Wild Women Prepare For First Game

Wild Women's Eleanor Johnson - Photo by Gary Johnson

The Widnes Wild Women have put the finishing touches to their roster for the 2026/27 WNIHL season with a number of returning players and some new signings.

Experienced defender Laura Bibby is back for her 4^th season with the Wild, having previously played 7 seasons with Oxford and Eleanor Johnson is also back for her 4^th season with the Wild Women on a two way arrangement with the new Deeside Dragons team.

League rules allow for players under the age 23 to “play up” for other teams in a different league to their own in order to give them extra match experience and help with their development.

This is a great help for the young players getting experience of playing a higher level of hockey and -  obviously - has knock on benefits for their respective clubs as well.

Tayla Huxley–Richards – who had a superb first season in Division 1 last year, scoring 5 goals – is also back on a two-away agreement with Division 2 Manchester Storm and Maggie Whitmore returns on a 2-way with Telford Wrekin Raiders. Jennifer Greenwood, Eva Gibson, Nicola Wallace and Grace Teinert also return to the Wild Women for the new season. 

The Wild Women also have two additional netminders to share duties with Stephanie Drinkwater. Isabel Bateson played one game for the Wild Women last season but spent the rest of the season at Oxford and Natalie Hammond is a newcomer, having played last season for Blackburn Hawks in Division 2 North.

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The Widnes Wild Women play their first game of the new 2026/27 season this Sunday when they take on Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Despite having finished bottom of the Division1 North table last season, the plucky Wild Women are back in the higher division for another go at the same level and will be keen to improve on their record from last season of 2 wins from their 20 league games.

While that may not sound very impressive, the home win over Nottingham in January was, in fact,  the first time that the Wild Women had picked up a victory at WPL level since December 2017 and their final tally of two wins was their best in the higher division since the 2016/17 season.

The Edinburgh-based Caledonia Steel Queens will be missing from Division1 North this season as they won promotion to the Women’s Elite League via the play offs and their place had been taken by Whitley Bay Beacons who played in Division 2 North last season.

The other opposition in Division 1 North this season will be provided by Nottingham Vipers, Solway Sharks, Sheffield Shadows and Kingston (Hull) Diamonds with team playing each other twice at home and twice away for a 20-game season

The complete Wild Women fixture list for 2026/27 is as follows:

•  20th Sept: home v Nottingham Vipers
• 27^th Sept: home v Whitley Bay Beacons
• 10^th Oct: away @ Nottingham Vipers
• 18^th Oct: home v Solway Sharks
• 29^th Nov:  away @ Sheffield Shadows
• 6^th Dec: home v Solway Sharks
• 20^th Dec: away @ Nottingham Vipers
• 16^th Jan: away @ Solway Sharks
• 24^th Jan: home v Whitley Bay Beacons
• 30^th Jan:  away @ Solway Sharks
• 7^th Feb: away @ Whitley Bay Beacons
• 21^st Feb: away @ Sheffield Shadows
• 27^th Feb: home v Kingston Diamonds (Saturday!)
• 21^st Mar: away @ Whitley Bay Beacons
• 11^th Apr:  home v Kingston Diamonds
• 18^th Apr: home v Nottingham Vipers
• 25^th Apr: home v Sheffield Shadows
• 2^nd May: away @ Kingston Diamonds
• 9^th May: away @ Kingston Diamonds
• 16^th May: home v Sheffield Shadows

Match Report: Deeside D1 Dragons 12 - Sheffield Scimitars2 2 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Jake Witkowski scored 6 goals against Sheffield (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 13^th September 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 12 – Sheffield Scimitars 2

The Deeside D1 Dragons opened their 2026/27 Moralee Division season with a 12-2 win over Sheffield Scimitars at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Scimitars D1 team have been the whipping boys in the Moralee Division for the past few seasons and, with Deeside tipped to be challenging for honours again this season, this game was always likely to be a bit one-sided.

It took just 59 seconds of the first period for last season’s record breaking scorer Jake Witkowski to find the back of the net and a goal from Theo Malone 25 seconds later and then a second for Witkowski on 11 minutes saw the Dragons comfortably ahead.

