Match Report: Deeside Dragons 5 – Solihull Barons 9 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Charles Phillips was on target for the Dragons against Solihull (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

 Sunday 19th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons 5 – Solihull Barons 9

The Deeside Dragons dropped down to 3rd place in the Moralee Division table after a frustrating 5-9 defeat at home to Solihull Barons at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The game started badly for Deeside as Solihull opened the scoring on 5 minutes and then doubled their advantage 6 minutes later.

However, Jake Witkowski opened the Dragons account just 17 seconds after that and a goal from Matty Barlow on 17 minutes saw the teams level at 2-2 at the first period break.

Solihull edged back into the lead just 30 seconds into the second period and opened up a 2 goal lead again 3 minutes later. Once again, the Dragons hit back with goals from Charles Phillips and Ryan Jones – his first of the season - to draw level but the Barons scored yet again to get their noses back in front.

Witkowski fired home to level the game at the midway stage but another Barons goal on 32 minutes saw the visitors leading 5-6 at the second interval.

The Dragons got into penalty trouble in the third period and a succession of niggly calls saw them concede three powerplay goals, which fired the Barons into what turned out to be an unassailable position with 11 minutes left to play.

Deeside continued to battle but were unable to get past the stubborn Solihull defence and no more goals were scored in the game.

The 5-9 win saw Solihull move above Deeside in the league table, 2 points clear in second place, and Telford Tigers are now snapping on the Dragons’ heels in 4^th place, following their weekend win over Leeds - 2 points behind but with two games in hand.

The Dragons travel to Hull and back this Saturday 25^th October to take on the Hull Jets – 5.30 pm face off – and then play the same opposition at home on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm start.

The Dragons D2 team also play away in Hull on Saturday with a 12 noon face off against the Kingston Sharks. They are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

 

Matty Barlow Named Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for September

Matty Barlow is the Dragons first 
Player of the Month 
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

The Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons have introduced a new Player of the Month Award for this season and the first winner is….. Matty Barlow!

Talking about the choice of Barlow for the September award, Dragons Head Coach Mike Clancy said:

“It’s never easy for a player to settle quickly after changing clubs, but Matty has made the transition look seamless. Since joining the Deeside Dragons, he has embraced the challenge and had a huge impact both on and off the ice.”

“His on-ice contribution in the opening six games of the season speaks volumes — 8 goals and 13 assists — a tally that highlights not only his goal-scoring instinct but also his ability to create opportunities for team-mates. His speed, vision, and work ethic have already made him a key figure in the Dragons’ attack and become a huge fans favourite.”

“Beyond the numbers, Matty’s positive attitude and leadership have helped set the tone in the dressing room. He has quickly become a driving force for the team, inspiring both experienced players and younger prospects alike.”

“With such a strong start, there’s no doubt this could be one of Matty’s most exciting and memorable seasons to date.”

Barlow received the September Player Of The Month Award before the Dragons’ home game against Leeds Knights on Sunday. The presentation was made by trophy sponsor and award organiser Paul Breeze, of the Ice Hockey Review grass-roots news website and publisher.

Bradford Bulldogs 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Kieran Clarkson was the Dragons D2 MVP away at Bradford (Photo by Bradford Bulldogs IHC)

Sunday 12^th October – NIHL Laidler Division: Bradford Bulldogs 6 Deeside D2 Dragons 4

The Deeside Dragons D2 team put in a battling performance away to Bradford Bulldogs, narrowly losing out 6-4 on Sunday.

They were 3-0 down after the first period but rallied in the second and goals from James Shaw (2), James Parsons and Charlie Spridgeon drew them level at 4-4 by the midway point of the game. 

They couldn’t maintain this form, however, and two unanswered goals handed the Bulldogs the win.

The D2 Dragons are away in Hull on Saturday 25^th October and are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Deeside Dragons v Leeds Knights Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Colin Cromie was the Dragons MVP after his 5-goal haul on Sunday (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 11^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Leeds Knights 4 - Deeside Dragons 3

Sunday 12^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons 14 – Leeds Knights 2

The Deeside Dragons had a mixed weekend with a narrow 4-3 defeat away to Leeds Knights on Saturday and then a 14-2 trouncing of the same opposition on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre.

The away game on Saturday saw a Dragons debut for new signing Damarni James – who has played for the past two seasons with local rivals Widnes Wild.

The game in Leeds started badly for Deeside as the hosts took the lead after just 58 seconds. They scored again on 8 minutes and took a 2-0 lead into the first period break.

