CHELMSFORD Chieftains took up the challenge last weekend when they faced tough back-to-back games against Premier Division opposition in the Challenge Cup.
On Saturday they went down 4-1 to last season's Premier Division play-off champions, Basingstoke Bison, before putting on a fantastic giant-killing show on Sunday at Riverside against Bracknell Bees, beating them 4-1 and at last getting the better of a team from the tier above.
James Ayling was again missing through injury, but the Chieftains' ranks were boosted by another two players from the City's ice hockey academy getting their chance to test themselves out against some tough opposition.
Ollie Baldock and Brandon Ayliffe, who ice for both the Chelmsford Warriors and U18s, joined team-mates Bailey Chittock and Jake Sylvester, who have already enjoyed senior team experience this season.
Saturday's game in Basingstoke started brightly enough when Chieftains took an early lead.
Ross Brears scored with 8mins 47secs on the clock. They led for just eight minutes as at 16.49 ex-Chieftain Aaron Connolly equalised.
The home side took the lead midway through the second period, a powerplay goal from Joe Baird, and just three minutes later Ciaran Long gave his team a two-goal cushion.
Chieftains tried desperately to pull a goal back, but when Long scored his second at 46.57 the game was effectively over.
The Bison demonstrated their class, but the Chieftains had put on a good performance, gaining the respect of both the opposing players and fans who applauded the team as they left the rink.
This was a massive boost for the team and they took to the ice on Sunday at Riverside looking confident.
The U18s were again in the squad having already tasted victory earlier in the day with a 6-3 win against Guildford.
And once again they were to be given a fair amount of ice time, demonstrating the faith player-coach Dwayne Newman has.
The first period was a goalless affair with both Euan King in the Chieftains net and the Bees' Tom Annetts dealing with everything that was thrown at them.
But early in the second period Chieftains struck with two quick fire goals from in form forward Cameron Bartlett and Danny Hammond.
The first at 22.20 saw Chittock's perfect pass finished in style by Bartlett. Three minutes later Hammond put the finishing touch to another slick passing play from the Chieftains, scoring with the assists going to John Connolly and Darren Brown.
The Bees responded almost instantly with their captain Matt Foord putting his side on the scoreboard. It was now game on and it was turning into a physical encounter.
With a little over a minute of the second period remaining Bartlett was on target again. Matt Turner found space and attacked the Bees' net, his shot was pushed away by the netminder and just as it looked like the chance was gone, Turner passed into the danger zone, where Bartlett smashed home.
In the final period the Bees knew what they had to do and pressurised the Chieftains defence, but the home defence was resilient and determined to hold on to the advantage they had worked so hard to gain.
For the third time in as many weeks at Riverside the travelling team pulled their netminder with two minutes remaining.
However, with this tactic there is always a chance it will backfire and with seconds of the game remaining Martin Piecha and Brears combined with the latter sliding the puck along the ice, between the posts and over the red line.
This weekend the Chieftains travel to Guildford to face the Flames and on Sunday it is Bracknell again that visit Riverside. But this time it is the Hornets in NIHL Division One South action. Face-off is at 6.30pm.