Sheffield pulled a goal back but two more within 10 seconds of each other on 17 minutes – from Matty Barlow and Witkowski for his hat-trick - saw the Dragons leading 5-1 at the first period break.

The second period went pretty much the same way, with two more goals from Witkowksi edging Deeside further ahead before Sheffield pulled another goal back.

With just 5 seconds left in the period, summer signing Kane Morin scored his first goal for the Dragons and they led 8-2 at the second interval.

Jace Gledhill took over in goal from Curtis Warburton and the Dragons went on to out-shoot the Scimitars by a massive 22 to 7 in the final 20 minutes.  Gledhill turned away all 7 shots that he faced and the “goal-rush” continued with strikes from Ross Kennedy, Jake Witkowski (his 6^th of the game), Colin Cromie and then a second for Theo Malone with 5 seconds left on the clock.

The D1 Dragons are at home again this Sunday 20^th September when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

The new Deeside Dragons women’s team will be keen to continue their winning start to the season on Sunday when they travel to Hull and Back to face Kingston Diamonds in their first ever away game, 12.40 (noon) face off.

Mayhem Take Silver At Play Offs

Mayhem team at Play Offs (Photo by Lee White)

The Mayhem sledge team won the silver medal at the British Para Ice Hockey League play offs at Lee Valley over the weekend, after losing 5-0 – to Sheffield Steelkings in the final on Sunday. 

The semi finals on Saturday had seen league champions Sheffield Steelkings A easily sweep aside Cardiff Huskies 11-3 and then the Mayhem beat the Sheffield B team 0-4 in a much closer game. 

Anton Tomlinson opened the scoring for the Mayhem in the first period and two goals from Karl Nicholson saw them leading 0-3 at first break.  The second period played out goal-less and a hat-trick strike from Nicholson in the third saw the Mayhem progress to the final for the first since 2017.

Dan Hartshorn put in a superb display in the Mayhem goal to keep the “Stings” attack at bay, picking up his third shut-out of the season and Peggy Assinck was named Mayhem MVP.

The gold medal game against the Steelkings A team on Sunday was a different kettle of fish altogether. The Kings had dominated the league competition, easily winning the title with a 100% record.  They had shut out the Mayhem in both of their league encounters – winning 10-0 in Sheffield and 0-3 in Widnes – and were clearly odds-on favourites. 

And the game went to league form - the Mayhem team played their hearts out and didn’t give up until the final buzzer but it was not to be on the day.

While it is always disappointing to lose, this is the first time that the Mayhem have won the silver medal and it is their best performance at the play offs since they won the crown back in 2017.

In the 9 years since they formed as the Mayhem, they have won 1 gold, 1 silver and four bronze medals at the end of season jamboree.

Sledge Hockey 2026: Play Offs Weekend (12th & 13th September)

Double double winners Sheffield Steelkings (Photo by T Barber Photography) 

The Sheffield Steelkings A team won the British Para Ice Hockey League Play Off title for an unprecedented fourth time in a row after beating Manchester Mayhem 5-0 in the final at Lee Valley on Sunday.

They add the play off crown to the league title that they have already won this season, representing their second league and play off “double” in consecutive years.

The Steelkings got the weekend off to a flying start, beating Cardiff Huskies 11-3 in the first semi final on Saturday. The other semi final saw the Manchester Mayhem shut out the other Sheffield team - the Steelkings B (known as the “Stings”) – 0-4 to reach the final for the first time since 2017.

The third place game on Sunday saw the Cardiff beat the Stings 3-2 to deprive the Sheffield development side of their first ever play off medal.