Two minutes into the second period, Leeds scored again to extend their lead to 3 but Deeside were having more of the play by then and were eventually rewarded with a Jake Witkowski goal on 28 minutes.

A second Dragons goal - from Charles Phillips on 36 minutes – narrowed the deficit to just one and the teams went into the second interval with the game finely poised at 3-2.

Deeside noticeably upped their game in the third period as they pushed forward, trying to force an equalising goal.  They outshot Leeds by an impressive 19 to 4 but were caught out by another Knights goal on 45 minutes.

Despite sustained Deeside pressure, the score stubbornly remained 4-2 to Leeds heading into the final minutes. Then, just when Deeside were hoping to make a last push, they picked up a penalty for a face off violation, meaning that they would have to play the rest of the game a man down.

They withdrew their netminder for the last minute in order to have an extra attacker on the ice and this tactic paid off with a goal from team captain Jared Dickinson with 12 seconds left on the clock.  Unfortunately, it came too late to spark a late rally and the Dragons slumped to their first defeat of the league season.

Saturday’s disappointment was quickly forgotten, however, as the Dragons put in a superb performance, hammering the Knights in the home encounter less than 24 hours later.

Damarni James set the ball rolling in his first home game at the Den as he opened the scoring for the Dragons in the 3^rd minute and it was 2-0 to Deeside 2 minutes later courtesy of a Charles Phillips goal.

Further strikes from Jake Wikowski, Jared Dickinson and Colin Cromie saw the Dragons leading 5-0 at the first period break.

The second period started in similar vein with two more goals from Cromie for a straight hat-trick, another from Witkowski and one for Matty Barlow.

The Dragons hit the post and the bar several times and, with rebounds pinging off the beleaguered Leeds netminder left, right and centre, it looked as if they might accrue a cricket score.

However, Leeds then managed to score two goals of their own – against the run of play – but Jake Witkowski allayed any possible Deeside jitters with his hat trick goal in the very last second of the period.

The Dragons dominance continued in the third period and goals from Matt Wainwright, Witkowski again and two more for Cromie rounded off a comprehensive victory, with Cromie being deservedly awarded the MVP award for his 5-goal haul.

The weekend results mean that the Dragons remain in second place in the Moralee Division table, now just one point behind leaders Blackburn Hawks, who were without a game.

They have played one game more than Blackburn, however, and Solihull Barons – lurking menacingly one point behind them in third place - also have a game in hand over the Dragons.

Interestingly enough, those two sides will meet for the first time this season this coming Sunday 19^th October when Solihull Barons are the visitors to Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.  

Deeside Dragons v Widnes Wild Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Jake Witkowski scored 7 goals for Deeside over the weekend (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 4^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons D1 4 – Widnes Wild 3 (OT)

Sunday 5^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 2 - Deeside Dragons D1 6

The Deeside Dragons D1 team had a winning weekend with back to back victories against local rivals Widnes Wild, winning 4-3 at home in overtime on Saturday and 2-6 in the away fixture on Sunday.

Because of the relative proximity between the two teams, and a regular interchange of players over the years, these games are always robustly competed and passionate affairs – and the two weekend fixtures were no exception.

In the home game on Saturday, Deeside had the upper hand for much of the game – outshooting the Wild by over 2 to 1 - but had trouble getting past the Widnes netminder, who was in fine form.

The deadlock was eventually broken with a goal from Jake Witkowski on 11 minutes and the Dragons took a narrow 1-0 lead into the first period break.

The second period was just as tense and, as time ticked by, both sides began to pick up niggly penalties. Widnes levelled the score on 35 minutes with a powerplay goal on a Deeside cross-checking call and then took the lead with just 37 seconds left to play.

Things swung the way of the Dragons early in the third period when Charles Phillips fired in an equalising goal on 43 minutes and then 5 minutes later Jake Witkowksi edged Deeside back into the lead with a penalty shot after a Widnes slashing call.

Just as it looked as if the Dragons had done enough to win the game, Widnes hit back and levelled the score again with 66 seconds left on the clock.  The score remained 3-3 at the end of regulation time and the game went into a 5 minute period of sudden death overtime to decide a winner.

Widnes had the chance to win the game two minutes into overtime when they were awarded a penalty shot, however Tyler de la Bertouche was equal to the challenge in the Dragons’ goal and was able to stop the shot.

