Summer Classic Cup: Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 5 - Shropshire Huskies (Telford) 9

Sunday 23rd June 2019: Howies UK Ice Hockey Summer Classic Cup
Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 5 – Shropshire Huskies (Telford) 9
Period Scores: 2-2, 0-3, 3-4
Penalties in Minutes: Raiders 8 – Huskies 10
Match Officials: Chris Wells – Referee, William Fielden and Ray Ormes Linesmen
MVPs: Raiders – Ben Donkin / Huskies – Jamie Moorhouse
Scorer: Lucy Breeze
Timekeeper: Howard Smith
Match Report & Photos by Paul Breeze

The Riverside Raiders lost out 5-9 to the Shropshire Huskies in their latest Summer Classic Cup game at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.
The Raiders took an early 2-goal lead with strikes from Mike Filek and Luke Williams but the visitors pulled the score back to 2-2 by the first break.
The Huskies edged ahead in the second period and three unanswered goals gave them a 2-5 lead with one period left to play.
The Raiders staged a brief comeback with goals from Jack Walker and James Kelly early in the third period to pull the score back to 4-5 with 14 minutes left to play but two quick-fire goals within 30 seconds of each other put the Huskies firmly back in control.
Two more Shropshire goals put the game beyond the reach of the Raiders but the home side kept battling to the final buzzer and they did have the last word with a second goal for Jack Walker with just 6 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Raiders have two more home games coming up in the Summer Classic Cup at Planet Ice Widnes – on Sunday 7^th July against the Wyre Seagulls and Sunday 14^th July against the Blackburn Buccaneers. Face off for both games is 4.30pm and admission is free.
The Earle Road Elks team have a charity game this Sunday 30^th June at Planet Ice Widnes. The opponents are the Manchester Swarm team and the match is being played in aid of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association UK. The game faces off at 4.30pm and admission is free, although donations are welcome.

Full team lineups and player stats:

Riverside Raiders: Alex Hannah, Michael Filek (1+0, 2PIM), Rob Melvin (NM 60 min), James Kelly (1+1), Matthew Lennox (2PIM), Howard Hughes, Luke Williams (1+1), Ben Donkin (0+1, 2PIM), Jeff Chapman-Watson (0+1), Jack Walker (2+1), Eemeli Vuorihovi (0+1), Bobak Samari, Stephen Harvey, David Priestley (0+1, 2PIM), Michael Parkin (0+1), Mike Teinert

Shropshire Huskies: Jodie Alderson (NM 60 min), George Garbett (2PIM), Dan Gadsden, Antony Stevens (2+1, 2PIM), Scott Williams (0+1, 2PIM), Benjamin Chamley (1+0, 2PIM), Alexander Phillips (1+2), Guntis Sjomkans (1+0), Craig Bannister (1+1), Carl Hindley (3+0), Laurence Le Vay (2PIM), Jamie Moorhouse

Summer Classic Cup: Blackburn Buccaneers 4 - Riverside Raiders 3 (After Penalty Shoot Out)

Saturday 15^th June 2019: Howies UK Ice Hockey Summer Classic Cup

Blackburn Buccaneers 4 - Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 3 (After Penalty Shoot Out)
Period Scores: 3-0, 0-1, 0-2, PS: 1-0
Penalties in Minutes: Buccaneers 16 – Raiders 18
Match Officials: Josh Humphreys and Neil Herring
MVPS: Buccaneers – Glen Rattray / Raiders – Rob Melvin
Scorer: Paul Breeze
Timekeeper: Mark Robertson
Match Report & Photos by Paul Breeze


The Blackburn Buccaneers and Widnes-based Riverside Raiders played out a highly entertaining and thrilling 3-3 draw in the Summer Classic Cup on Saturday in a game that had to be decided by a penalty shoot out.

Because of refurbishment works being done at the Blackburn rink, the game was actually played at the Deeside rink in Queensferry, which gave for an unusual atmosphere.

The Buccaneers scored after just 11 seconds of the game when Rob McNair broke forward from the face off to slot the puck into the Raiders’ net.

Team captain Michael Walsh made it 2-0 to Blackburn after 8 minutes and a strike from Callum Greenhalgh on 15 minutes gave Blackburn a commanding 3-0 lead at the first period break.