Saturday 12^th September

• SF1:  Sheffield Steelkings 11 – Cardiff Huskies 3
• SF2: Sheffield Steelkings B 0 – Manchester Mayhem 4

Sunday 13^th September:

• 3^rd:  Sheffield Steelkings B 2 – Cardiff Huskies 3
• F: Sheffield Steelkings 5 – Manchester Mayhem 0

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 5 - Sheffield Scimitars2 6 - OTL (NIHL Laidler Division)

Cameron Kushnirenko was the D2 Dragons' MVP against Sheffield (Photo by Maxine Roscoe)

Saturday 12^th September 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 5 – Sheffield Scimitars2 6 (OTL)

The Deeside D2 Dragons narrowly lost their first home game of the new season with a frustrating 5-6 over time loss to Sheffield Scimitars at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The game saw a senior NIHL debut for youngster Lucas Betts - who is also playing for the Dragons U19 team this season - and a D2 Dragons debut for long-standing Deeside legend Marc Lovell who has been tempted out of retirement to add some extra experience to this youthful development side.

Deeside had the better of the first period and led 4-2 at the first break thanks to goals from James Parsons, Cameron Kushnirenko, Shannon Lingwood and a debut strike from another summer signing, Oli Howells.

Sheffield drew level during a penalty-rich second period and the score stood at 4-4 heading into the final 20 minutes.  Deeside edged ahead again with Parsons’ second goal of the game on 45 minutes but, despite having a couple of powerplay opportunities, they were not able to press on and finish the game off.

Sheffield drew level again with just 82 seconds left on the clock and then went on to win the game 2.51 into sudden death overtime.

Sheffield receive two league points for the OT win while Deeside get one point for having been level at the end of regulation time.

The D2 Dragons are next in action this Saturday 19^th September when they travel to face defending league champions Sutton Sting at iceSheffield. 

They are away again when they make the long trip to Billingham on 4^th October and are next at home over the weekend of 10^th & 11^th October when they have back to back home games against Coventry and Sutton.

Mayhem Play Offs Preview

The Mayhem team after their recent win away at Peterborough (Photo by Rox Photography)

The Mayhem sledge team are heading down to London this weekend to take part in the British Para Ice Hockey League end of season play offs.

The top four finishers in the league have qualified for the event, which takes place at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in east London and features four matches over Saturday and Sunday.

The two semi finals on Saturday are seeded, meaning that league champions Sheffield Steelkings A will play fourth place finishers Cardiff Huskies in the first game that faces off at 2.15pm.

The Mayhem – who finished in third place in the league table - will play runners up Steelkings B (the “Stings”) in the second semi-final at 5pm.

The Steelkings A team won the league title by some distance, winning all 8 of their league games and only conceding just 4 goals in total, so they would have to be firm favourites for winning their fourth play off title in a row – and second consecutive league and play off double.

The Kings beat Cardiff 4-1 at home and 1-5 away in their two league meetings this season so the Huskies will have to put in an inspirational performance if they are to win through to Sunday’s final.

The other semi final looks to be more evenly matched with just 1 goal separating the Mayhem and the Stings in their two games from the regular season.  The Mayhem beat the Stings 1-3 up in the Steel City before succumbing 0-4 at home in Widnes at the end of July.

The winners of the two semi finals will progress to the Play Off final, which faces off at 5pm on Sunday, with the two losing teams meeting in the earlier third place game, starting at 2.15pm.

Manchester Mayhem official website:  www.manchestermayhem.co.uk

For more information about the British Para Ice Hockey League, check out the official website at www.paraicehockey.co.uk 

Wild Women Add To Roster

Katie Adshead (Photo by David Law Photography)

The Widnes Wild Women continue to assemble their roster for the forthcoming 2026/27 WNIHL season in Division 1 North with the re-signing of several more members of last season’s Division 1 team.

Katie Adshead returns for her 8th season with the Wild team, having originally joined for the 2018/19 season. She has notched up 93 matches in that time, scoring 3 goals and 8 assists with 28 penalty minutes and was a key member of both the 2019/20 and 2024/25 title winning seasons.

As well as being Assistant Coach and Assistant Manager, Suzie Miller also returns to the Wild Women for her 7^th season as a player. To date she has played 76 games and contributed 4 assists from her defensive role.

Jennifer Hickey joined the Wild Women for the 2021/22 season and has played in 77 games overall. In her 4 seasons to date, she has contributed 7 goals and 14 assists and picked up just 10 penalty minutes.