Two minutes later with Deeside on a powerplay for a Widnes tripping call, Jake Witkowski fired in the all-important “golden goal” – his hat-trick for the night - to secure the 4-3 win for the Dragons.

The away game on Sunday was also played at a furious pace and there was little to choose between the two teams in the early stages.

The Dragons opened the scoring with a Jake Witkowski goal on 11 minutes but Widnes fired in an equaliser late in the period to leave the score tied at 1-1 at the first period break

Widnes edged into the lead with a goal in the first minute of the second period but parity was restored with Witkowski’s second goal of the game on 23 minutes.

Dragons captain Jared Dickinson fired Deeside back in front on 35 minutes to lead 2-3 at the second interval.

The Dragons pulled away in the third period with two more goals from Jake Witkowksi – who also missed a penalty shot in between - and Ross Kennedy rounded off the scoring with 3 minutes to play to secure an outstanding 2-6 win for Deeside.

The D1 Dragons remain in second place in the NIHL Moralee Division table but, following their 5-point haul at the weekend, there is now daylight between them and the chasing pack.

They are 4 points behind league leaders Blackburn Hawks, who have a 100% record with 6 wins from their 6 games to date and have 18 points. Deeside have a game in hand over the Hawks and are yet to play them this season.

The Dragons have 14 points from their 5 games to date having technically “dropped” a point with the OT win against Widnes – and Solihull Barons are in third place with 13 points, also from 5 games.

Defending champions Billingham Stars also have a 100% start to the season with 4 wins from 4 games and currently sit in 4^th place in the table with games in hand over all the teams above them.

The Dragons have back to back fixtures against Leeds Knights this coming weekend, with the away game in Yorkshire on Saturday and the home game on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Deeside Dragons D2 0 – Coventry Blaze 5 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Sunday 5^th October – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Dragons D2 0 – Coventry Blaze 5

The Deeside Dragons D2 suffered a 0-5 shut out at home to Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Deeside development team put in battling performance but were unable to find a way past the well- organised Coventry defence.

The Blaze took the lead on 13 minutes and the score remained 0-1 at the first period break. They doubled their advantage on 34 minutes and three more unanswered goals in the third period sealed the win.

The D2 Dragons are away to Bradford this Sunday 12^th October and then have an away game in Hull on 25^th October.  They are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Match Report: Deeside Dragons D1 10 – Nottingham Lions 1 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Ross Kennedy scored a hat-trick against Nottingham (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 28^th September 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons D1 10 – Nottingham Lions 1

The day after their Welsh Cup triumph over Cardiff Fire, the Deeside D1 Dragons were in league action against early season strugglers Nottingham Lions.

The first period looked as if it was going to play out goalless but Nottingham actually scored with just 1 second left on the clock to take a 0-1 lead into the first period break.

Despite having had much of the play in the first period, Deeside had to wait until 6 minutes into the second period for their equalising goal – which came from Ross Kennedy - and this sparked the most incredible goal fest.

Jared Dickinson edged the Dragons into the lead just 67 seconds later and then three quick-fire goals within 43 seconds of each other on 33 minutes - two from Ethan Mayoh and one from Matty Barlow - suddenly saw them leading 5-1.

Colin Cromie scored the Dragons’ 6^th goal 51 seconds after that and late strikes from Matt Wainwright and Kennedy again saw Deeside leading 8-1 at the second interval, having completely turned the game on its head.

While all this was going on, Lions netminder Evan Coles picked up a slashing major penalty that saw him sitting out the rest of the game.

Things calmed down somewhat goal-wise in the third period until Jake Witkowski scored the 9^th Deeside goal on 51 minutes. Ross Kennedy fired in his hat trick strike on 55 minutes to round off the scoring for the evening and the Dragons ran out 10-1 winners.

The win means that Deeside now have three wins from their first three league games and are second in the Moralee Division table, 3 points behind leaders Blackburn Hawks and with a game in hand.  They are level on points with three other teams – Solihull, Telford and Widnes – but occupy the higher position due to a superior goal difference.

The Dragons have a mouth-watering double header against fierce local rivals Widnes Wild this weekend, playing them at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday 4^th October – 5.15pm face off - and then away in Widnes the next day.  

Deeside Dragons Win Welsh Cup

Dragons Welsh Cup Celebrations (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 27^th September 2025 – Welsh Cup, 2^nd Leg: Deeside Dragons D1 4 – Cardiff Fire 2

The Deeside Dragons D1 team retained the Welsh Cup with a 4-2 victory over Cardiff Fire at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The Dragons had the upper hand from a 2-4 first leg win away in Cardiff the previous weekend but games still need to be won and they set about their task in a workmanlike manner.

