Monday 31 July 2017

Puckstop Summer Classic: Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 7 - Wyre Seagills (Blackburn) 3

Sam Plant (#87) was Raiders' MVP against Wyre Seagulls
photo by David Law Photography
Sunday 30th July 2017 – Puckstop Summer Classic Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 7 – Wyre Seagulls (Blackburn) 3
Period Scores: 5-0, 2-1, 0-2
Penalties in Minutes:  Raiders 69 – Seagulls 12

Raiders Scoring: Gez Evans 2+0, Jack Walker 1+1, Sam Plant 1+1, Adam Jenkins, Jordan Birtwistle, Mike Teinert all 1+0, Peter O’Mahoney & David Priestley 0+1

Seagulls Scoring: Matthew Duncan 2+0, Tom Murphy 1+0, Liam Hogan 0+1

MVPs:  Raiders – Sam Plant / Seagulls – team award in memory of #7 Rob Craig

Match Officials:  Chris Wells & Josh Humphreys


The Widnes-based Riverside Raiders won through to the Play Off final of the
Puckstop Summer Classic with a 7-3 semi-final win over Blackburn-based Wyre Seagulls at Silver Blades Widnes on Sunday.

The home side took the lead as early as the 2nd minute with a well taken goal by top scorer Gez Evans and then doubled the advantage 4 minutes later with a strike from Sam Plant.    

Two amazing short-handed goals followed within 30 seconds of each – slotted away by Jack Walker and Evans, again, while Dave Priestley was sitting out a 2 minute holding penalty, and the Raiders were 4-0 up with just 10 minutes played.

A goal by Mike Teinert after 15 minutes rounded off the scoring for the first period and the Raiders looked to be in a commanding position at 5-0 ahead.

The Wyre Seagulls found their feet in the second period and managed to stem the flow of goals.  With several former ENL players in their ranks, they closed down the Raiders’ attacks and began to look much more dangerous going forward themselves.  Despite the shift in momentum, it was the home side who scored next with yet another shorthanded goal – this time by Adam Jenkins who fired home just before the half way point of the game.

After going close on many occasion, the visitors finally managed to find the net in the 35th minute when Matthew Duncan opened their account with a fine unassisted goal, although the fightback didn’t last long as Raiders’ Jordan Birtwistle restored the 6-goal advantage less than a minute later.

There was no more scoring in the reminder of the period and the score after 40 minutes’ play stood at 7-1 to the Raiders.

The Raiders thought they had scored again within minutes of the start of the third period but the goal was waved off for a man in the crease. 

The third period as a whole was very robustly contested by both teams and saw numerous penalties handed out – mainly to Raiders players as they tried to keep the resurgent Seagulls at bay.   

A match penalty and a 5+game were awarded during a frantic few minutes which saw as many Raiders players in the penalty box as on the ice at one point and it was, therefore, no great surprise when the Seagulls scored a powerplay goal – Matt Duncan’s second of the game – in the 57th minute.      

With just a minute left in the game, Wyre’s Tom Murphy scored the Seagull’s third goal, taking advantage of a delayed penalty call on the Raiders, to round off the scoring for the night.

The result sees the Raiders go through to the Puckstop Summer Classic Play Off Final which will take place at iceSheffield on Sunday 20th August – full details to be confirmed. 

*****
The Widnes Wildcats picked up their second win of the Summer Cup competition with a 6-2 victory over Grimsby Lightning. The result sees them move off the bottom of the group table, leapfrogging Solihull Vikings, and keeps them in contention for a play-off place as they have games in hand over all the other teams.

*****
Next weekend sees a veritable feast of ice hockey at Silver Blades Widnes starting off on Saturday night – at the rather late face-off time of 10.15pm when the Halton Huskies take on Newcastle Predators in a challenge game.

Then on Sunday, the Wildcats are at home in the Summer Cup, face off 4.30pm and after that, sledge hockey - or Para Ice Hockey as it is now known – comes to Widnes as the Manchester Mayhem team take on the Peterborough Phantoms in a battle for league positions and a place in the play offs. 

That game faces off at 6.30pm and admission to all games over the weekend is free.


Photo by David Law Photography - see more great photos  HERE