Match Report: Sheffield Shadows 12 - Widnes Wild Women 1 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Stephanie Drinkwater was the
Wild Women's MVP away at Sheffield
(Photo by Wild Women IHC)

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Sheffield Shadows 12 - Widnes Wild Women 1

The Widnes Wild Women played their second away game of the new WNIHL season away to Sheffield Shadows on Sunday and had to travel back home across the Pennines on the wrong end of a 12-1 defeat.

The Wild Women had played the Shadows in their first game of the new season – back in early September.  This was a baptism of fire and saw them losing 2-16 at home so losing by “only” 12-1 in an away game could reasonably be seen as making some sort of progress.

While these results might seem rather one-sided, they need to be looked at in the correct context.

The Wild Women are playing in a higher division this season, having won the Division 2 North title last year. The current Division 1 North teams all seem to have a number of players with Women’s Elite League or international experience on their rosters, so – with the best will in the world - it is going to be a steep learning curve for the Widnes Ladies.

As it happened, Sheffield scored three goals very early in the game and didn’t really look back from there. The score was 6-0 at the first period break and the game was clearly already over as a contest by then, so it was a case of damage limitation after that.

Stephanie Drinkwater put in her usual heroic performance in the Widnes goal and faced an eye-watering 106 shots over the 60 minutes. She pulled off a string of impressive saves throughout the game – keeping out an incredible 94 of those shots - and was deservedly named MVP for the Wild Women.

The Widnes consolation goal was scored by Leen de Decker - her second strike of the season.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 23^rd November when they play the Kingston Diamonds for the first time this season at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Deeside Dragons v Blackburn Hawks Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

The special Remembrance shirts were sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA (Photo by Dragons IHC)

Saturday 8th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Blackburn Hawks 8 – Deeside D1 Dragons 4

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 3 – Blackburn Hawks 2

The Deeside Dragons had another mixed weekend, losing  8-4 away to Blackburn Hawks on Saturday and then beating the same opposition 3-2 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Hawks have an especially strong squad this season - with a number of former National Division players in their ranks and also former Dragons and Widnes import Jakub Hajek - and are likely to be in the mix for the league title come the end of the season.

In the away game on Saturday, Blackburn opened the scoring after just 2 minutes but Colin Cromie equalised for Deeside on 8 minutes with a powerplay goal punishing a Hawks slashing call. The hosts edged ahead again but a Dan Fadejevs goal on 15 minutes ensured that the teams went into the first period break level at 2-2.

Deeside actually took the lead with a Ross Kennedy goal on 25 minutes but two quick goals from Blackburn within 90 seconds of each other turned that on its head.  Another Dragons strike, however – from Cromie just 11 seconds later - restored parity and the game rested on a knife edge at 4-4 at the midway point.

Blackburn scored again to retake the lead on 35 minutes but, at 5-4 with one period left, it was still anybody’s game.

Unfortunately, everything went wrong for the Dragons in the third period. Although they had their chances, they weren’t able to convert any of them into goals and Hawks unanswered strikes on 48, 53 and 56 minutes saw the home side cruise to victory.

The return game on Sunday was another evenly-balanced affair, littered with niggly penalties and skirmishes befitting a north west derby encounter.

Deeside took an early lead with a goal from Matty Barlow after just 3 minutes and the score remained 1-0 at the first period break.

The second period was similarly close and the only goal came from Ross Kennedy on 30 minutes, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead at the second interval.

A third Deeside goal from Jake Witkowski 3 minutes into the third period looked as it might have settled the game in favour of the Dragons but Blackburn staged a late fightback.

They finally broke their duck for the game with a goal on 54 minutes and then scored a second just 80 seconds later to set up a nail-biting finale.

Luckily, their momentum was broken when former Deeside favourite turned Hawk Andy McKinney picked up a 5 minute major boarding penalty, meaning that Blackburn would have to play the remainder of the game a man short.

The Dragons shut up shop and held on to record an important victory.  

As it was Remembrance Sunday, the Dragons players wore special themed shirts – sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA - in honour of the fallen in conflicts past and present. 

The shirts were all raffled off after the game, with a donation from the proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.

After the weekend’s matches, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 26 points from their 14 games to date – four points behind Blackburn, who have 30 points from 12 games.