The second period played out goal-less until Jack Walker finally scored for the Raiders with just 76 seconds left. The third period saw the Raiders draw level with two strikes from Mike Filek in the 48^th and 54^th minutes and both sides had their chances in the last five minutes but neither could win the game outright.

In order to decide an overall winner, a nail-biting penalty shootout ensued that saw Buccaneers’ Michael Walsh fire in the first shot to edge Blackburn into the lead. The rest of the penalty shots were either saved or missed so that ended up being the deciding strike.

The Riverside Raiders are at home this coming Sunday 23rd June when they take on the Shropshire Huskies in the Summer Classic Cup at Planet Ice Widnes. The face off time is 4.30pm and admission is free.
　
Full Line Ups and Player Stats:
Blackburn Buccaneers: Alex Dunstan, Simon Pickering (0+1 14PIM), Jonathan Nuttall , Karl Milton, Robert McNair (1+1), Hudson Nuttall, Glen Rattray (NM 60 mins), Daniel Watson, Ciaran Chapman, Callum Greenhalgh (1+0), Patrick Thomson (2PIM), Paul Tierney, James Longworth, Adam Duxbury, Michael Walsh (1+0), Raivis Apfelbaums, Sam Calderbank

Riverside Raiders: Michael Filek (2+0), Rob Melvin (NM 60 mins), James Kelly (0+1), Howard Hughes, Ben Donkin (0+1, 4PIM), Jeff Chapman-Watson, Jack Walker (1+1), Eemeli Vuorihovi, Daniel Trust, Stephen Harvey (0+1), Jordan Birtwistle, David Priestley, Daniel Watts, Mike Teinert (12PIM)

Penalty Shoot Out:
Buccaneers – Walsh 1, Apfelbaums 0, McNair 0
Raiders – Priestley 0, Filek 0, Walker 0

Summer Classic Cup: Riverside Raiders 4 - Flintshire Phantoms 7

Sunday 9^th June 2019: Howies UK Ice Hockey Summer Classic Cup
Riverside Raiders (Widnes) 4 - Flintshire Phantoms (Deeside) 7
Period Scores: 1-2, 1-3, 2-2
Penalties in Minutes: Raiders 16 – Phantoms 20
Match Officials: Chris Wells & Simon Anders

MVPs:  Raiders - James Kelly / Phantoms - Anthony Hughes

Match Report by Paul Breeze
Photos by Andrew Shutt & Paul Breeze

The Widnes-based Riverside Raiders lost out 4-7 in a highly entertaining local derby clash with the Deeside-based Flintshire Phantoms in the Summer Classic Cup at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

Because of the comparatively short distance (in ice hockey terms, at least ) and regular interchange of players between the two rinks, games between teams from Widnes and Deeside are always keenly contested affairs and this one was no exception.

The Raiders actually scored first with a Mike Parkin strike after just two minutes of the game and they held the lead until a short handed Phantoms equaliser from Ken Valyear some 6 minutes later.

The game was very even at this stage and looked as if the teams were going to end the first period on level terms but another shorthanded goal for the Phantoms – scored by Ondrej Liebelt in the 19^th minute – gave the visitors the lead heading into the first break.

The Phantoms scored again just 2 minutes after the restart through Valyear again to open up a two goal lead but the Raiders pulled a goal back with a Jack Walker strike and the game remained on a knife-edge at the half way point.

With the Raiders pushing forward in an attempt to equalise, they left space open at the back and the Phantoms scored two quick fire goals that edged them further ahead. Strikes from Chris Clarke on 31 minutes and former Raiders player Anthony Hughes on 35 minutes gave the visitors a 2-5 lead at the end of the second period and left the home side with a lot to do in the final 20 minutes.

Hopes of a Raiders recovery were lifted with a goal from Matthew Lennox just 60 seconds into the third period but the Phantoms hit back again with goals from Hughes and Liebelt to lead 3-7 with 15 minutes left to play.

The period played on goal-less until James Kelly pulled a goal back for the Raiders with just 5 minutes left on the clock - but that was the last strike of the game and the match finished 4-7 to the Flintshire Phantoms



The result keeps the Phantoms on top of the Western Conference table with a 100% record of 6 wins from their 6 games, with the Raiders in third place with 1 win from 4.

