Andrew Hopkins scored a hat-trick for the Wild against Nottingham (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)
Saturday 8th March 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 8 – Nottingham Lions 4
The Widnes Wild NIHL team gave their end of season play off hopes a huge boost with an 8-4 win over Nottingham Lions at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
The result came hot on the heels of last week’s win over fellow strugglers Leeds Knights and is the first time all season that the Wild have managed back to back victories.
The Wild took a very narrow lead into the first break with the only goal of the period from Kai Hathaway – and netminder Harry Campbell performed heroics in the Widnes goal to keep the Lions’ attack at bay.
Wild captain Andrew Hopkins doubled the lead for Widnes early in the second period but 2 quick-fire goals from Nottingham drew the Lions level.
Dani Haid edged Widnes back into the lead with a powerplay goal but Nottingham equalised once again. However the Widnes players didn’t give up and their pressure was rewarded with a goal from Matty Barlow and a short handed strike from Hopkins to finish the period with a 5-3 lead.
Three more goals in the third period for Widnes – a hat-trick strike from Hopkins, a second goal for Barlow and an empty net goal from Luke Alston – and a single response from Nottingham – saw the Wild cruise to an important victory in their late season push for the play offs
Leeds Knights currently occupy the coveted 8th spot and last play off place but, with them losing away to Deeside on Sunday, their advantage over the Wild is now down to just 2 points.
Both teams have three games to play and Leeds are probably still in the driving seat as two of theirs are at home, while Widnes have two away. Rather intriguingly, both teams play Nottingham Lions at home on the last weekend of the regular season – Widnes on the Saturday and Leeds on the Sunday – and, depending on how other results go in the meantime, those two games could well decide who gets the last play off place.
Widnes now have a tricky weekend on the road with trips to Hull this Saturday 15th March and Whitley on Sunday.
They are then back at home for their final game of the regular season at home to Nottingham on Saturday 22nd March at Planet Ice Widnes, 7pm face off.