Solihull Barons remain top of the table with 34 points from 12 games.

The D1 Dragons are away to the Moralee Division’s bottom club, Sheffield Scimitars, this Saturday 15th November and then away to current league leaders Solihull Barons on Sunday 23rd November.  They are next at home on Sunday 30th November when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15 pm.

Deeside D2 Dragons Weekend Report - 8th & 9th November (NIHL Laidler Division)

Dragons 2 enforcer Karl Bacon in “action” against Kingston (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Saturday 8th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 8 – Kingston Sharks 4

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Billingham Buccaneers 5 – Deeside D2 Dragons 4

The Deeside D2 Dragons had a satisfying weekend in the NIHL Laidler Division, beating Kingston Sharks 8-4 at home on Saturday and then running title challengers Billingham Buccaneers very close, narrowly losing out 5-4 away on Sunday.

With the Dragons development team having beaten Kingston 3-8 away on Humberside in their previous game, the home game on Saturday was always going to be a feisty affair.

It started well for the Dragons as they were awarded a penalty shot after just 3 minutes, which was calmly slotted away by seasoned campaigner James Parsons.

The lead was doubled on 7 minutes with a goal from Noah Percival but the Sharks hit back with two goals of their own to level the score on the 10 minute mark.  A strike from James Shaw edged the Dragons back in front just 49 seconds later and the score remained 3-2 heading into the final minutes of the period.

An altercation with 3 minutes and 15 seconds left on the clock saw some blood spilled on the ice and the period was ended early for the surface to be cleaned up. 

The remaining time was played after the ice-cut and the teams then changed ends to start the second period.

Kingston equalised again 2 minutes into the second period and there followed a nervy phase when the game could have gone either way.

James Shaw fired in his second goal of the game on 30 minutes to edge Deeside back in front and 6 minutes later Cody Ogden found the back of the net to give the Dragons a 5-3 lead at the second interval.

A first senior goal for Lewis Edward on 43 minutes further extended the Dragons lead and then a fight following a heavy boarding incident saw a Kingston player expelled from the game.

During the ensuing powerplay, Deeside scored two more goals – from James Shaw for his hat-trick and Cameron Kushnirenko – to bring the score to 8-3. 

Kingston pulled a goal back on 55 minutes but there was no chance of them catching up by then and the Dragons were able to celebrate their biggest home victory since they started off as the Deeside Ducks last season.

James Shaw was the D2 Dragons' MVP against Kingston (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

On Sunday the D2 Dragons made the long journey to the north east to take on 3^rd place Billingham Buccaneers. 

The game was finely balanced and close throughout and, in the end, the Dragons were unlucky not to come out of it with at least a point.

They actually took an early lead with a goal from Noah Percival in the 4^th minute before being pegged back to 1-1 at the end of the first period.

Chris Jones edged the Dragons back in front on 29 minutes but three quick goals for the Buccaneers saw them catch up and open up a 2 goal lead.

Cameron Kushnirenko pulled a goal back for Deeside on 39 minutes but the score remained 4-3 to Billingham at the second interval.

The home side restored their 2 goal cushion early in the third period but a Cody Ogden goal on 53 minutes gave the Dragons some hope.  Unfortunately, they were unable to build any further on this and the game finished as a very narrow 5-4 victory to Billingham. 

As a result of Saturday’s victory, the D2 Dragons move up into 6^th place in the Laidler Division table with 9 points from 9 games, leapfrogging Kingston who have the same number of points but an inferior playing record.

The Division 2 Dragons are at home again this Saturday 15^th November when they take on Altrincham Aces for the first time this season at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Altrincham are just one place above Deeside in the league table – with 11 points from 10 games - so this should be a very competitive encounter.

The Dragons are then away to Bradford Bulldogs the following day.

Deeside Dragons To Wear Special Remembrance Shirts

Deeside netminder Phil Pearson models the Dragons' special 2025 remembrance shirt (Photo by Emilia Roberts Media)

The Deeside Dragons v Blackburn Hawks game on Remembrance Sunday (9th November) will see the Dragons players wearing special themed shirts in honour of the fallen in conflicts past and present which will all be raffled off in a live “Shirt Off the Back” draw after the game, giving fans the opportunity to take home a piece of Dragons history straight from the ice.

