Ah that’s a tough one. A real ‘if only’ game.

It’s a shame, as it all started so well.

Bumping into fans on the train up, seeing some familiar faces around the rink, which is one of the nicer Planet Ice rinks I’ve been to by the way. It’s a very convenient away game from central London. Then going 0-2 up within 10 minutes. All great stuff. But it’s not the most dangerous scoreline in hockey for nothing.

It was very difficult to know what to expect going into this one. Losses to Invicta, Guildford, and Oxford. A win against Slough. Milton Keynes Thunder have had a tricky start to life in South 2, and the results probably weren’t representative of what they were capable of.

Haringey start brilliantly though. High tempo, high energy.

Conner Smith shoots wide under pressure. Courtney Grant makes a great recovery to stop a 1-on-1. It’s end-to-end for the first five minutes. Carl Etuazim shows strength and guile to turn over possession. Goes behind net and puts it into the slot but can’t find a teammate.

It’s a nicely worked goal for the Huskies opener when it comes. Conner carries it down the left, holding off the Thunder D-man, and finds Will Nowik at the back post who finishes on the doorstep. 0-1 Haringey.

Lots going on. Lots of chances, lots of shots.

Ryan McFarlane has a look from the point. Comes through traffic, bounces out, and then is finally sent wide. Johan Persson tries a backhander from the crease. Covered. Ryan Payne has two consecutive wristers from the blue line kicked out. Nikita Bzozovskis puts a bomb on net from the slot but can’t find twine.

With 10 gone in the period, Haringey double their lead. Stuart Appleby turns over possession behind the Thunder net, plays it out front where Carl slams it home, high into the net from the near post. 0-2 Huskies absolutely bouncing.

Milton Keynes have a spell at the end of the period, with Haringey holding on. It’s a valiant effort to get to the break. Pete Toth makes an amazing intervention at the back to stop a certain goal, after giving away possession. Dylan makes a stick save from close, the puck spiralling up and into a hole in the vent in the ceiling. Good luck getting that one back!

But with 11 seconds remaining in the first, they make it count. There’s Thunder pressure around the crease, it breaks to the back post and it’s poked home. Awful time to concede. 1-2 end of the first.

We had a great sense of urgency and purpose in the first period I thought, which dropped off at the start of the second.

There’s a nice chemistry and understanding between Conner and Will, which has been developing over the start of the season. This time Will provides, dropping it off for Conner who has a wrister held from the left. It’s more good work from Will keeping possession, gaining the zone, but shooting over from the hashmarks.

Thunder’s second is a smart finish. Cool as you like. I picked out Marks Kanins before the game as someone to watch. There’s desperation in the Haringey defence and Kanins waits and waits, moving right to left across the slot, waits for Dylan to commit and then finishes beyond his outstretched skate. Parity.

Dylan makes a string of saves as MK turn the screw. We can’t get out the zone at times. Ryan Payne is efficient and alert to the danger, cleaning up in the defensive zone. Stu goes coast to coast, shooting low across goal forcing a save.

But again, Thunder score among disarray in the Huskies’ defence. We can’t get a stick on it, there’s bodies, it’s a melee, and MK score among the wreckage to take the lead at 3-2.

Leo De Souza Saoncella shows great work rate and physicality. There’s some bite to the game now, with a few big hits going in. Cameron Pow puts it on net from the right but it’s tipped wide. Dylan makes a smart save at the back then gloves from the high slot.

In one of those ‘if only’ moments, Carl weaves his way into the offensive zone, past three or fours Thunder players, but can’t score. An amazing effort to create the chance though.

It’s a bad start to the third as well. Thunder carry it down the left and it’s rifled from the top of the D into the net nearside. 4-2. Really deflating.

We have to keep going though. Pete judges the situation well to stop a 2-on-1. Bides his time and doesn’t over commit. Mac pulls the puck out of the air to intercept a pass cross ice. Dylan gloves from the left.

We get back into it and it’s the player who’s looked bright all game. Carl gains the zone, loses possession, then gets it back and is more alive to it than the Thunder skaters. He puts it on net from the right and creeps through the netminder. Lifeline. 4-3.

Rob Rejna gains the zone but is fouled before he can get a shot off. Johan goes all around the boards but again, can’t find a shot. Conner sends a slapshot bobbling wide. That third Huskies’ goal has livened them up.

Pow slapper, gloved, covered. Another mazy carry from Carl but he’s blocked off at the crease. Marton with the one-timer, Carl from the left, Johan nearside. All denied.

Haringey call timeout with five minutes left in the game. Get some information across. You can sense it’s there for them, they just need that moment.

There’s a huge scramble at the MK net. Limbs, sticks, everything. No one can get a hold on the puck and it’s eventually made safe. Dylan gets pulled with just over a minute left. Thunder miss three opportunities to grab the empty netter. Will Haringey have that last chance?

They will. With four seconds left it comes to Johan off the draw whose slapshot can only find a pad nearside. That was it.

Thunder win 4-3.

Stu grabs Player of the Match. Thoroughly deserved and I think there’s good cases for several others. Although we had more shots and the better play overall, MK had the better moments, and crucially they capitalised on those moments. It looks like we’ll be fighting with them for that second Wilkinson Cup semi-final berth in group B, so worth keeping an eye on their results.

We’re still a few guys short at the moment but if there is a bright side, it’s that all of our junior players are getting a lot of game time as a result. Cam Pow and Carl Etuazim are on the first line, Will Nowik is Haringey’s top goal scorer in the league, and Oli Cooper was going great guns before his injury.

Guildford next. The Spectrum awaits.

Let’s Go Huskies.

Photos by Chris Valentine