DEVILS OUTGUN STREATHAM CHIEFS AT LEE VALLEY

Challenge Match 15-04-2024 Lee Valley: London Devils 7 - Streatham Chiefs 3

As the first period got underway, it was the visitors who struck first. The Chiefs scored first on a breakaway by their speedy youngster who took advantage of James Laing who got caught between stepping up and chirping.

The Devils answered that with Tal Elbaz doing Tal things and sniping a shot off the post and in. Laing then redeemed himself - after the puck was shot high and wide by Sam Bailey it bounced back off the top of the net and James Mulligan passed it from behind the net to a wide open Laing who sat down, had a cup of tea and then, with their goalie sliding well out of the net, calmly slotted home to make it 2-1.

The Devils stepped up the forecehck and when Marc Corbeil and Mulligan forced a turnover right onto the stick of Bailey, he rifled home over the goalie's shoulder for a 3-1 lead.

Before the first ended Bailey chipped the puck past their pinching defender to allow Corbeil a chance at a break – he beat a d-man before he put a nice little backhand over the goalie's pad. 4-1 Devils.

The Chiefs responded quickly though to draw it back to 4-2 before the end of the period with their best player, a D man sporting similar St Mike's Majors pants as Mike Fox, undressing Laing and tucking in his own rebound.

In the second period, the Chiefs came out with much more pressure and urgency - while the Devils looked flat. It took a while for the period to settle as it was a bit back and forth, without any goals being scored. The Chiefs' youngster scored again making it 4-3 and the game was poised for a tight second half, despite the majority of the play having been dominated by the Devils.

The Devils woke up and were given a good injection from the pace of the line of Harry Grant, Quinby Duble, and Terry Wong. Duble took a pass from Sam Zdatny and sped down the ice to finish nicely round the keeper to make it 5-3

In the third period, Tal Elbaz then went full Tal (again) and dipsy-doodled around 3-4 players before firing a shot off the post and in, extending the lead and giving his team some breathing space.

Tight checking resumed at 6-3 – with the Devils showing they weren’t willing to let the Chiefs get back in the game with some great forechecking and two amazing backchecks. First by Grant who chased a man down from the offensive dot to the top of his own circle to steal the puck and prevent a scoring chance. Then Jeremy Robert busting it back after losing the puck while our D were in the middle of a ropey change.

Penalties started to pile up on both sides as the game slowed down and the ref found his whistle. With a couple of Devils being a little over-zealous using their body and the chiefs wielding their sticks, the flow of the game slowed right down with many PPs and PKs.

The Devils took advantage on the PP when their captain (I think) got called for an egregious slash to the stick of Duble. Mulligan, Bailey, and Corbeil worked the puck around well down low before Bailey found Finnish D-man Matti Konsala who slapped home a PP marker to make it 7-3. The PK also did its job killing all 4 penalties.

Nikolai Scorscz in goal was stellar, shutting down anything from the midway point onwards. With a large amount of family in friends in the audience, his contribution increased the Devils’ attendance for the year by 6,000%! -JM

London Devils: Scoring

Tal Elbaz (M. Neizvestnov)
James Laing (J. Mulligan)
Sam Bailey (unassisted)
Marc Corbeil (S. Zdatny)
Quinby Duble (S. Zdatny)
Tal Elbaz (unassisted)
Matti Konsala (S. Bailey, J. Mulligan)

London Devils: Penalties

M. Niezvestnov (cross-check)
J. Mulligan (cross-check)
T. Elbaz (cross-check)
T. Elbaz (slash)

MULLIGAN LEADS NORTH OVER E-W IN HIGH-SCORING GAME

Bodean's Cup Match 25-03-2024 Lee Valley: Devils North 9 - Devils East-West 5

In a clash that promised excitement from the get-go, East West (EW) faced off against Devils North in the latest instalment of the Bodean's Cup.

