AFTER the previous weekend’s successful pre-season challenges, the Chieftains were given notice of what a tough season lay ahead for them.

They suffered a 2-0 cup defeat at the hands of main rivals Invicta Dynamos on Saturday and the following evening they were held to a 4-4 draw in Milton Keynes.

From the first puck drop Chieftains pressured the Dynamo’s net and took control of the gam, but Invicta’s shot-stopper Damien King was on great form.

It remained goalless in the opening period but in the second period the Dynamos started to pressure Clements and the Chieftains defence and with just 17 seconds remaining of period the deadlock was broken.

It was the away fans celebrating as a shot from Bailey Wootton took a deflection off of Cameron Bartlett, past Clements and into the net to make the score 1-0 Dynamos.

Chieftains came out in the final period looking for the equaliser but Invicta scored a second through Callum Fowler at 44:23.

A melee then began which took 18 minutes to sort out and ended with both teams having two players sent to the dressing rooms.

On Sunday evening the Chieftains were in action at the new Milton Keynes rink to take on the Thunder without the suspended players from Saturday night’s Dynamo encounter. The Thunder have been strengthened over the summer and at the end of 60 minutes of hockey it was honours shared at 4-4.

Chelmsford scored through Ollie Baldock, Grant Bartlett, Jake Sylvester and Andrius Kaminskas.

Chieftains are away at Streatham on Saturday and hosts Solent & Gosport Devils on Sunday at Riverside, face-off at 6.30pm.