Milton Keynes Storm crushed defending league champions Swindon at Planet Ice this weekend, and now top the league table with games in hand against all their principal rivals.

MK looked in good form from the very first shift with quick movement and passing a feature. Every attack looked threatening and only poor finishing kept the visitors level. Nonetheless the writing was already on the wall for the Swindon defence, and when Luke Spriggs picked up the puck behind the net he had the composure to wait for the right moment to pass to the advancing Jacob Heron, whose neat touch to Nathan Carmichael (09:35), lurking on the far post, left netminder Richardson with no chance. MK roared forward in numbers and took up almost permanent residence in the Swindon defensive zone, and the visitors creaked under the strain. A lengthy period of powerplay possession by MK softened up the defence, and when Heron passed to Josh Nicklin (13:53), he split the Swindon defence to score neatly.

The first five minutes of the second period will live long in MK memories, as they racked up goals on almost every shift. Tom Mboya started the landslide, driving into the heart of the Swindon defence, and laying off to Joe Day, whose quick pass was scrambled home by Ross Green in front of goal (21:31). From the resulting face-off Jacob Heron scorched down the right flank and his firm lateral pass gave Nicklin (22:15) his second with a sweet one-timer in front of goal. Luke Spriggs gave the visitors no respite when he set up Mboya (22:48) for a driving finish. With Swindon in tatters, nothing could stop MK, and they emphasised their dominance when Spriggs and Heron (24:27) teamed up smartly for the latter to fire home short-handed! With the game already in the bag, MK stepped off the gas, allowing Swindon to test the MK defence. Unfortunately they found Chris Gill in imperious form, and never really looked like clawing themselves back into the contest.

MK gave little quarter in the final period, scoring at regular intervals. Jacob Heron (43:51) swept through the heart of the visiting defence to finish single-handed, and then minutes later set up Nicklin (49:29) for his hat-trick with a beautifully timed pass. In the final minutes of the match MK showboated around the Swindon nets, and after a move that lasted several minutes, with the Swindon defence merely spectators, Nicklin set up Robert Pullar on the point, and his slapshot was snaffled up and buried in front of goal by Mboya (59:45)

After the uncertainties of their previous match, this was MK in their very best form. MK now top the table, and provided they remain focussed and injury-free they could just stay there by the spring! A match this weekend with close rivals Bracknell will be an important test of their consistency and resolve.

MoM Chris Gill
Josh Nicklin 3+1; Jacob Heron 2+4; Tom Mboya 2+2; Nathan Carmichael 1+0; Ross Green 1+0; Luke Spriggs 0+2; Joe Day 0+1; Nidal Phillips 0+1; Robert Pullar 0+1.
MK Shots: 46 Swindon 21
(MK N/M Gill 21/0 100% Shutout!)
Penalties: MK 4 Swindon 14