CHELMSFORD Chieftains faced higher league opposition on both days at the weekend in ice hockey’s new English Challenge Cup competition. 

Chieftains were defeated 4-1 in Swindon on Saturday by the Wildcats, and Basingstoke Bison were the victors at Riverside on Sunday,  winning 5-1. 

But last year’s NIHL champions can take many positives from both performances.
On Saturday the Chieftains surprised the Premier League team by taking the lead a little over two minutes into the second period.  Lukas Zatopek passed to Danny Hammond and his shot flew past the Wildcats netminder.

The Chieftains went defensive in the second period and they stood firm as the Wildcats looked for the equaliser. But less than three minutes into the final period and the home team were celebrating as they finally found the net before taking the lead two minutes later.

At 56:18 the Wildcats scored again to give themselves a two-goal cushion. With only four minutes left the Chieftains removed their netminder and put on another forward in a bid to force a goal.

That left them vulnerable on the counter-attack and with 15 seconds left the Wildcats won the puck and shot into the unguarded net.  

But the Chieftains made it very difficult for the team from the upper league as did man of the match, netminder Euan King, who saved 48 of the 51 shots he faced.
On Sunday last season’s Premier League runners-up Basingstoke Bison found themselves up 

against a determined Chieftains team and as the Wildcats found on Saturday, they were up for a game of very competitive hockey. 

At 30:29 the deadlock was broken as the Bison scored a powerplay goal after Chieftain’s defenceman John Connolly was sent to the sin bin for delay of game. Six minutes later ex-Chieftain Aaron Connolly’s shot from outside the blue line went over the glove of King. 

Two minutes later Chieftains had the puck in the back of the Bisons’ net but the referee disallowed the goal for high sticks and the period ended 2-0 to the visitors. Connolly was again on target 51 seconds into the final period but Chieftains’ perseverance was rewarded when Hammond scored. 

But two more goals from the Bison saw them win 5-1.

This weekend the Chieftains have a league double-header. On Saturday the visitors to Riverside are Cardiff NIHL Devils (5.45pm face-off) and on Sunday Invicta Dynamos from neighbouring Kent are the opposition (6.30pm face-off). 

The latter is a joint League/English Challenge Cup game with the points counting towards both competitions.