The action kicked off with a bang as James Mulligan of North capitalized on a tipped shot to net an unconventional first goal, bunting the puck out of mid air past the EW keeper on the first shift. But EW wasted no time retaliating, with Sam Bailey showcasing his speed and skill to level the score with two dazzling goals that left Pasha in a state of bewilderment (both at Bailey’s speed and skill, but also at the play of the team in front of him, giving the puck away to one of EW’s best players on numerous occasions)

As the second period commenced, the wear and tear on the ice became evident, slowing down the pace of play.

North wasted no time in asserting their presence, as Quniby's gritty determination paid off with a game-tying goal. A deft tip over Nikolay's shoulder from a shot by James Laing, leveling the score and reigniting North's hopes.

EW refused to be deterred, launching a swift counterattack that caught North's defense off guard. With Theo slipping behind the opposing blue line, he capitalized on the opportunity with a sublime five-hole finish on a breakaway, restoring EW's lead in spectacular fashion.

Determined to keep pace, North showed their determination once again, with Alex Smith's slick passing setting up Mulligan for a hat-trick goal that left the game deadlocked once more.

Bailey, not to be outdone, took matters into his own hands, burying a magnificent goal off a clearance pass from a North defenseman, completing his hat trick and propelling EW back into the lead.

North replied, led by the relentless Alex Smith, levelling the score once more with a clinical finish that showcased his "silky mitts".

As the game entered the third period, the pace slowed further, and North's gritty style of play came to a fore. A relentless forecheck from Quniby set the stage for North's first lead since the opening shift, as Marc Corbiel capitalized on a pass from Mulligan to put North ahead.

Mulligan, showcasing his “defensively responsible” approach, then took a three zone pass from Alex at the EW blue line before charging in alone and scoring a crucial goal, extending North's lead and solidifying their grip on the game.

With EW beginning to bend under North's relentless pressure, Alex delivered a final blow, unleashing a laser beam of a shot that sailed past Nikolay's glove, sealing North's hard-fought comeback with an 8-5 lead.

Mulligan capped off his fantastic performance with a fifth goal, as he ripped a shot off Nikolay’s blocker - the rebound looped up and over the keeper dropping just over the line. Marc claimed he touched it, but the scoresheet read otherwise.

The North emerged victorious with a 9-5 win, epitomizing their trademark resilience. It was a testament to their ability to bend but not break, securing another come-from-behind win. -JM/CGPT

Devils North: Scoring

James Mulligan (J. Alcock)
James Mulligan (M. Corbiel)
Quinby Duble (J. Laing)
James Mulligan (A. Smith)
Alex Smith (unassisted)
Marc Corbiel (J. Mulligan, Q. Duble)
James Mulligan (A. Smith)
Alex Smith (K. Leizer)
James Mulligan (Q. Duble)

Devils E-W: Scoring

Sam Bailey (K. Bender)
Sam Bailey (G. Reid)
Theo Abban (A. Dancziger)
Theo Abban (A. Dancziger)
Sam Bailey (unassisted)

DEVILS EW EDGE PAST SOUTH IN ANOTHER CLOSE ONE

Bodean's Cup Match 26-02-2024 Lee Valley: Devils EW 4 - Devils South 3

Devils EW made it two wins out of two in the 2024 Bodean’s Cup with a hard fought 4-3 win over Devils South at the Lee Valley Ice Centre.

Fresh from an opening victory over Devils North, Bob Chebator’s team were in confident mood and boasting a new bench coach, with injured Matt Greaves enjoying a cold beverage while motivating the troops from the sidelines.

Devils South meanwhile took the opportunity pre-game to test the in-locker room countdown clock with Coach Paul House hoping the inevitable buzzer would prompt his team to burst out onto the ice and set the tone.

The buzzer didn’t work, the clock reset to ten minutes, and began counting down again, reminding those who were around at the turn of the century of the much hyped failure of the millennium bug. The plus point was that once again nothing blew up.

