The season kicks off on Saturday 6th September
with our first home game against reigning league champions, the Solihull
Barons, and the only team the Wild didn’t beat at least once last season. This
is followed on the Sunday with another home game against the Blackburn Eagles.
The following weekend see’s the Wild take
their first road trip of the season away at Deeside for a huge game against our
local rivals before returning home the following Sunday to play against the
Coventry Blaze.
It’s not until the 26th October that the ‘Wild
face one of the two new teams in the league, the Bradford Bulldogs in a fixture
that’ll be staged in Bradford at a very different rink to our home rink. Fans
unable to travel will have to wait until the first home game of the New Year,
10th January, to get a glimpse for the Bulldogs.
The other new team to the league for the
2014/15 season, the Telford Tigers will get to visit Widnes two weekends in a
row, meeting for the Wild for the first time on the 23rd November and then
again on the 30th November with both games taking place in Widnes.
At the game on the 30th the ‘Wild will be
asking fans to “toss a teddy” in aid of local children’s charities. When the
first goal of the game is scored fans will be asked to throw a teddy bear onto
the ice which the ‘Wild players can then give to disadvantaged children from
the local area.
On the 20th December fans and players will
invite Sheffield Senators and hockey fans from throughout the area to celebrate
Christmas together in a night of hockey and Christmas joy.
To end the season the ‘Wild will play four
home games in a row in March against Blackburn, Bradford, Coventry and Deeside
before going on two road trips against Hull and then Bradford.
The full fixture list can be found
www.widnesicehockey.co.uk
Mick Caunce, the ‘Wilds
GM said; “last year was really good. Although we started the season
inconsistently we gelled really well after Christmas and were one of the form
teams leading up to the playoffs. This season will be even better as we have
built on solid foundations and put together a strong team with a great ethic.”
Wild Head Coach, Mark
Gillingham, added; “Our target is to challenge for promotion to the Moralee
conference and we have put together a team that is more than capable of
achieving the target. We have the most vocal fans in the league and a rink that
provides an amazing atmosphere. The people of Widnes, Runcorn, Merseyside and
Cheshire have embraced ice hockey, and especially the ‘Wild, and I’m sure the
players will reward them by giving them an exciting season”.
by Dick Gillingham