After a fairly even opening phase, Deeside took the lead on 11minutes with a goal from Matty Barlow. Team captain Jared Dickinson edged the Dragons further in front in the 19^th minute to give them a 2-0 lead heading into the first break and - more importantly - a 6-2 lead overall on aggregate.

Colin Cromie put Deeside 3-0 ahead on 26 minutes but Cardiff finally found the back of the net themselves 90 seconds after that to remind everyone that they were still in with a shout.

A powerplay goal on 36 minutes from Jake Witkowski, punishing a Cardiff interference penalty restored the three-goal cushion and the Dragons led 4-1 on the night - and 8-3 overall – at the second interval.

There had been a number of niggly penalties for both sides during the game and the third period was livened up first by a fight that involved Bailey Thomas and then a skirmish that saw Rhys Edwards handed a 5 plus game penalty for a check from behind and a fighting penalty to boot.

Once the dust had settled on all of that, Cardiff scored their second goal of the game with 4 minutes left to play but it wasn’t enough to dent the Dragons cup ambitions and they held on to win 4-2 on the night and 8-4 on aggregate.

Match Report: Sutton Sting 12 – Deeside Dragons D2 5 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Liam Yarwood was the Dragons D2 MVP away at Sutton (Photo by Sutton Sting IHC)

Saturday 27^th September 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Sutton Sting 12 – Deeside Dragons D2 5

The Dragons D2 team had a difficult away game on Saturday, losing out 12-5 to Sutton Sting at ice Sheffield.

The Sting are one of the favourites for the Laidler Division title this season, so this trip was always likely to be a tough one, 

The Dragons trailed 4-1 at the end of the first period, with the sole Deeside strike coming from James Parsons. 

The inspirational player coach added two more goals in the second period for his hat-trick but Sutton scored 3 more themselves to lead 7-3 at the second interval.

The hosts hit 5 more goals in the final period but strikes from Liam Yarwood and Cameron Kushnirenko served to give the score a bit more respectability from a Deeside point of view.

The Dragons D2 team are back in action this Sunday 5^th October when they take on Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Mayhem Take Bronze At Sledge Play Offs

Karl Nicholson scored a hat-trick at the Play Offs (Photo by Xander Van Der Poll)

The Mayhem sledge team put in a couple of impressive performances at the British Para Ice Hockey League play offs in Lee Valley and saw their efforts rewarded with a bronze medal.

The top 4 teams in the league qualify for the play offs and the semi finals saw the Mayhem pitched up against league champions Sheffield Steelkings. Despite the Mayhem travelling to East London with a smaller squad than usual, this game was actually pretty close. 

It took the Steelkings until the 13th minute of the game to score the first goal to take a 1-0 lead into the first break - and their second had to wait until right at the end of the second period. A third goal just 32 seconds into the third period made sure of the win for Sheffield but the Mayhem players could take heart from their showing against a team that had gone the whole season unbeaten.

With Peterborough Phantoms beating Cardiff Huskies in the other semi final, this meant that the Mayhem faced the Welshmen in the third place play off on the Sunday, which turned out to be another close and entertaining game.

Cardiff took the lead on 9 minutes but the Mayhem struck back with a goal from Karl Nicholson on 12 minutes and then took the lead with a Nicholson powerplay strike 69 seconds after that. 

The Mayhem led 2-1 at first period break but were pegged back right at the start of the second period when a fluke long shot straight from the face off beat an unsighted Dan Hartshorn to trickle into the net for a Cardiff equaliser. Heads did not drop, however, and a hat-trick goal for Nicholson on 24 minutes edged the Mayhem back into the lead.

Despite numerous chances for both teams, that turned out to be the last goal of the game and the Mayhem were able to hold on to secure their third third place finish in recent years.

Sheffield Steelkings beat Peterborough Phantoms 5-1 in the final to take their third play-off title in a row and their fourth overall.

Talking about the play offs, Mayhem manager and head coach Peter Hagan said:

“It was a good effort by the squad, despite depleted numbers and was always going to be a tough ask against Sheffield with only two defence and five forwards – but we gave a good account despite the score line.” 

“The bronze medal game showed resilience the team has and the determination to get the win, so a good foundation to build on.”

Looking back over the season as a whole, Hagan said:

“It was a tough season with players being unavailable due to injuries and personal circumstances so we never had a settled squad. But we showed flashes of what we can be so, hopefully, we can show that consistently in 2026.”

