ICE HOCKEY: Rampant Stars claim top spot (From Oxford Mail)

ICE HOCKEY: Rampant Stars claim top spot

10:00am Thursday 14th March 2013 in Sport

Oxford City Stars went top of English National League South Division 2 with a stunning 14-1 victory at Slough Jets.

The goals were shared around as Stars made it nine straight wins ahead of their clash with previous leaders Peterborough Islanders at Oxford Ice Rink on Sunday (6.15pm).

The game started with a surprising match penalty for Oxford’s Nick Oliver, who made contact with a high stick to a Slough player and drew blood.

Under the new rules, Oliver’s punishment would include a one-match ban from the clash with Peterborough.

But as the Slough player returned to the action this is automatically downgraded to a game misconduct that incurs no further suspension.

Despite being a man down for five minutes, Stars dominated the possession, and Dax Hedges opened the scoring from the left circle.

Jamie Milton levelled from close range following a pass from Johan Lisspers, but after this it was one-way traffic as Oxford racked up 67 shots on goal.

Alan Green restored Stars’ lead, before they stretched away with James Clarke, Josh Oliver and Jacob Smith making it 5-1 at the end of the first period.

However, it wasn’t until halfway through the second period that Oxford added to their tally through Josh Oliver.

But when Joe Edwards, Hedges and Darren Elliott added three more in three minutes, the match was finished as a contest.

By this point, Jets, who had led Stars 6-2 just a week earlier before going down 9-6, replaced netminder Laura Saunders with back-up Simon Johnston.

But he also had little answer to sharp-shooting Stars.

Oxford continued to score in bursts with Clarke and Edwards scoring two in two minutes in the third period followed by Stu Widdows and Green.

The match was finished off by a Josh Oliver goal to put the seal on an utterly dominant performance.

Although Stars shone as an attacking force, netminder Ricky Young let in just one goal when Oxford were short-handed on a night when he faced 20 shots.