With the league and cup games finished, it was time for the playoffs! Oxford were to face Chelmsford in a double header. For the first leg, Stars were off to Chelmsford. The match began and 40 secs in, Lack received a 2 min penalty. Stars used this as a real advantage and only 6 secs into the PP, Lawday shot the puck into the back of the net! The Chieftains weren’t expecting this and you could tell. After the goal, Chelmsford were shooting left right and centre but Miller kept everything that came at him out of the net. It was all going well for Oxford until a penalty shot was given to Chelmsford. Porter stepped up to take it but Miller was to the rescue again! It remained 0-1 after the penalty shot however 2 mins before the end of P1, Jamieson scored for the opposition making it 1-1.
P2 began and Chelmsford came out more prepared. It seemed to work as 5 mins in they took the lead through Bartlett. 3 mins later, Lawday equalised for the Stars. Chelmsford retaliated and they did it fast. Within 4 mins, Chelmsford took the lead not by 1 but by 5. Ending P2 5-2 to the Chieftains. There was a worry that what happened last week at the Riverside was going to happen again. The worry became the reality when a minute in Chelmsford furthered their lead. They did it again 6 mins later and again 2 mins after that. Only ten mins left of the game Chelmsford led 8-2 and by the end of the game they won it 10-2.
The next day came which meant the second leg was ready to be played. It was going to be hard for Stars to come back from the night before but it was what it was. Throughout all 3 periods, Chelmsford were the better side overall, they stayed out of the penalty box all night and focused on furthering their lead from the night before. Stars did have some great chances but all except 1 didn’t go in the back of the net. The night ended Oxford 1-8 Chelmsford meaning over both legs, Oxford 3-18 Chelmsford.
This meant Oxford's 23/24 season had come to an end! Personally, I’d like to thank all the fans who have supported us this season and supported me by reading and interacting with my reports! We all hope to see you next season! 🔵⭐️🟡