“A huge shout out to our netminder Dan Hartshorn who played every game despite only a few months training in that position and really showed his potential - so we have lots of positives to build on going forward.”

You can see full games from the 2025 BPIHL Play Offs – with excellent commentary from Petter Bradders - on YouTube HERE

Sledge Hockey 2025: Round-Up #15

Sheffield Steelkings - Play Off Champions 2025 (Photo by Sheffield Steelkings)

Sheffield Steelkings won their third Play Off title in a row at the recent play off weekend in Lee Valley to go with their BPIHL title for an impressive 2025 double.

The event was staged at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in East London over the weekend of 13^th and 14^th September as the governing body is keen to introduce para ice hockey to new locations to help raise the profile of the sport.

Based on the final league table placings, the play off semi final pairings were Steelkings (1^st) against Manchester Mayhem (4^th) and Peterborough Phantoms (2^nd) against Cardiff Huskies (3^rd).

The first semi final on the Saturday saw Steelkings beat the Mayhem 3-0 but they didn’t have it all their own way as the short-benched Mayhem put in a battling performance.

A goal in each period – from Jake Oakley, Daniel Clarke and Rachel Oakley, in that order – sealed the win for the Steelkings and a place in the final.

The second semi-final saw Peterborough Phantoms beat Cardiff Huskies 7-3.

Gary Farmer scored 5 times for the Phantoms with the other goals coming from Callum Shakespeare and DJ Hall. Tyler Christopher bagged a brace for the Huskies with the other strike coming from Jon le Galloudec.

The third place game on the Sunday saw a bit of an upset as Manchester Mayhem beat Cardiff Huskies – who they had lost to both home and away in the league - 3-2. Karl Nicholson scored a hat-trick for the Mayhem while Tyler Christopher and Jon Le Galloudec responded for the Huskies.

The final went pretty much as most people expected with the Steelkings – who had gone all season without losing a game, and only conceding 8 goals in 9 games – beating the Phantoms 5-1.

The Sheffield goals went to Jake Oakley (4) and Matt Clarkson (1), while the league’s top sniper Gary Farmer fired in the consolation for Peterborough.

And thus endeth the British Para Ice Hockey League season for 2025.

Note: This is a bit late and I have to say that the reason for that is that no detailed match information has been made available by the governing body for any of the 4 games over the play off weekend - neither via the Gameday online system nor with copies of paper gamesheets, despite numerous requests.

Not being able to attend the play offs in person, I have had to rely on other people’s reports and the excellent match videos that have been uploaded on YouTube in order to compile this summary of events.

You can see full games from the 2025 BPIHL Play Offs – with excellent commentary from Petter Bradders - on YouTube HERE

Match Report: Cardiff Fire 2 - Deeside Dragons D1 4 - Welsh Cup, 1st Leg

MJ Clancy scored the first Dragons
goal away at Cardiff (Photo by Peter Sheffield)

Saturday 20^th September 2025 – Welsh Cup: Cardiff Fire 2 - Deeside Dragons D1 4

The Deeside Dragons D1 team took a big step towards retaining the Welsh Cup with a 2-4 away win over Cardiff Fire down in the Welsh capital on Saturday.

Having been resurrected last year after a 20-plus year hiatus, the Cup is contested over two legs between Deeside and Cardiff, who play in NIHL Division 1 South. This makes it one of the very few occasions that teams from the North and South divisions ever play a competitive fixture.

Deeside won the cup last year by drawing the home leg 5-5 in Deeside and then winning away 9-11 in the return fixture.

Saturday’s game was exactly what you would expect from an important cup tie - with fast end to end action and quite a few penalties.

After a fairly quiet opening, a big scuffle broke out in the 11^th minute that saw six players - three from each side – banished to the penalty box and, in the aftermath of this, MJ Clancy fired the Dragons into the lead.

A second goal followed from Colin Cromie in the very last second of the period and the Dragons went into the first break with a 2–goal cushion.

Cardiff pulled a goal back two minutes into the second period but were unable to build any further on this. 

Deeside had been having more of the play, outshooting the Fire by almost 3 to 1 in the first two periods, and were unlucky not to add to their goal tally by the second interval.

The Dragons’ pressure finally paid off with a goal on 43 minutes from Matty Barlow but Cardiff visibly upped their game and looked more dangerous in the third period.

