Romford Raiders 9, Cardiff Fire 6
Vilius Krakauskas, a 23-year-old Lithuanian forward, crushed the hopes of Cardiff Fire during a National League South match in Essex.
Krakauskas, who has returned to playing ice hockey after three-years away from the sport, scored four goals with two assists in a 9-6 Romford Raiders victory.
He skated with Raiders each summer and says: “There is a new rink and the ice hockey level is very good too.
Vilius was born in Kreitinga, Lithuania, while he has played in his home country and for Metalurg Liepaja-2 and Baltija Klaipeda in Latvia.
He then played in Sweden at under-18 level with Nynäshamns IF, while he was selected for Lithuania’s under-18 and under-20 teams.
Now Vilius, whose younger brother Emilijus plays in Switzerland, is playing a major role for Raiders.
Fire made Raiders work for their victory and clawed their way back from 6-1 to make the score 8-6 before the home team clinched a win with a late goal.
Romford scored three powerplay and two shorthanded goals, while Deakan Fielder (2), Reed Sayers (2), Jason Warren and Samual Bryant were the Fire scorers.
Cardiff’s Elliott Murdoch, a 21-year-old from Newport, suffered during the match at Romford’s Sapphire Ice & Leisure Centre, picking up 34 penalty minutes in total. He was thrown out on a game misconduct for abuse of officials after 56-56.
Great Britain defenceman Deakan Fielder, who joined Fire from North American team Fresno Monsters, was Fire’s man of the match.
Telford-born Fielder, who has played for the GB under-20 team, scored two goals with one assist.
Raiders went ahead after only 45 seconds when Tommy Huggett scored. He also made it 2-0 and Ewan Hill added a shorthanded third.
Hill scored his second to make it 4-0 before Deakan Fielder replied for Cardiff.
Krakauskas scored on a powerplay to five Romford a 5-1 lead going into the second period.
Jason Warren claimed Cardiff’s second goal, but Krakauskas scored shorthanded goal and George Hill made it 7-2 20 seconds later.
Man of the Match on his debut 🔥 @FielderDeakan https://t.co/hDIM3EX1s1
— Cardiff Fire (@CardiffFireIHC) September 16, 2019
Reed Sayers hit back for the visitors. Krakauskas completed his hat-trick, before Fielder capitalised on another powerplay.
Cardiff cut the gap to two goals at 8-6 as Sayers and Samual Bryant (PP) netted 86 seconds apart.
The scoreline remained unchanged for the next 27 minutes until Krakauskas completed the scoring with his fourth of the game with another powerplay effort, after Murdoch was given a game misconduct penalty for abuse of officials.
Raiders: Vilius Krakauskas 4+2, Tommy Huggett 2+2, Ewan Hill 2+0, George Gell 1+0, Donald Campbell 0+1, Sam Roberts 0+1, Callum Burnett 0+1.
Cardiff: Deakan Fielder 2+1, Reed Sayers 2+0, Jason Warren 1+2, Samual Bryant 1+0, Carter-Jaice Lloyd 0+1, Elis Sheppard 0+1.
Penalty minutes: Raiders 16 Cardiff 52.
Shots on goal: Fire (on Jacob Stoodley) 17+12+8=37; Raiders (on Lewis Davies) 17+19+13=49.
Match stats:
Scorers:
Raiders: Vilius Krakauskas 4+2, Tommy Huggett 2+2, Ewan Hill 2+0, George Gell 1+0, Donald Campbell 0+1, Sam Roberts 0+1, Stevie Dunnage 0+2, Ellie Wakeling 0+2, Callum Burnett 0+1.
Fire: Reed Sayers 2+0, Deakan Fitler 2+1, Jason Warren 1+2, Samuel Bryant 1+0, Elis Sheppard 0+1, Carter-Jaice Lloyd 0+1,
Shots on goal: Raiders 49 (on Lewis Davies), Fire (Jacob Stoodley) 37
Penalties in minutes: Raiders 16, Fire 52
https://twitter.com/CardiffFireIHC/status/1173652686094393345?s=20
Cardiff Fire fixtures 2019-20
NIHL South One
September
Saturday 14 Romford Raiders 9, Cardiff Fire 6
Saturday 21 v Slough Jets (away)
Sunday 22 v Solent Devils (home)
Sunday 29 v Slough Jets (home)
October
Saturday 5 v Bracknell Hornets (away)
Saturday 12 v Streatham (away)
Saturday 19 v Solent Devils (away)
Sunday 20 v Bracknell Hornets (home)
Saturday 26 v Chelmsford Chieftains (home)
November
Sunday 3 v Milton Keynes Thunder (home)
Saturday 9 v Chelmsford Chieftains (away)
Sunday 10 v Bracknell Hornets (home)
Saturday 16 v Invicta Dynamos (home)
Sunday 24 v Milton Keynes Thunder (away)
Saturday 30 v Romford Raiders (home)
December
Saturday 7 v Streatham (home)
Sunday 8 v Oxford City Stars (away)
Saturday 14 v Invicta Dynamos (away)
Sunday 15 v Solent Devils (home)
January
Saturday 4 v Romford Raiders (away)
Saturday 11 v Romford Raiders (home)
Sunday 12 v Milton Keynes Thunder (away)
Saturday 18 v Streatham (away)
Sunday 19 v Oxford City Stars (home)
Saturday 25 v Invicta Dynamos (home)
Sunday 26 v Bracknell Hornets (away)
February
Saturday 1 v Slough Jets (away)
Saturday 8 v Chelmsford Chieftains (home)
Sunday 9 v Invicta Dynamos (away)
Saturday 15 v Chelmsford Chieftains (away)
Sunday 16 v Oxford City Stars (home)
Saturday 22 v Solent Devils (away)
March
Saturday 7 v Milton Keynes Thunder (home)
Sunday 8 v Oxford City Stars (away)
Saturday 21 v Streatham (home)
Sunday 29 v Slough Jets (home)