Milton Keynes Storm consolidated their lead at the top of the league with an imperious display against a once mighty Guildford team, whose back-to-back defeats to MK this month leave them with serious prospects of relegation. How the mighty have fallen. In a decade of MK junior hockey, this group of players had never won on home ice against the Surrey giants, but this resounding defeat washed away years of frustration and disappointment. The dominant manner in which MK won, serves notice to the entire league of their genuine title pretensions.

The match started badly for MK, when after a fast and brutal start by both sides, the visitors scored a smart goal (03:07) to take the lead. In seasons past MK heads may have dropped at this early setback, but MK are an unstoppable force currently, and they responded with wave upon wave of fast potent attacks. Cole in the Guildford nets stemmed the tide admirably, but a short passing move between Ross Green and Josh Nicklin was finished by Jacob Heron (14:07), whose rasping shot found the top corner. MK barely drew breath, and in the very next shift a Green thunderbolt ricocheted off bar and post, only for Nicklin (14:45) to force home the loose puck with a full length dive across the goal. MK continued to press and only Cole kept the visitors in the match with a series of spectacular saves.

The second period started with MK in full flight, and fast passing hockey played havoc with the towering Guildford defencemen. A quick pass from Heron found Nicklin behind the nets, and Connor Goode (23:10) charged into space to finish neatly in front. More scintillating hockey followed, and when Heron drove determinedly out of defence, his beautifully timed lateral pass in front of goal left Goode (33:02) with the easiest of finishes. With the match at their mercy, MK eased off the pace in the latter stages of the period, but with Chris Gill in excellent form between the pipes, and Green and Mitch Starkey cold and calculating in defence, the visitors never looked likely to wrest back the advantage.

The final period paled in comparison with the spectacular hockey played in the first two, and MK seemed satisfied to see out the remainder of the match without mishap. Nonetheless Guildford raised their game, and having scored a soft short-handed goal (51:04), briefly threatened to drag themselves back into the match. But their rally was short-lived, and by the time Heron (59:35) finished the scoring with an empty net goal from the half way line, MK had snuffed out any serious possibilities of a comeback. Maximum points after four games leaves MK in a very strong position for the remainder of the season, and provided the keep their discipline and teamwork to the fore, it will take a very strong side indeed to defeat them. Much to look forward to over the winter months…

MoM Ross Green
Jacob Heron 2+2; Connor Goode 2+0; Josh Nicklin 1+2; Ross Green 0+2.
MK Shots: 51 Guildford 20
(MK N/M Gill 20/2 90.00%)
Penalties: MK 16 Guildford 22