There was an unfortunate incident on 46 minutes that saw Deeside’s popular enforcer Will Harper ejected from the game for abusive language and, during the ensuing powerplay, Cardiff pulled a goal back to set up a tense last 10 minutes, with the score standing at 2-3.

Despite chances for both sides, the score remained at 2-3 heading into the final minute of the game and then, with just 56 seconds left on the clock, Rhys Edwards scored what could turn out to be a crucial goal for the Dragons.

The resulting 2-4 scoreline means that Deeside carry a 2-goal advantage into the home leg on Saturday, when the destination of this year’s Welsh Cup will be decided.

The second leg of the Welsh Cup takes place at Deeside Leisure Centre this Saturday 27th September, 5.15pm face off.

The Dragons D1 team are at home again on Sunday when they take on Nottingham Lions in a Moralee Division league game, also facing off at 5.15pm.

Match Report: Caledonia Steel Queens 16 - Widnes Wild Women 1 (WNIHL Div 1 North)

Isabel Bateson was the Wild
Women’s MVP at Caledonia
(Photo by David Mair)

Saturday 20^th September 2025 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Caledonia Steel Queens 16 - Widnes Wild Women 1

The Widnes Wild Women played their first away game of the new WNIHL season away to Caledonia Steel Queens in Edinburgh on Saturday and had to travel back home south of the border on the wrong end of a 16-1 defeat.

The game saw Widnes debuts for three more summer signings:

Netminder Isabel Bateson, who has come from a background in university hockey,

Esme McCann who is also a player with the new Manchester Storm women’s team that are playing in Division 2 North this season. She is benefitting from an England Ice Hockey development initiative that allows young players to “play up” for another team in a higher division to give them extra ice time and experience,

and Dee Vause, who is also on a 2-way arrangement - with Whitley Bay Beacons having previously played junior hockey with Blackburn, Manchester and Bradford.

The game on Saturday was another tough one for Widnes and they were on the back foot pretty much from the start. Caledonia opened the scoring in the 3^rd minute and were leading 7-0 by the end of the first period.

Widnes finally found the back of the net in the 28^th minute when Karyn Cooper fired in a blueline shot for a powerplay goal to punish a tripping call to make the score 7-1 but the Wild Women were unable to build on that.

The Steel Queens led 11-1 at the second interval and scored 5 unanswered goals in the third period to secure a comprehensive 16-1 victory.

Bateson – making her WNIHL debut in the Widnes goal - had a busy time of it and faced 67 shots, turning away an impressive 51 of them and, without her sterling efforts, the score would probably have been higher.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 26^th October when they welcome the Steel Queens in the return fixture to Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

You can see the whole match on the Steel Queen’s YouTube channel HERE

And Karyn’s goal can be seen at 50.06 on the video. 

Match Report: Deeside Dragons D2 1 - Billingham Buccaneers 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Charlie Spridgeon was the Dragons D2 MVP against Billingham (Photo by Paul Breeze) 

Saturday 20^th September 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Dragons D2 1 – Billingham Buccaneers 4

The Deeside Dragons D2 team put in a spirited performance in their first home Laidler Division game of the new season but ultimately lost out 1-4 to Billingham Buccaneers at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

This was a very entertaining game to watch with end to end hockey little to choose between the two teams. They were well matched in terms of puck possession and shots on goal for the majority of the game and the only difference was that Billingham were able to make more of their chances when they came.

It took until the 18^th minute for the first goal of the game – and that fell to the Buccaneers who took the 0-1 lead into the first period break.

90 seconds into the second period, Billingham struck again to double their lead but Deeside pressure was eventually rewarded with a Ben Roscoe goal in the 35th minute.

The Dragons were unable to build on this, unfortunately, and a powerplay goal for the visitors on 39 minutes saw them leading 1-3 at the second interval.

Deeside continued to push forward in the third period but couldn’t make much headway and a 4^th goal for Billingham on 49 minutes rounded off the scoring for the game.

The Dragons D2 team are away to Sutton Sting this Saturday 27th September and are next at home on Sunday 5^th October when they take on Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Widnes Wild Women Season Opener in WNIHL Division 1 North

Widnes Wild Women MVP against Sheffield Catherine Fell (Photo by Paul Breeze) 

Sunday 14^th September 2025 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 2 – Sheffield Shadows 16

The Widnes Wild Women had a baptism of fire in their first league game of the new WNIHL season, losing 2-16 at home to Sheffield Shadows at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

This was their first game back at this level for three seasons, having won promotion to Division 1 North after winning Division 2 North title last season and, with quite a bit of player upheaval over the course of the summer, it was always going to be a bit of a steep learning curve.

