Phoebe Patient receives the Wild Women MVP award from Lynda Bird (Photo by Paul Breeze)
Sunday 7th January – WNIHL Div 2N: DMUK Widnes Wild Women 5 – Whitley Bay Beacons 0
The DMUK Widnes Wild Women got 2024 off to the best possible start with a 5-0 win over the Whitley Bay Beacons at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.
It took until the 16th minute for the first goal and this fell to the Wild’s Jemma Brown. This was quickly followed by strikes from Victoria Connelly, Preston Gennoe and Ellen Tyrer and Widnes were able to take a 4-0 lead into the first break.
The goal rush did not extend into the second period and this was much closer in terms of puck possession and shots on goal. Here again it took over 15 minutes for the next breakthrough and the chance, when it came, fell to Laura Marcroft to fire away the puck.
Widnes led 5-0 at the second break and, with the third period playing out goal-less, that turned out to be the final score.
Wild netminder Stephanie Drinkwater put in a superb performance, turning away all 28 shots that she faced. Ellie Green replaced her for the final 7½ minutes to complete the shut out.
The Wild Women’s Most Valuable Player awards for this season have been sponsored by Lucy London - Poet In Residence for the 5th year in a row and consist of goodie bags containing a limited edition MVP teddy bear and a selection of Body Shop products provided by Running Mum Beauty. The awards were presented by match volunteer Lynda Bird and went to Claire Wilson for Whitley and Phoebe Patient for Widnes.
The Wild women are next in action away to Kingston Diamonds in Hull on Saturday 27th January and are next at home on Sunday 4th February when they take on the Caledonia Steel Queens from Edinburgh at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.