As South sauntered out onto the ice with the zip of a non-alcoholic room temperature Bud Light, it became obvious that Arlen’s girlfriend and flat mate had decided one trip to Lee Valley was enough for the time being and thus empty seats greeted both teams.

What else was everyone doing with their Monday night instead of watching the hockey? Laying in their beds wondering how anyone sticks to 20mph on Lea Bridge Road? Cake tasting ahead of an event? Gambling online on Bolivian football? Whatever it was, they decided to swerve what turned out to be a good game of hockey that wouldn’t have cost them a penny. Fools.

Getting more animated as the beverage flowed, Coach Greaves’ pre-game team talk paid immediate dividends, as EW started the game like a steam train. Sam Bailey opened the scoring after a sweet give and go involving Thomas and Bender, a combo almost (but not quite) as delicious as the sorely missed Bodean’s Soho Special of pulled pork and beef brisket in a roll (RIP). Bailey doubled the lead shortly afterwards with Thomas the architect again, as South trudged around looking like they’d all had a pre-game Pit Boss Platter each (normally shared between 2 for a reasonable £28pp).

Thankfully for the sake of the competition and to keep it interesting, South settled and began to slowly ease into the game.

Tal’s soft hands, as tender as chicken thighs (3 for £11), began to cause the EW problems as he dictated play in the neutral zone, and it was only a matter of time before South equalised. Unfortunately the smooth hockey on display wasn’t cutting through as quickly as it might, and so coach House decided to simply skate over the blue line and unleash a clapper into the far corner of the net to make it 1-2.

Soon after, a tripping call gave South a powerplay, that saw probably their most composed set up in over three years, moving the puck around the zone uncharacteristically well, leading to a smart finish from Tal in the slot as bodies flew everywhere.

At 2-2 it was game on, with only an interference call on Dumas Maguile interrupting the end to end action. After successfully killing the first penalty, South couldn’t hold out for a second time, as Blais sat for a disputed interference call. This time it was none other than the Sarge Keith Sirrell, who picked his spot perfectly after Chebator won the initial draw in the zone.

Before South could compose themselves it was 4-2 EW, as the effervescent and some would say timeless Gary Reid, fired home from a drop pass by Jeremy on the left wing. It sucked the juice out of the South like five diablo wings (6 for £12.50), a corn bread muffin (£4) and no water, but they didn’t give up. Tal pulled it back to 3-4 with eight minutes remaining, using a defenseman as a screen, finding the bottom right hand corner of the net.

With a minute to go, South pulled the goalie for an extra skater as they pushed for an equaliser. With less than ten seconds on the clock, Tal hopped on his horse in the neutral zone, toe dragging and jinking his way to what would have been a spectacular equaliser. As he moved within shooting range he was controversially hauled down in a move straight out of WWE, and the buzzer sounded three seconds later to the disgust of the South squad who were visibly stunned at such outrageous and cynical tactics.

As EW piled on to the ice to celebrate, South stood motionless wondering what would happen next. Would there be a penalty shot? Would Greaves be sanctioned as bench coach and banned or would Chebator throw his hands up and say.. “lets replay the final 30 seconds”. Of course this is hockey and not cricket and none would have been realistic options, however South’s reluctance to call time on the affair and begin handshakes drew ire from some of the EW squad and it all ended a bit sour – unlike the sweet upcoming offering from Gerry's hot subs at Exmouth Market later next month (prices TBC).

Both teams returned to their locker rooms with Chebator smiling and House left wondering what would have happened if that buzzer had worked. - D. Carr

EW Scoring

1. Bailey - Thomas, Bender - Give and go from corner
2. Bailey - Thomas
3. Sirrell - Robert, Chebator - shot from point off the face off
4. Reid - Robert, Dancziger - Jeremy rushed up left wing, dropped to Reid who shot and scored

Penalties

Dancziger – tripping
Dancziger – holding

South scoring:

1. House - (Tal)
2. Tal - (Veinot)
3. Tal - unassisted

Penalties
Dumas interference
Andre interference