Sunday’s game saw Widnes debuts for three summer signings:

Maggie Whitmore, a former Widnes Academy Under 16 junior who played the last 2 seasons with the Telford Wrekin Raiders and is also playing up for the Solihull Vixens Elite League team this season

Nicola Wallace, who has also played for the Telford Wrekin Raiders for the past 3 seasons.

And Ilyssa Flemmington, who played with the Manchester Storm Under 16 girls team last season and this year is on a 2-way between the new Blackburn Hawks women’s team and Widnes.

The game actually started quite well for Widnes and they matched their more experienced opponents in the early stages.

It took until the 8^th minute for the first breakthrough and that fell to Sheffield. By the end of the first period, the score was 0-4 to the visitors and they were 0-6 up by the time that Leen de Decker fired in the first Widnes goal of the new season on 28 minutes.

4 more goals followed for Sheffield – including 3 within 90 seconds of each other - but Lise Gillen gave the home fans something to cheer about with a breakaway powerplay goal on 37 minutes which left the score at 2-10 at the second interval.

Despite the scoreline, this wasn’t one-way traffic and Widnes had their chances throughout the game but were unable to make much headway against the well-organised Sheffield defence and netminder and 6 more unanswered goals in the third period handed the Shadows an emphatic victory.

Much of the damage was caused by Sheffield’s Alisha Potts who is a GB Under 18 international player on a 2-way deal with Elite League reigning champions Solihull Vixens.  She scored 8 of the goals and had a hand in 3 more.

With several other Shadows players also on 2-ways with Elite League clubs, it is not at all surprising that the Wild Women found this encounter something of a challenge.

Widnes netminder Stephanie Drinkwater put in an heroic performance in the Wild goal. She faced an eye-watering 78 shots, saving an impressive 62 of them, and did much to keep the score down.

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards are once again this season being sponsored by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and were presented by Lynda Bird.  They went to Alisha Potts for Sheffield and Catherine Fell for Widnes.

The Wild Women are back in action this Saturday when they travel north of the border to take on the Caledonia Steel Queens in Edinburgh, 12.15 (noon...) face off.  They are next at home on Sunday 26^th October when they entertain the Steel Queens at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Deeside Dragons D2 Win Away At Nottingham

James Parsons bagged a brace
for the Dragons at Nottingham
(photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Sunday 14^th September 2025 – Laidler Division: Nottingham Lions2 2 - Deeside Dragons D2 6

The Dragons D2 team picked up their first Laidler Division win of the season with a 2-6 victory away over Nottingham Lions on Sunday.

James Shaw gave Deeside the lead in the 5^th minute to set them on their way and further goals from James Parsons (2), Charlie Spridgeon, Cody Ogden and a second for Shaw secured the win.

Leo Hyman – making his NIHL debut in the Deeside goal - put in a superb performance and was rewarded with the MVP award for the Dragons.

The Dragons D2 team play their first home league match of the season this Saturday 20^th September when they take on Billingham Buccaneers at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

You can watch the whole game on the Nottingham Lions YouTube channel HERE

Deeside Dragons D1 v Sheffield Scims Weekend Report

Tyler de la Bertouche got two shut outs at the weekend (Photo by @sheffieldscimitars)

Saturday 13^th September 2025 – Moralee Division: Sheffield Scimitars 0 - Deeside Dragons 10

Sunday 14^th September 2025 – Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons 9 – Sheffield Scimitars 0

The Deeside Dragons D1 team got their Moralee Division league campaign off to a great start with emphatic back to back victories over Sheffield Scimitars, winning 0-10 away on Saturday and 9-0 at home on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre.

In the away game on Saturday, after a tense opening phase, Dan Fadejevs opened the scoring for the Dragons in the 7th minute and they never really looked back after that.

Three minutes later, Matty Barlow made it 0-2 to the Dragons and a goal from Rhys Edwards two minutes after that saw Deeside leading 0-3 at the first break.

Sheffield got themselves into penalty trouble in the second period and three powerplay goals - from Jake Witkowski, and Edwards and Barlow again - saw the Dragons leading 0-6 by the midway point of the game.

A shorthanded goal from Witkowski with just 9 seconds left on the clock handed Deeside a 0-7 lead with one period left to play.

The third period went pretty much the way of the previous two with Deeside well on top in terms of puck possession and shots on goal.

