Romford Buccaneers head coach Jason Buckman was delighted to start the new year with a win at the weekend.

Buccs returned to the ice after a four-week break to host Solent Devils at Romford's Sapphire Ice & Leisure Centre.

And they came away with two points after winning a penalty shoot-out, following a 4-4 draw.

"Great result and performance to start 2024 and the second half of the season," said Buckman.

"It was a result that’s been coming for a while now and the guys deserved it.

"Missing Bryn [Capps] through Raiders appearance didn’t phase the team and everyone stepped up and put in a performance."

Artjoms Kazaks opened the scoring with a powerplay goal, but the visitors hit back with a quickfire brace before the first break.

Solent went 3-1 up early in the middle session, but Ewan Hill replied and it was all square when Luca Pascale converted on a powerplay in the final period.

The visitors regained the lead while enjoying a man advantage of their own, but Hill's second goal of the night ensured honours finished even at the end of normal time.

And after neither side could find a winner in overtime, Joe Tomalin and Nathan Long converted their penalty shots and Sonny Phillips saved all four Solent attempts.

Buccs are set to visit Invicta on Sunday (5.45pm), with Buckman adding: "We have some tough games coming up and with Solent beating Invicta and Slough recently they are a team in form, so to get the points hopefully sends a message.

"If teams don’t show up we have the squad to get a result heading towards the play-offs."

MATCH DETAILS

Division One South

Sunday

Buccaneer 5 Solent 4 (PS)

Buccaneers: Ewan Hill 2, Artjoms Kazaks 1+2, Luca Pascale 1+1, Thomas Wilson 0+2, Donald Campbell 0+1, Nathan Long 0+1.

Devils: Jack Peacock 1+2, Drew Campbell 1, Kristijonas Nekrosevicius 1, Luke Forsyth 1, Steve Osman 0+2, Alex Cole 0+1, Dan Lackey 0+1, Alex Murray 0+1.

First period

1-0 Kazaks (Pascale, Wilson) PP 9.43; 1-1 Nekrosevicius (Osman, Peacock) 15.20; 1-2 Forsyth (Lackey, Murray) 16.38.

Penalties: Austin (B) trip 6.05; Peacock (S) intrf 7.58.

Second period

1-3 Peacock (Osman) 22.32; 2-3 Hill (Kazaks) 26.08

Penalties: Wedge (S) hold 34.40; Nekrosevicius (S) trip 37.14; Dervish (B) tough 37.14; Austin (B) fight (5 mins) 37.59; Murray (S) fight (5 mins) 37.59; Kanys (B) trip 39.46.

Third period

3-3 Pascale (Long, Wilson) PP 46.14; 3-4 Campbell (Cole, Peacock) PP 53.49; 4-4 Hill (Campbell, Kazaks) 56.44.

Overtime

5-4 PS 65.00.

Penalties: Dervish (B) hi-st 41.43; Hill (B) hook 44.16; Forsyth (S) trip 45.04; Sutton (S) cross 45.48; Osman (S) rough 48.46; Wakeling (B) hook 52.17.

Shots on goal: Sonny Phillips (B, 65.00) 5-16-7-2=30-4; Aaron Taylor (S, 65.00) 12-12-10-2=36-4.