Blues Pounce on Falcons
The Women's Ice Hockey Blues entered their first league match this season against Milton Keynes full of confidence, with a strong squad and having drawn a pre-season game against the City team.
Milton Keynes took an early lead with three goals in the first period, all scored by a top scorer from last season, Nat Bullen. Oxford weren't getting the offensive opportunities they needed, and their tight defence around the net was depriving goaltender Andrea Cummins of vision.
An inspirational team-talk in the break revived the Blues' spirits. They began the second period with a change of strategy and their offence increased dramatically as a result. A beautiful sequence of passes set up the first goal - defender Sahar Gordiz carried the puck up the ice, and when tackled she held the player fast against the boards, allowing winger Felicity Bulmer to take the puck into the offensive zone, passing through the legs of a Falcons player to centre and captain Cath Rothon. A drop pass back to Kat Ryder was followed by a pass in to Bulmer, whose pass across the net was slammed home by Rothon.
The pace of the game quickened as the Blues were determined to close the Falcons' lead. Bulmer scored the second goal by finding a tight angle on the goal to slide the puck through the goalie's legs, despite constant physical pressure from the Falcons' defencemen.
The Blues began the third period hungry for victory, and an offensive drive by defender Natalie Roberts followed by a beautiful pass across the net allowed winger Emma Eckered to draw the game level. Impressive teamwork mid-ice from forwards Kara Nelson and Lisa Villeneuve enabled Eckered to complete a textbook wraparound and net the winning goal. The Blues managed to hold on to their lead for the remaining minutes of the game, despite the Falcons pulling their goalie, thanks to the defensive skills of Dominique Chaput and stellar netminding by Cummins, who earned man of the match for her performance, so creating the biggest upset in the league so far.
30th Oct 2003