Saturday 2nd February

London Dragons 6-2 Cambridge Light Blues 

Refreshed and rejuvenated following their mid-season training camp in Switzerland, Cambridge’s Ice Hockey Blues returned to action at the weekend against the highest ranked team in the nation, the London Dragons.

Coming into the game off the back of an 18 – 3 demolition of the Cardiff Redhawks, the Dragons came out firing, scoring four unanswered goals in the first period to leave the Blues shell-shocked. A tighter defensive performance in the second period was needed to gain a foothold in the match, but was made harder as an injury to Callum MacGregor shortened options on the Blues bench – the Dragons scoring twice more before the second interval. The Blues persistence eventually paid off, as two goals from player of the game Kyle Maggard helped Cambridge to win the third period 2-0, adding respectability to the final score line.

The match was most notable for the outstanding performances of both goaltenders, with Carl Mazurek continuing his fine form from last month’s tournament in Switzerland to thwart the Dragons forwards on numerous occasions. Henrick England, London’s goaltender, spoke after the game, stating that the Blues had offered him his “most difficult test of the season”, while opposition captain Kalle Uusitalo commended the Blues for their solid work ethic and intense physical presence. Despite the defensive lapses of the first period, the Blues can be content with the result given London’s nationwide dominance, and will face Warwick Panthers tomorrow with plenty of confidence in search of a crucial momentum-building victory.