RENNY Marr saved all three Milton Keynes Thunder penalties as Swindon Wildcats won their NIHL South season opener in a shoot-out this evening.

The Cats’ needed a third-period strike from Sam Bullas to extend the game into the additional period after they trailed 3-2 late on, havinng been kept at bay by an inspired performance from Milton Keynes netminder Tom Annetts throughout the match at the Link Centre.

Swindon peppered 43 shots on the Thunder goal in the regulation hour – with the visitors mustering just 23 shots themselves – but only managed efforts from player-coach Aaron Nell and Sam Zajac prior to Bullas’ late equaliser.

No winning goal could be found in overtime but the Cats were not to be denied the win their performance deserved and Marr pulled off three stunning saves, coupled with a successful effort from Chris Jones, to finally hand them the spoils.

The home side were in the ascendancy early on but ran into a resolute Thunder keeper as Annetts pulled off a string of fine saves, denying both Nell and Jan Kostal inside the opening minute.

Jones then saw an effort batted away before Annetts also thwarted Stevie Whitfield soon afterwards.

After being on the back foot since face-off, Thunder broke the deadlock with virtually their first bit of pressure after nine minutes. There was a scramble in front of Swindon goal and Rio Grinell-Park was on hand to prod home.

Swindon stopper Marr was then called into action to keep Gareth O'Flaherty at bay before Annetts did likewise to Jones at the other end.

Phil Hill saw an effort plucked out of the air by the visiting keeper before Thunder ended the period strongly as Ross Bowers and Tom Carlon went close to a second goal.

Swindon were given the initiative just 17 seconds into period two when Bowers was penalised and they immediately capitalised on the power-play as Nell let fly with an unstoppable drive from distance.

Max Birbraer was then denied by Annetts twice in quick succession, while Marr also had to be at his best to keep out Bowers at the other end.

However, the Cats keeper could do nothing to prevent Milton Keynes from re-taking the lead after 27 minutes, as he could not see Bowers’ shot that came through a crowd of bodies and nestled in the corner of the net.

Jamie Line then went close for Thunder before Nell, Hill and Kostal did likewise for Swindon but found Annetts in inspired form once more.

Swindon were reliant on power-plays for goals and thankfully they got another one after 36 minutes when Thunder's Harrison Goode was sent to the sin-bin, with the scores level just 10 seconds later as Zajac crashed home after being teed up by Nell.

The home side were unable to hang on until the buzzer, though, and found themselves in arrears again in the final few seconds of the period as Grinell-Parke darted up the right, spread the puck across the ice and Line was on hand to finish off the move.

The Cats peppered the Milton Keynes goal early in the final period but Kostal, Neil Liddiard and Floyd Taylor were unable to find a way past Annetts, with the Thunder keeper also dealing with two long-range Zajac drives in equally stubborn fashion.

Swindon finally got the breakthrough they deserved with eight minutes to play as Bullas swung his stick at Ben Nethersell’s strike from distance and got enough on the puck to divert it into the net.

Nell’s men smelt blood and more chances came their way, with Jones blazing over the top with the goal at his mercy before Bullas fired straight at Annetts but a winning goal was not forthcoming and overtime was required to decide the outcome.

Again, no winner could be found in the extra five minutes but Marr came to the fore as the match headed to penalties, with his three saves proving crucial in a shoot-out that saw Jones the only man to score.