Author: Reg Dunlop

Lions 3 Peterborough 5

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2-0 down after the first, the Lions pulled goals back in the second though Richard Hodge – assisted by Scott Beeson – and Adam Peach from a pass by Joe Berry. The Islanders went ahead again at the start of the third and made it 4-2 shortly after. Phil Carson shot in number three for Lions but Islanders scored a fifth to take the points. Aaron Mallet was once again busy in the Lions net facing 48 shots. Joe Berry was MOM.

Lions 1 Romford 2

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The Lions were left searching for their first points of the season going down in a physical battle with the Romford Fury at the Lee Valley Ice Centre. The performance of the game came in the Lee Valley net, Aaron Mallet facing 67 shots, allowing just two goals, and making 27 saves in the final scoreless period. Not surprisingly he was named Man of the Match. The Lions led the game in the twelfth minute when 17 year-old Michael Crosse followed up Adam Peach’s shot to net his first goal for the club, and although the Fury came back strongly, they were unable to get past Mallet and the Lions defensive line and the Lions skated off with the lead at the end of the first. Romford did finally break through just after the mid-way point of the game with two goals in two minutes, scored by Rob Jenner and Mel Bidder. That was to be the last scoring of the match with Mallet continuing to produce some outstanding stops. The official game sheet records the shots on goal as 67-21 in favour of the Fury.

 

Romford named Romanas Fedotovas in their line up, the 30 year old joining the Essex club from Lee Valley last week.

Lions 8 Slough Jets 13

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Lions: Mallet (n/m), Carson, Beeson, Crosse, Myles, Go, Berry, Irish, Peach, Fedotovas, Hatful, Gosling, Hodge, Joseph, Bishop, Ball, Grout (n/m)
A big effort from the Lions in the season opener, scoring 8 times, only to see a late burst from the Jets see the visitors take the points.
The game was tied at 7-7 early in the final period when Scott Beeson netted his fourth of the night, but three quick goals from Slough opened up what had been a tight match. 
The Jets had led the match 4-1 at the end of the first period, Beeson scoring after two minutes for Lee Valley, before a burst of scoring from the Jets seemed to give them a confortable lead, which may well have been worse not for some great stops by netminder Aaron Mallet. 
But the second period belonged to the Lions. A short-handed Beeson breakaway effort in the first minute of the second period, followed by his hat-trick goal a few minutes later, after a great move in front of the net by Romanas Fedotovas, pulled the Lions back into the game. Fedotovas, who had set up all three of Beeson’s goals, then latched onto Phil Carson’s pass to level the scores. Joe Berry then put the Lions ahead in the ninth minute of the period. 
Lions Youngster Josh Irish also netted in the second, assisted by Adam Peach, and although the Jets pulled two goals back, the Lions thought they’d gone in level at 7-7 when Beeson found the back of the net again, only for the officials to rule that the puck had crossed the line after the buzzer.  
After Beeson’s equaliser early in the final period, the Jets skated away with the game with forwards Zoran Kozic and Stas Prokofiev constantly causing problems. Although Berry added his second, and goalie Mallet made a terrific pad save from a Jets penalty shot, Slough finished strongly.
The Lions will look for their first points of the season when they face the Wightlink Tigers on the Isle of Wight next weekend.