under 2 minutes to open the scoring with Connor Smith netting. Stars response was immediate as the impressive Chris Beckett equalised after good work by Griff Eden-Parish. Once again Stars were unable to maintain that momentum as some 38 seconds later, Smith netted his teams, and his second of the match. The home side picked up a couple of two-minute penalties, but sandwiched between these Stephen Woodford extended the home side advantage. Beckett and Josh Oliver then both scored with Sykora getting the assist on both goals. So, with 13 minutes gone it was 3-3. Two minutes later Martin Szasz restored the home advantage only for Joe Edwards to tie it all up at 4-4 by the end of the first stanza.

Stars had created the more chances in the first period, but the home side replaced the experienced netminder David Wride with Naomi Healey at the start of the second period. The goal fest did not stop as the Huskies took the lead through Robert Rejna, only for Theo Bundock to equalise seven seconds later. Twelve seconds later and Stars took the lead, for the one and only time in the game as Edwards netted with the assist going to Ed Crotty. The Stars lead was short lived as the hosts brought the game back level when Matt France equalised, within a minute. The game then settled down for a while as both teams looked for that advantage. On 32 minutes the advantage went to the home side with Szasz netting after a good build up involving Stuart Appleby and Jaden Boolkah. Stars were not lying down and pressure told as Oliver tied the game back up at 7-7 before the buzzer.

The third period was keenly contested with both teams registering the same number of shots on goal but it was the Huskies who found the killer finishes as firstly Smith completed his hat trick of goals and Benedictos Beldecos completed his hat trick of assists with Bradley Hildreth hitting the final goal for the visitors to leave them a two-goal cushion, which Stars were unable to claw back as Healey saved everything that the visitors could throw at her.