A donation from the proceeds will be made to the Royal British Legion – supporting their work with veterans and families across the UK.

You can read more about the Remembrance shirts and how to take part in the raffle on the Dragons official website HERE

The Dragons have back to back matches against Blackburn Hawks this coming weekend. The away game is in East Lancashire on Saturday 8^th November and the home game at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 9^th November, 5.15pm face off.

Colin Cromie Named Deeside Dragons Player Of The Month For October

Colin Cromie was named Deeside Dragons Player Of The Month for October (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

The Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for October has been announced as Colin Cromie.

American forward Cromie is new to the Dragons this season and, in the short time that he has been here, has become a firm favourite with the fans.

He was an ever-present in the Dragons team during the month of October, having played in all 7 league games. In that time, he has scored 7 goals and 9 assists – including an impressive 5-goal haul in the home win over Leeds and the all-important match-winning goal in the home victory over Hull Jets.

Cromie received the October Player Of The Month Award after the Dragons’ home game against Telford Tigers on Sunday. The presentation was made by trophy sponsor and award organiser Paul Breeze, of the Ice Hockey Review grass-roots news website and publisher.

Deeside Dragons v Telford Tigers Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Rhys Edwards scored in both games over the weekend (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 1^st November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Telford Tigers 6 – Deeside D1 Dragons 4

Sunday 2^nd November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 7 – Telford Tigers 5

The Deeside Dragons had a mixed weekend in back to back games against Telford Tigers, losing 6-4 away in Shropshire on Saturday and then winning 7-5 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

In the away game on Saturday, the Dragons scored first with a goal from Rhys Edwards after just 2 minutes and then doubled the lead with a Charles Phillips strike 90 seconds later.  The score remained 0-2 at the first period break and things were looking good for Deeside, who went on to outshoot the Tigers by a considerable margin over the course of the game.

Telford fought back early in the second period, however, and two quick goals saw them level the score.  They went ahead with a shorthanded goal on 33 minutes but Deeside equalised two minutes later with a powerplay goal from Jake Witkowski and the game remained at a finely balanced 3-3 at the second interval.

Tensions boiled over early in the third period with a couple of fights that saw players from both sides in the penalty boxes. The Dragons took advantage of the ensuing disruption to edge back into the lead again on 48 minutes with a powerplay goal from Ross Kennedy but a shorthanded goal for the Tigers two minutes after that left it level pegging with 10 minutes left to play.

Then came the hammer blow of two Telford goals within 60 seconds of each other that put daylight between the two teams. There were still 6 minutes left to play but Deeside couldn’t find their way back into the game and it ended up in a 6-4 victory for the hosts.

The return game on Sunday was very fiercely contested with lots of penalties being dished out to both sides – some 100 minutes in total over the course of the game.

Telford had the edge for the first two periods although the score was an evenly balanced 1-1 at the first period break with a Jake Witkowski goal levelling an early Telford strike.

Tempers flared as the teams returned to the changing rooms and a fight in the tunnel saw Deeside’s Will Harper and Telford’s Connor Keys ejected from the game and two more players from each team sent to the penalty box.  

Telford took the lead again on 22 minutes and Deeside equalised again with a Ross Kennedy goal on 24.  Just 20 seconds after that, Telford re-took the lead and then a third goal of the game for the Tigers highly- rated Czech player Vladimir Luka on 30 minutes saw the visitors leading 2-4.

Matty Barlow pulled a goal back for the Dragons on 34 minutes and the score remained 3-4 at the second interval.

Telford restored their two-goal cushion just 40 seconds after the restart but Deeside visibly upped their game in the third period and clawed their way back into contention.

A second goal from Barlow on 44 minutes was followed by Witkowski’s second just 50 seconds later and the Dragons were level again.  This time, they were able to push on and Witkowski’s hat-trick goal on 50 minutes put Deeside ahead for the first time in the game.

A goal from Rhys Edwards with 2½ minutes to go released the unbearable tension that had been building up around the rink and Deeside were able to weather some late Telford pressure and hang on for an important 7-5 win.

After the weekend’s matches, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 23 points from their 12 games to date – two points ahead of Telford, who have three games in hand.

Solihull Barons remain top of the table with 28 points from 10 games – 1 point ahead of Blackburn Hawks, whose unbeaten start to the season came to an end when the Barons beat them on Saturday.

