OXFORD City Stars began the Christmas celebrations in style with a massive 18-1 victory over Lee Valley Lions at a festive Oxpens.

The top versus bottom contest was always likely to be one-sided and it was no surprise that Stars, who had already twice rattled up 14 goals in a game, produced their highest score of the season.

The result puts them seven points clear at the top of English National League South Division 2.

Stars’ head coach Kenny Redmond, said: “We are where we set out to be at this stage, and now our challenge is to maintain our consistency through the second half of the season.

“We changed things around a little and gave some of the younger players a bit more ice time, which was great for their experience.”

There was charity both on and off the ice.

Stars wore specially designed Christmas jerseys, which fans were given the chance to buy after the game, with the proceeds going to the Oxford Children’s Hospital.

After Stars’ first goal, supporters were urged to throw their teddies on to the ice, and these were given out on a hospital visit this week.

However, remarkably, the first score actually came from the the visitors through Simon Geldart after five minutes.

City replied 56 seconds later through Kamil Kinkor.

After the bears had been cleared from the ice, normal service was resumed.

Stars added further first-period goals from Andrew Cox, Dom Hopkins and Josh Oliver – the last during a powerplay – for a 4-1 interval lead.

The second period was one-way traffic with Stars adding ten goals, with one disallowed as the net came off its moorings.

At one stage there were five scores in under four minutes.

Josh Florey netted a second period hat-trick, while other goals came from Kinkor, who completed his treble with a brace, Dax Hedges (2), Stewart Tait, Oliver and Conor Redmond.

Kinkor added his fourth of the evening after 49 seconds of the third period, which was relatively quiet by comparison.

Joe Edwards and Oliver, who completed his hat-trick netted before William Harrison put the icing on the Christmas cake to make it 18-1.

The celebrations could begin.