Invicta Dynamos opened their National League campaign with a thrilling 5-2 victory over Milton Keynes Thunder at the Ice Bowl last night.

Head coach Kevin Parrish described the performance as ‘sloppy’, and Invicta were just that during a first period which saw the home side concede two goals.

Tom Roles and Paul Jamieson were the scorers, but the real hero of the period was Thunder goalie Mark Woolf, who time and again used his glove to great effect.

After a melee late in the period saw Thunder’s Michael Lucas ejected, the visitors, already short of numbers, were reduced to 13.

They continued to hold out however, as Woolf continued his impressive form, until Invicta’s new import signing Martin Melichercik, after much deliberation from the officials, was adjudged to have pulled a goal back.

The away side, despite enduring more pressure, held onto to their lead until 49.10. As if to make sure this time, Melichercik slammed home the equaliser from close range, with Woolf’s net struggling to hold the vicious shot.

Now was the time for Thunder to crumble. Elliot Andrews dispatched the go-ahead goal at 52.30, after a sweet set-up from Invicta’s other new import Milan Kostolny. A.J Smith scored the fourth after brilliant approach work from Laurence Billings, before Kostolny’s cool flick of the wrist finished proceedings accordingly.