The Dragons have back to back matches against Blackburn Hawks this coming weekend.

The away game is in East Lancashire on Saturday 8^th November and the home game at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 9^th November, 5.15pm face off.

The Division 2 Dragons are also at home at the weekend with a game against Kingston Sharks on Saturday, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 1 – Caledonia Steel Queens 7 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Charlotte McAdam was the Wild Women's MVP against Caledonia (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 26th October 2025 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 1 – Caledonia Steel Queens 7

The Widnes Wild Women put in a plucky performance in their second home game of the new WNIHL season, losing out 1-7 to the Caledonia Steel Queens at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday

While any defeat is always disappointing, this result needs to be put into its correct context as the Wild Women are playing in a higher division this season – having won the Division 2 North title last season. They lost away 16-1 to the same opposition up in Edinburgh a few weeks ago, so this would have to be looked upon as an improvement.

The game saw Wild Women debuts for Tayla Huxley-Richards - a former Deeside junior – and Olivia Clough, who are both playing on a 2-way arrangement with the Manchester Storm women’s team.

Despite the final result Widnes didn’t play badly in this game.  While the Steel Queens were clearly on top for lengthy spells, the Wild Women did put together some good plays themselves and, on another day – with the rub of the green – might well have scored a few more goals.

As it was, it took the Steel Queens 8½ minutes to break down the stubborn Wild defence and score their first goal.  A second goal followed on 14 minutes but the 0-2 scoreline at the first period break still looked quite respectable. 

A third Caledonia goal followed on 28 minutes and two more on 32 and 35 minutes began to give the game a more one-sided look than it necessarily deserved.

Widnes fans were finally given something to cheer about at 36.15 when Lise Gillen fired in a well-taken unassisted goal to break the home duck for the game.  

Unfortunately, the Wild Women were not able to build on this breakthrough and the score stood at 1-5 at the second interval. 

Two more goals in the third period – one on 42 minutes and another with just 43 seconds left on the clock – extended the Caledonia lead but Stephanie Drinkwater put in an heroic display in the Widnes net to keep the score down. Over the course of the game, she faced 67 shots, of which she stopped an impressive 60 for an 89.6 Save Percentage. 

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards are once again this season being sponsored by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and were presented by Lynda Bird.  They went to Molly McGillian for Caledonia and Charlotte McAdam for Widnes.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 9th November when they play Sheffield Shadows away in the Steel City. They are next at home on Sunday 23rd November when they take on Kingston Diamonds at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Deeside Dragons v Hull Jets Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Colin Cromie in action for the Dragons away at Hull (Photo by Vince Cowell Photography)

Saturday 25^th October 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Hull Jets 4 – Deeside D1 Dragons 3

Sunday 26^th October 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 2 – Hull Jets 1

The Deeside Dragons had a mixed weekend with losing 4-3 away to Hull Jets on Saturday and then beating the same opposition 2-1 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The away game on Saturday was very closely matched in terms of puck possession and shots on goal and the first period played out goal-less.

There were quite a few niggly penalties in this game and things all went wrong for Deeside early in the second period when they conceded three powerplay goals within 90 seconds of each other and suddenly found themselves 3-0 down.

Rhys Edwards eventually pulled a goal back on 29 minutes but the score remained at 3-1 at the second interval and the Dragons had some catching up to do.

They battled valiantly to try and claw their way back into the game but went further behind to a fourth Hull goal on 49 minutes.

The score was still 4-1 to the hosts as the final minute approached and Deeside withdrew netminder Tyler de la Bertouche in favour of an extra attacker.

The tactic paid off – to a certain extent - as Jake Witkowski fired in a goal with 28 seconds left on the clock to narrow the deficit and then Colin Cromie scored straight from an icing face off at 59.59 - but it was too late to salvage anything from the game.

Sunday’s game saw former Dragons’ favourites Cameron Kushnirenko and Chris Jones drafted into the team - from the Division 2 team where they have been playing this season – as emergency cover due to injuries and other player unavailability.

As the score suggests, this was another close game with little to choose between the two teams.

It took until the 18^th minute for the first goal and that fell to Bailey Thomas – and saw the Dragons take a narrow 1-0 lead into the first break.

