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| Riverside Raiders 2023 team photo by Mike Teinert |
Saturday 29th April – Summer Classic Cup: Riverside Raiders 18 – Hull Knights 3
The Widnes based Riverside Raiders got their 2023 Summer Cup campaign off to a flying start with a comprehensive 18-3 victory over Hull Knights at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
The game was very close early on as both teams tested out the other’s strengths and weaknesses, and the first breakthrough did not come until the 12th minute when Kai Gennoe opened the scoring for the Raiders. Three more goals followed in the first period for the Widnes side – from Ben Donkin, Adam Jenkins and Rory Sillery – and the Raiders led 4-0 at the first break.
The Raiders kept up the pressure in the second period and a goal from David Geroc just 2 minutes from the restart edged them further ahead. Second strikes from Jenkins and Geroc and a goal from Louis Grogan saw the Raiders leading 8-0 before Hull finally got on the scoresheet with a goal on 35 minutes. A second goal of the game from Gennoe rounded off the scoring for the period and the Raiders led 9-1 at the second break.
By this time, the game was already over as a contest and the Raiders really went to town in the third period. Eemeli Vuorihovi fired them into double figures with just 19 seconds gone on the clock and Andrew Birch made the score 11-1 23 seconds later.
Adam Jenkins scored his hat-trick goal on 42 minutes before Hull scored their second goal of the game to bring the score to 12-2. David Geroc rounded off his hat-trick on 46 minutes to restore the 11 goal advantage but Hull stubbornly hit back again with their 3rd goal 70 seconds later.
But that was as good as things were to get for the visiting Knights as five unanswered goals for the Raiders – from Sillery, Birch, Jenkins, Geroc and Gennoe – in the latter stages rounded off a resounding performance.
The win sees the Raiders move to the top of the 4-team qualifying group, level on points with Halton Huskies - who also beat Hull in their first game, but by a lesser 13-1 scoreline.
The Riverside Raiders are next in action this Sunday 7th May when they take on the Huskies in a top of the table all-Widnes derby at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.15pm face off. Admission is free, as is parking.
Full Raiders Line-up:
Kai Gennoe (3+5), Emma Pearson (0+2), Andrew Birch (2+0), Alex Newman, Adam Jenkins (4+3, 2PIM), Eemeli Vuorihovi (1+2), Lewis Grogan (1+0), Miles Radford, Stephen Harvey (0+1), Rory Sillery (2+1, 2PIM), Ian Thirkettle, David Geroc (4+2), Shawn McBride (0+1), Alain Barthelemy (0+1, 2PIM), Ben Donkin (1+1, 4PIM), Ratislav Geroc (2PIM).
Netminders: Ian Thirkettle (20 mins, 0 GA) / Miles Radford (40 mins, 3 GA)