Strikes from Fadejevs on 45 minutes and Ross Kennedy on 49 saw the Dragons edge further ahead and Jake Witkowksi scored his hat-trick goal with 64 seconds left in the game to round off an impressive victory.

Tyler de la Bertouche didn’t have a huge amount to do in the Dragons goal but was impressive when called upon and saw his efforts rewarded with a 20-shot shut out.

The home game on Sunday went very much the way of the away game on Saturday.

Rhys Edwards opened the scoring for Deeside on 6 minutes and strikes from Ross Kennedy and MJ Clancy saw them leading 3-0 at the first period break.

The one-way traffic continued in the second period with two goals from Jake Witkowski, another for Edwards and one for Ethan Mayoh.  Matty Barlow scored on 50 minutes to bring the score to 8-0 and Edwards rounded off his hat-trick – and the scoring for the game - 28 seconds later.

Tyler de la Bertouche kept out all 22 shots that he faced to pick up his second shut-out of the weekend.

The weekend results see Deeside top the Moralee Division table at this early stage of the season leading on goal difference ahead of Blackburn Hawks and Solihull Barons, who also have two wins from their first two games.

The Dragons are on the Cup trail this weekend as they set out to retain the Welsh Cup that they won last season.

The Cup is contested over two legs with Cardiff Fire who play in NIHL Division 1 South, which makes it one of the very few occasions that teams from the North and South divisions ever play a competitive fixture.

Deeside won the cup last year by drawing the home leg 5-5 in Deeside and then winning away 9-11 in the Welsh capital.

The away leg is in Cardiff this Saturday 20^th September and the home leg is the following Saturday 27^th September at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5,15pm face off.

You can see lots more Dragons news on the official Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons website HERE

Wild Women Celebrate 10th Anniversary

Widnes Wild Women – September 2015 (Photo by Wild Women IHC)
Back Row: Sophie Sinclair Reeks, Penny Fletcher, Madeleine Gustavsson, Jakki Duncan, Abigail Hayes, Jodie Boyle, Vanessa Crickmore-Clarke, Sammi Boyle. Front Row: Elizabeth Wright, Leen de Decker, Katie Hills, Stephanie Drinkwater, Leanne Curry, Sarah Hutchinson, Charlene Chapman.

The Widnes Wild Women play their first game of the new season this Sunday 14th September at home to Sheffield Shadows, exactly 10 years - almost to the day - from their first ever league game.

The Wild Women were formed in the summer of 2015 when the erstwhile Manchester Phoenix women’s team moved along the M56 from Altrincham following a re-assignment of ice time arrangements there.

Their first ever league game was away to Slough Phantoms in the Women’s Premier League – at the time the second tier in the women’s ice hockey league pyramid – on 12th September 2015 and they came away with a 3-4 win.

The Wild Women’s first ever competitive goal was scored by Leen de Decker on 39 minutes and third period strikes from team captain Charlene Chapman, Rachel Cartwright – who has since gone on to be a 6-time Elite League champion and regular GB international player - and de Decker again handed them the win.

Widnes went on to have a very good season, finishing second in the WPL league table with 8 wins and 3 draws from their 14 games.  They came a fairly distant 7 points behind champions Swindon Top Cats, who went through the season unbeaten, but the Wild Women were one of only two teams to take a point off the “Calendar Girls” that season with a 3-3 home draw on Merseyside.

The Wild Women’s team for that first league game was Stephanie Drinkwater (NM), Charlene Chapman (C), Rachel Cartwright (A), Leen De Decker, Abigail Culshaw, Emma Middleton, Lucy Kirkham, Emma Pearson (A), Megan Bowen Fell, Katie Hills, Catherine Bowen Fell, Katharine Holliday, Elizabeth Wright, Jakki Duncan & Rebecca Wilde - and Drinkwater, de Decker and Catherine Fell are still with the team 10 years later. 

Drinkwater holds the Wild Women’s appearance record with 104 games over 9 seasons (the 2020/21 season was cancelled due to Covid…), de Decker is the top goals and points scorer with 104 goals and 150 points from 91 games while Fell is sandwiched between them in the all-time player standings with 22+33 in 92 games.

The Wild Women won the Division 2 North title last season and will be playing in WNIHL Division 1 North this season. This is the same level of competition as the Women’s Premier League was before it was renamed after a reshuffle and regionalised into North and South divisions.

The Wild Women face off the new season against Sheffield Shadows this Sunday 14th September at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off – admission is free for all spectators.