Colin Cromie doubled the Deeside lead 7 minutes into the second period with a powerplay goal punishing a Hull tripping call but a series of penalties prevented them further building on this. Hull pulled a goal back on 36 minutes – also on a powerplay - and the game remained on a knife edge at 2-1 at the second interval.

Despite opportunities for both teams in the third period, the rest of the game played out goalless and the Dragons were able to hold on and celebrate a narrow 2-1 victory.

In the Deeside net, Tyler de la Bertouche turned away 26 of the 27 shots that he faced and was named MVP for the Dragons. 

After the weekend games, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 20 points from their 10 games to date. Solihull Barons have taken over at the top of the table following a string of impressive results and have 25 points from 9 games and Blackburn Hawks are now in second place on 24 points with an unbeaten record of 8 wins from 8 starts.

The Dragons have back to back matches against Telford Tigers - who are just 2 points behinds them in the league table with three games in hand - this coming weekend

The away game is in Shropshire on Saturday 1^st November and the home game at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 2^nd November, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Kingston Sharks 3 – Deeside D2 Dragons 8 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Noah Percival scored a hat-trick away at Kingston (Photo by Paule Mayoh)

Saturday 25^th October 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Kingston Sharks 3 – Deeside D2 Dragons 8

The Dragons D2 team picked up their second win of the Laidler Division season with a 3-8 victory away over Kingston Sharks at Hull Arena on Saturday.

James Shaw opened the scoring for the Dragons on 5 minutes and then scored again just 5 seconds later straight from the ensuing face off.

Kingston hit back with two goals of their own late in the period to tie the score at 2-2 at the first break but the Dragons edged back into the lead again on 24 minutes with a goal from Cody Ogden.

Player coach James Parsons extended the advantage on 29 minutes and two goals from Noah Percival and one from Andrew Chappell saw the Dragons go 2-7 ahead with 3 minutes left to play in the period.

Kingston pulled a goal back 90 seconds from the buzzer  but Deeside had a healthy 3-7 lead at the second interval.

The only goal of the third period fell to Percival on 53 minutes for his hat-trick and saw the Dragons cruise to a 3-8 victory.

The wins see the Dragons move up into 7^th place in the Laidler Division table with 6 points from their 7 games so far this season.

Although they are way off the pace at the top of the table – 21 points behind early season league leaders Sheffield – they currently sit above Bradford and Nottingham, who both finished above the erstwhile Ducks Division 2 team last season.

The D2 Dragons are without a game this weekend but are back in action on Saturday 8th November when they play the return match against the Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside Dragons 5 – Solihull Barons 9 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Charles Phillips was on target for the Dragons against Solihull (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

 Sunday 19th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons 5 – Solihull Barons 9

The Deeside Dragons dropped down to 3rd place in the Moralee Division table after a frustrating 5-9 defeat at home to Solihull Barons at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The game started badly for Deeside as Solihull opened the scoring on 5 minutes and then doubled their advantage 6 minutes later.

However, Jake Witkowski opened the Dragons account just 17 seconds after that and a goal from Matty Barlow on 17 minutes saw the teams level at 2-2 at the first period break.

Solihull edged back into the lead just 30 seconds into the second period and opened up a 2 goal lead again 3 minutes later. Once again, the Dragons hit back with goals from Charles Phillips and Ryan Jones – his first of the season - to draw level but the Barons scored yet again to get their noses back in front.

Witkowski fired home to level the game at the midway stage but another Barons goal on 32 minutes saw the visitors leading 5-6 at the second interval.

The Dragons got into penalty trouble in the third period and a succession of niggly calls saw them concede three powerplay goals, which fired the Barons into what turned out to be an unassailable position with 11 minutes left to play.

Deeside continued to battle but were unable to get past the stubborn Solihull defence and no more goals were scored in the game.

The 5-9 win saw Solihull move above Deeside in the league table, 2 points clear in second place, and Telford Tigers are now snapping on the Dragons’ heels in 4^th place, following their weekend win over Leeds - 2 points behind but with two games in hand.

The Dragons travel to Hull and back this Saturday 25^th October to take on the Hull Jets – 5.30 pm face off – and then play the same opposition at home on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm start.

The Dragons D2 team also play away in Hull on Saturday with a 12 noon face off against the Kingston Sharks. They are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

 

Matty Barlow Named Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for September

Matty Barlow is the Dragons first 
Player of the Month 
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

The Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons have introduced a new Player of the Month Award for this season and the first winner is….. Matty Barlow!

