Jaguars see off Cardiff (From Swindon Advertiser)

Jaguars see off Cardiff

7:20am Wednesday 4th January 2012 in Ice Hockey

SWINDON Jaguars started 2012 with a bang as they recorded a 6-3 victory away at Cardiff Devils on New Year’s Day.

The Jags had not been in action since November, but showed few signs of rustiness as they took an early lead in the second minute as Reed Sayers found Mason Lipsey, who fired home in front of the net.

The clash then developed into an end to end game of attacking hockey, until a tripping penalty on Swindon led to Cardiff having a man advantage.

The home side were able to capitalise on this at 18.06, as Tomos Dicker flicked home an equaliser.

Jags answered this with Sayers and Lipsey joining up again, only for Lipsey’s shot to end up on the line providing a tap in for Jay Warren. Swindon scored again quickly with a goal from Patrick Larkin, assisted by Oliver Crosby Clarke Cardiff replied with a goal just before end of second period, leaving Swindon with a 3-2 advantage at the start of the final period.

But they were pegged back within seconds of the restart as Carter Lloyd scored with a breakaway goal to even things up at 3-3.

The Swindon heads did not drop, and they replied with two breakaway goals of their own, first through man of the match Warren, then by Sayers, as both beat the netminder with speed and great stick work.

In the final minutes Jags stretched the lead to 3-6 with a goal from Samuel Bull.

The Devils had no time to recover, but the game was closer than the scoreline suggested. Cardiff hit the crossbar twice and the post once but managed just 16 shots on goal compared to Swindon’s 30.