Milton Keynes Storm started their league campaign with a comfortable victory over Slough, and are looking forward to a successful campaign over the coming months.

Despite this being their first competitive match back after the summer break, MK were quickly into their stride, and the visitors were soon under pressure. MK continued to press even when short-handed, and over-confidence allowed Slough (04:35) to take a surprise lead. MK attacked unwaveringly, but despite dominating possession of the puck, and taking up seemingly permanent residence in the Slough defensive zone, goals just would not come. Eventually the pressure paid off, and when Mitch Starkey slipped the puck to Tommy Mboya (17:53) he scythed through the Slough defence to equalize.

Any early anxiety and rustiness evaporated in the second period, and MK never looked back. Ross Green (25:04) gave them the lead with a determined single-handed effort, and a neat passing move from Josh Nicklin to Ross Green, gave Mitch Starkey (28:39) plenty of time and space to smash home a net bulging slapshot from the blueline. From this point on, Slough became little more than spectators as the floodgates opened. Josh Nicklin (30:25) defied an MK penalty, weaving through the Slough defence to score, and when Ross Green and Jacob Heron put together a spectacular passing move during the same penalty, Tommy Mboya (31:38) tipped home athletically in front of goal. Nidal Philips (36:42) scored his first of the season with a surging run and shot from deep in his own defence to complete a thoroughly satisfactory period for the hosts.

Little changed in the final period when Mitch Starkey (46:05) thumped home another stinging slapshot after a prolonged period of play around the Slough net. Josh Nicklin waltzed around the visiting defence and Jacob Heron (49:56) showed good anticipation to finish in front, and that man Starkey was soon back in action with another thunderbolt feathered home by Tommy Mboya (51:42). It was fitting that the two youngest MK players, Nathan Carmichael and Tommy Mboya (58:52) finished off a solid team performance, and although a Slough consolation goal in the final second of the match made a dent in Jake Scriven’s netminding statistics, it did little to dampen MK’s confidence for the season ahead.

This was a solid victory and should set up MK well for future challenges, including their home and away matches to old rivals Peterborough over the next few weeks.
MoM Ross Green
Tommy Mboya 4+0; Mitch Starkey 2+2; Ross Green 1+2; Jacob Heron 1+2; Josh Nicklin 1+2; Nidal Philips 1+0; Nathan Carmichael 0+1.
(MK N/M Scriven 13/2 84.62%)
Penalties: MK 10 Slough 4
MK Shots: 76 Slough 13