Talking about the choice of Barlow for the September award, Dragons Head Coach Mike Clancy said:

“It’s never easy for a player to settle quickly after changing clubs, but Matty has made the transition look seamless. Since joining the Deeside Dragons, he has embraced the challenge and had a huge impact both on and off the ice.”

“His on-ice contribution in the opening six games of the season speaks volumes — 8 goals and 13 assists — a tally that highlights not only his goal-scoring instinct but also his ability to create opportunities for team-mates. His speed, vision, and work ethic have already made him a key figure in the Dragons’ attack and become a huge fans favourite.”

“Beyond the numbers, Matty’s positive attitude and leadership have helped set the tone in the dressing room. He has quickly become a driving force for the team, inspiring both experienced players and younger prospects alike.”

“With such a strong start, there’s no doubt this could be one of Matty’s most exciting and memorable seasons to date.”

Barlow received the September Player Of The Month Award before the Dragons’ home game against Leeds Knights on Sunday. The presentation was made by trophy sponsor and award organiser Paul Breeze, of the Ice Hockey Review grass-roots news website and publisher.

Bradford Bulldogs 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Kieran Clarkson was the Dragons D2 MVP away at Bradford (Photo by Bradford Bulldogs IHC)

Sunday 12^th October – NIHL Laidler Division: Bradford Bulldogs 6 Deeside D2 Dragons 4

The Deeside Dragons D2 team put in a battling performance away to Bradford Bulldogs, narrowly losing out 6-4 on Sunday.

They were 3-0 down after the first period but rallied in the second and goals from James Shaw (2), James Parsons and Charlie Spridgeon drew them level at 4-4 by the midway point of the game. 

They couldn’t maintain this form, however, and two unanswered goals handed the Bulldogs the win.

The D2 Dragons are away in Hull on Saturday 25^th October and are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Deeside Dragons v Leeds Knights Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Colin Cromie was the Dragons MVP after his 5-goal haul on Sunday (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 11^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Leeds Knights 4 - Deeside Dragons 3

Sunday 12^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons 14 – Leeds Knights 2

The Deeside Dragons had a mixed weekend with a narrow 4-3 defeat away to Leeds Knights on Saturday and then a 14-2 trouncing of the same opposition on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre.

The away game on Saturday saw a Dragons debut for new signing Damarni James – who has played for the past two seasons with local rivals Widnes Wild.

The game in Leeds started badly for Deeside as the hosts took the lead after just 58 seconds. They scored again on 8 minutes and took a 2-0 lead into the first period break.

Two minutes into the second period, Leeds scored again to extend their lead to 3 but Deeside were having more of the play by then and were eventually rewarded with a Jake Witkowski goal on 28 minutes.

A second Dragons goal - from Charles Phillips on 36 minutes – narrowed the deficit to just one and the teams went into the second interval with the game finely poised at 3-2.

Deeside noticeably upped their game in the third period as they pushed forward, trying to force an equalising goal.  They outshot Leeds by an impressive 19 to 4 but were caught out by another Knights goal on 45 minutes.

Despite sustained Deeside pressure, the score stubbornly remained 4-2 to Leeds heading into the final minutes. Then, just when Deeside were hoping to make a last push, they picked up a penalty for a face off violation, meaning that they would have to play the rest of the game a man down.

They withdrew their netminder for the last minute in order to have an extra attacker on the ice and this tactic paid off with a goal from team captain Jared Dickinson with 12 seconds left on the clock.  Unfortunately, it came too late to spark a late rally and the Dragons slumped to their first defeat of the league season.

Saturday’s disappointment was quickly forgotten, however, as the Dragons put in a superb performance, hammering the Knights in the home encounter less than 24 hours later.

Damarni James set the ball rolling in his first home game at the Den as he opened the scoring for the Dragons in the 3^rd minute and it was 2-0 to Deeside 2 minutes later courtesy of a Charles Phillips goal.

Further strikes from Jake Wikowski, Jared Dickinson and Colin Cromie saw the Dragons leading 5-0 at the first period break.

The second period started in similar vein with two more goals from Cromie for a straight hat-trick, another from Witkowski and one for Matty Barlow.

