THE Chelmsford Chieftains have surged to top of the league ahead of this Sunday's home clash with bitter rivals Romford Raiders.
Gary Clarke's team are on the hunt for revenge after Romford won at the Riverside earlier in the season and then snatched a last minute 5-5 draw at home last month.
"The rivalry is massive," said Clarke, the club's player/coach. "It's always been massive and it always will be but we can't let that affect us on the ice.
"It's another league game and it's another two points that we want to win – it's about time we got a win against them."
Romford have slipped to third after an alarming slump in form which has seen them lose their last three league matches.
Chelmsford on the other hand have won four on the spin, the latest a 3-2 victory on Sunday at the Invicta Dynamos.
"I think we're two evenly balanced sides," Clarke said of Romford. "When on form we have different styles of hockey but with the local rivalry it's a very passionate affair and it's huge.
"It's one of those that we see as a must win and it would be nice."
Defenceman Mike McKay is struggling to be fit after a tear in his hip flexer muscle otherwise the Chieftains will be at full strength.
On Saturday Chelmsford kept up their perfect record in the NIHL Cup group South B by thrashing Streatham Redskins 14-3 and are now through to the end of season final.
On Sunday the first period was all Chelmsford with shots flying in from all over the ice, yet former Chieftain David Wride played a blinder of a period and kept the marouding forwards at bay.
Against the run of play, Nathanial Rose put the home side ahead before the first break in the game and it looked like it might not just be the Chieftains night.
Justin Noble then doubled the home side's lead in the second period and the heads in the stands dropped as it looked like another disappointing night was on the cards.
However the players on the bench rallied round and battled back into the game with goals coming from James Ayling and Clarke to tie the game at 2-2 at the second interval.
A late surge from the Dynamos looked like they may sneak it, but a late goal from Tibor Schneider put the Chieftains ahead and at the same the news had filtered through that the Romford Raiders had lost at home to Bracknell Hornets.
Face-off for this Sunday's derby is at 6.30pm and Olympic medallist Chloe Rogers will drop the puck before the game.
The Great Dunmow hockey won a bronze at London 2012.