The Raiders have an away game this Saturday 15th June against the Blackburn Buccaneers - also in the Summer Classic Cup. However, because of refurbishment works being done at the Blackburn rink, the game is being played at the Deeside rink in Queensferry, north Wales, which is, in fact, a lot closer and easier for the Raiders team and supporters to get to. The game faces off at 5pm this Saturday and admission is free.

The Raiders are next at home the following Sunday 23rd June when they take on the Shropshire Huskies in the cup at Planet Ice Widnes. The face off time for that game is 4.30pm and admission is also free.

Full Line Ups and Player Stats:

Riverside Raiders: Alex Hannah, Michael Filek, Rob Melvin (NM 60 mins), James Kelly (1+0), Matthew Lennox (1+0), Howard Hughes, Luke Williams, Ben Donkin, Jeff Chapman-Watson, Jack Walker (1+0), Eemeli Vuorihovi (0+2 2PIM), Daniel Trust, Stephen Harvey, Nicholas Jackson, Jordan Birtwistle, David Priestley (12 PIM), Michael Parkin (1+0 2PIM)

Flintshire Phantoms: Jakob Forster (NM), Chris Gorden (2PIM), Steven Furber, Gareth Jones (2PIM), Brett Hobson, Brian Chalmers, Chris Dallavalle (0+3 10PIM), George Perrett (4PIM), Jason McGee, Andrew Cooke (2PIM), Robin Spencer, Chris Clarke (1+0), Michael Rogers (NM - 60 mins), Oliver Meadows (0+1), Anthony Hughes (2+0), Stirling Steeves, Kenneth Valyear (2+0), Ondrej Liebelt (2+0)

Women's Trophy Weekend At Widnes - Weekend Report

Bracknell Queen Bees celebrate the Women's Elite League play off win at Widnes

The Planet Ice rink in Widnes played host to the prestigious Women’s Trophy finals weekend, featuring 10 games over Saturday and Sunday.

Widnes has become a popular venue in recent years for these national events, having also staged the NIHL Laidler Division play offs for the past two seasons and the British Para Ice Hockey League play offs in September 2018. Its easy to reach location and convenient interior layout make it suitable for all levels of ice hockey and the cosy spectator capacity ensures a great atmosphere which might otherwise be lost with a similar number of people in some of the larger hockey arenas

The games on the Saturday saw the semi finals of the Women’s Elite League play offs, Women’s Premier League play offs and the National League Division 1 North & South, with teams coming from as far afield as Chelmsford, Cardiff and Swindon in the south to Whitley Bay and Dumfries in the North.

In the Women’s Elite League play off, Bracknell Queen Bees – who have won the WEL title for 8 years in a row – easily saw off Guildford Lightning 10-1 in the first semi final, while the Solihull Vixens beat Kingston Diamonds from Hull 4-1in the second. In the final on Sunday – played for the Bill Britton Trophy – the Queen Bees were victorious beating the Vixens 4-1, scoring three straight goals in the third period after the score was tied 1-1 after 40 minutes.

The Women’s Premier League play off final was a lot closer with the score between league champions Nottingham Vipers and Chelmsford Cobras locked at 1-1 after the regulation 60 minutes of play. The game was settled by a golden goal after just 31 seconds of overtime with Chelmsford winning their first WPL play off title.

While not taking part in the play offs themselves, the Widnes Wild women’s team will have been particularly interested in the outcome of the Division 1 play off games as they would have direct influence on who they might be playing against season.

The Women’s Division 1 play off is unique in the current set up of British ice hockey as it is the only game that brings with it the prize of promotion to the next division up and the two top finishers in Division 1 South – Cardiff Comets and Swindon Topcats – took on the two top teams from Division 1 North – Telford Wrekin Raiders and Solway Sharks Ladies – in the two semi finals.

As it turned out, the two teams from South 1 both won their respective semi finals and Cardiff went on to beat Swindon 4-2 in the D1 national final to secure promotion to the Women’s Premier League for next season.

In the Under 16 national final, Haringey beat Kingston 3-2 in a penalty shoot-out after the game finished overtime level at 2-2.