The Dragons hit the post and the bar several times and, with rebounds pinging off the beleaguered Leeds netminder left, right and centre, it looked as if they might accrue a cricket score.

However, Leeds then managed to score two goals of their own – against the run of play – but Jake Witkowski allayed any possible Deeside jitters with his hat trick goal in the very last second of the period.

The Dragons dominance continued in the third period and goals from Matt Wainwright, Witkowski again and two more for Cromie rounded off a comprehensive victory, with Cromie being deservedly awarded the MVP award for his 5-goal haul.

The weekend results mean that the Dragons remain in second place in the Moralee Division table, now just one point behind leaders Blackburn Hawks, who were without a game.

They have played one game more than Blackburn, however, and Solihull Barons – lurking menacingly one point behind them in third place - also have a game in hand over the Dragons.

Interestingly enough, those two sides will meet for the first time this season this coming Sunday 19^th October when Solihull Barons are the visitors to Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.  

Deeside Dragons v Widnes Wild Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Jake Witkowski scored 7 goals for Deeside over the weekend (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 4^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons D1 4 – Widnes Wild 3 (OT)

Sunday 5^th October – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 2 - Deeside Dragons D1 6

The Deeside Dragons D1 team had a winning weekend with back to back victories against local rivals Widnes Wild, winning 4-3 at home in overtime on Saturday and 2-6 in the away fixture on Sunday.

Because of the relative proximity between the two teams, and a regular interchange of players over the years, these games are always robustly competed and passionate affairs – and the two weekend fixtures were no exception.

In the home game on Saturday, Deeside had the upper hand for much of the game – outshooting the Wild by over 2 to 1 - but had trouble getting past the Widnes netminder, who was in fine form.

The deadlock was eventually broken with a goal from Jake Witkowski on 11 minutes and the Dragons took a narrow 1-0 lead into the first period break.

The second period was just as tense and, as time ticked by, both sides began to pick up niggly penalties. Widnes levelled the score on 35 minutes with a powerplay goal on a Deeside cross-checking call and then took the lead with just 37 seconds left to play.

Things swung the way of the Dragons early in the third period when Charles Phillips fired in an equalising goal on 43 minutes and then 5 minutes later Jake Witkowksi edged Deeside back into the lead with a penalty shot after a Widnes slashing call.

Just as it looked as if the Dragons had done enough to win the game, Widnes hit back and levelled the score again with 66 seconds left on the clock.  The score remained 3-3 at the end of regulation time and the game went into a 5 minute period of sudden death overtime to decide a winner.

Widnes had the chance to win the game two minutes into overtime when they were awarded a penalty shot, however Tyler de la Bertouche was equal to the challenge in the Dragons’ goal and was able to stop the shot.

Two minutes later with Deeside on a powerplay for a Widnes tripping call, Jake Witkowski fired in the all-important “golden goal” – his hat-trick for the night - to secure the 4-3 win for the Dragons.

The away game on Sunday was also played at a furious pace and there was little to choose between the two teams in the early stages.

The Dragons opened the scoring with a Jake Witkowski goal on 11 minutes but Widnes fired in an equaliser late in the period to leave the score tied at 1-1 at the first period break

Widnes edged into the lead with a goal in the first minute of the second period but parity was restored with Witkowski’s second goal of the game on 23 minutes.

Dragons captain Jared Dickinson fired Deeside back in front on 35 minutes to lead 2-3 at the second interval.

The Dragons pulled away in the third period with two more goals from Jake Witkowksi – who also missed a penalty shot in between - and Ross Kennedy rounded off the scoring with 3 minutes to play to secure an outstanding 2-6 win for Deeside.

The D1 Dragons remain in second place in the NIHL Moralee Division table but, following their 5-point haul at the weekend, there is now daylight between them and the chasing pack.

They are 4 points behind league leaders Blackburn Hawks, who have a 100% record with 6 wins from their 6 games to date and have 18 points. Deeside have a game in hand over the Hawks and are yet to play them this season.

The Dragons have 14 points from their 5 games to date having technically “dropped” a point with the OT win against Widnes – and Solihull Barons are in third place with 13 points, also from 5 games.

Defending champions Billingham Stars also have a 100% start to the season with 4 wins from 4 games and currently sit in 4^th place in the table with games in hand over all the teams above them.

