The Roller BeeZZz kicked off their adventure in the Belgian BIHA championship in style, winning their very first official game against the Eeklo Dogs with a final score of 5–7, on Saturday, September 27 in Eeklo.
A spectacular first period (3–6)
The tone was set early. After less than five minutes, Dries Debersaques opened the scoring for the BeeZZz (0–1, 04:50). Barely half a minute later, Thomas De Munck doubled the lead (0–2, 05:17).
The Dogs reacted quickly: Jordy De Vent pulled one back (1–2, 05:51), followed by Tim Coppens bringing Eeklo right back into it (2–2, 10:55). But the BeeZZz answered immediately: Milan Vanden Berghe, assisted by De Munck, restored the lead (2–3, 09:09). Debersaques struck again to extend the gap (2–4, 11:48).
John Dhont gave the Dogs hope (3–4, 17:36), but the end of the period went BeeZZz’ way once more: Keano Vertriest on the power play (3–5, 19:37) and captain Niels Janssens (3–6, 24:44) secured a solid halftime lead.
Perfect start to the second half
Right after the break, the Roller BeeZZz struck instantly: just 37 seconds into the second period, Idris Vanden Berghe, assisted by Debersaques, made it 3–7 (00:37, 2nd). A lightning-fast goal that gave the newcomers breathing room.
Dogs’ fightback (5–7)
Spurred on by their home crowd, the Dogs pushed back. John Dhont reignited the contest (4–7, 06:58), before Dalibor Ryckaert closed the gap further (5–7, 15:20). The final minutes were tense: penalties, a tactical timeout, and constant pressure from Eeklo. But the BeeZZz defense, backed by goaltender Maïté De Taey, stood strong until the final buzzer.
Writing the first page of history
With this 5–7 win, the Roller BeeZZz made a memorable debut in the championship. A sharp offense led by Dries Debersaques, combined with solid team play and defensive resilience, secured this historic first victory.