The Dragons have back to back fixtures against Leeds Knights this coming weekend, with the away game in Yorkshire on Saturday and the home game on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Deeside Dragons D2 0 – Coventry Blaze 5 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Sunday 5^th October – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Dragons D2 0 – Coventry Blaze 5

The Deeside Dragons D2 suffered a 0-5 shut out at home to Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Deeside development team put in battling performance but were unable to find a way past the well- organised Coventry defence.

The Blaze took the lead on 13 minutes and the score remained 0-1 at the first period break. They doubled their advantage on 34 minutes and three more unanswered goals in the third period sealed the win.

The D2 Dragons are away to Bradford this Sunday 12^th October and then have an away game in Hull on 25^th October.  They are next at home on Saturday 8^th November when they take on the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Match Report: Deeside Dragons D1 10 – Nottingham Lions 1 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Ross Kennedy scored a hat-trick against Nottingham (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 28^th September 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside Dragons D1 10 – Nottingham Lions 1

The day after their Welsh Cup triumph over Cardiff Fire, the Deeside D1 Dragons were in league action against early season strugglers Nottingham Lions.

The first period looked as if it was going to play out goalless but Nottingham actually scored with just 1 second left on the clock to take a 0-1 lead into the first period break.

Despite having had much of the play in the first period, Deeside had to wait until 6 minutes into the second period for their equalising goal – which came from Ross Kennedy - and this sparked the most incredible goal fest.

Jared Dickinson edged the Dragons into the lead just 67 seconds later and then three quick-fire goals within 43 seconds of each other on 33 minutes - two from Ethan Mayoh and one from Matty Barlow - suddenly saw them leading 5-1.

Colin Cromie scored the Dragons’ 6^th goal 51 seconds after that and late strikes from Matt Wainwright and Kennedy again saw Deeside leading 8-1 at the second interval, having completely turned the game on its head.

While all this was going on, Lions netminder Evan Coles picked up a slashing major penalty that saw him sitting out the rest of the game.

Things calmed down somewhat goal-wise in the third period until Jake Witkowski scored the 9^th Deeside goal on 51 minutes. Ross Kennedy fired in his hat trick strike on 55 minutes to round off the scoring for the evening and the Dragons ran out 10-1 winners.

The win means that Deeside now have three wins from their first three league games and are second in the Moralee Division table, 3 points behind leaders Blackburn Hawks and with a game in hand.  They are level on points with three other teams – Solihull, Telford and Widnes – but occupy the higher position due to a superior goal difference.

The Dragons have a mouth-watering double header against fierce local rivals Widnes Wild this weekend, playing them at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday 4^th October – 5.15pm face off - and then away in Widnes the next day.  

Deeside Dragons Win Welsh Cup

Dragons Welsh Cup Celebrations (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 27^th September 2025 – Welsh Cup, 2^nd Leg: Deeside Dragons D1 4 – Cardiff Fire 2

The Deeside Dragons D1 team retained the Welsh Cup with a 4-2 victory over Cardiff Fire at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The Dragons had the upper hand from a 2-4 first leg win away in Cardiff the previous weekend but games still need to be won and they set about their task in a workmanlike manner.

After a fairly even opening phase, Deeside took the lead on 11minutes with a goal from Matty Barlow. Team captain Jared Dickinson edged the Dragons further in front in the 19^th minute to give them a 2-0 lead heading into the first break and - more importantly - a 6-2 lead overall on aggregate.

Colin Cromie put Deeside 3-0 ahead on 26 minutes but Cardiff finally found the back of the net themselves 90 seconds after that to remind everyone that they were still in with a shout.

A powerplay goal on 36 minutes from Jake Witkowski, punishing a Cardiff interference penalty restored the three-goal cushion and the Dragons led 4-1 on the night - and 8-3 overall – at the second interval.

There had been a number of niggly penalties for both sides during the game and the third period was livened up first by a fight that involved Bailey Thomas and then a skirmish that saw Rhys Edwards handed a 5 plus game penalty for a check from behind and a fighting penalty to boot.

Once the dust had settled on all of that, Cardiff scored their second goal of the game with 4 minutes left to play but it wasn’t enough to dent the Dragons cup ambitions and they held on to win 4-2 on the night and 8-4 on aggregate.