Victoria Connelly is back for her fifth season as a Widnes player. She is a former Guildford Lightning Elite player, previously playing for the Bracknell Fire Bees and has made 38 appearances for the Wild Women over the past 4 seasons, scoring 8 goals and 6 assists. 

Ontario-born Lise Gillen brings a wealth of experience having played 3 seasons for the Guildford Lightning in the Women’s Elite League, as well as playing in her native Canada. She has played 40 games for Widnes over the past 4 seasons, scoring 17 goals and 13 assists.

The Wild Women start their league campaign in women’s Division 1 North on Sunday 20^th September when they take on Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Match Report: Nottingham Lions 2 - Deeside D2 Dragons 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Leo Hyman
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 6^th September 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Nottingham Lions 2 - Deeside D2 Dragons 4

The Deeside D2 Dragons got their new NIHL Laidler Division season off to a winning start on Sunday with a 2-4 victory away to Nottingham Lions.

They trailed to an early goal but fought back to take the win with goals from Charlie Spridgeon, Oliver Massey and two from James Parsons.  Netminder Leo Hyman was named MVP for the Dragons.

(Note: awaiting full gamesheet information...)

The D2 Dragons are at home this Saturday 12^th September when they play the Sheffield Scimitars Division 2 team (previously known as the Sheffield Titans) at Deeside Leisure Centre. The game has a later than usual face-off time of 6.30pm.

Deeside Dragons v Telford Tigers Pre-Season Weekend

New Deeside netminder Curtis Warburton (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Saturday 5^th September 2026 – Challenge Match: Telford Tigers 2 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5

Sunday 6^th September 2026 – Challenge Match: Deeside D1 Dragons 4 - Telford Tigers 1

The Deeside D1 Dragons opened their season with back to back challenge match victories over fierce rivals Telford Tigers over the weekend, winning 2-5 away in Shropshire on Saturday and 4-1 at home at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The away game on Saturday saw Dragons debuts for summer signings Curtis Warburton, Kane Morin and Lewis Baldwin and also call-ups for D2 Dragons players Lewis Edward and Ben Roscoe.

Deeside took the lead with a goal from Noah Percival on 5 minutes and the score remained 0-1 at the first period break.

Matty Barlow edged the Dragons further ahead 2 minutes into the second period and further goals from Damarni James, Colin Cromie and Ross Kennedy saw them leading 0-5 at the halfway point of the game.

In comparison to some of last year’s tempestuous meetings between the two teams, this was a relatively tame encounter but Telford eventually got going and scored a goal of their own on 36 minutes, leaving the score at 1-5 at the second interval.

The Tigers scored the only goal of the third period on 55 minutes and the game finished 2-5 to the Dragons.

Deeside outshot Telford by 48 to 32 over the 60 minutes and new netminder Warburton put in an impressive display, keeping out all 10 of the shots that he faced before handing over to Jace Gledhill half way through the game.

Sunday’s return match started off with a goal-less first period and the deadlock was eventually broken with a Colin Cromie goal 70 seconds into the second period. 

A second goal from the same player 4 minutes later doubled the Dragons advantage but Telford pressure was eventually rewarded with a goal on 27 minutes.

Summer signing Ryan Wardell took over in goal from Curtis Warburton at the half way stage to make his Dragons debut and went to record a half “shut out” as he turned away all 15 shots that he faced.

Damarni James scored for the second game in a row on 35 minutes and the Dragons led 3-1 at the second interval.  The only goal of the third period came from the stick of Dragons’ U18 GB international Theo Malone to hand Deeside a 4-1 victory.

The competitive league season starts this Sunday 13th September for the D1 Dragons as they take on Sheffield Scimitars in the NIHL Moralee Division at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Deeside Dragons Women's First League Game

Deeside Dragons women's team play their first ever game (Photo by Adam Bassett)

Saturday 5^th September 2026 – WNIHL Div 2 N: Deeside Dragons Women 13 – Leeds Thorns 1

The Deeside Dragons women’s team opened their debut league campaign with a comprehensive 13-1 victory over Leeds Thorns at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

It has been 16 years since a women’s team last played out of the north Wales rink and it was rather fitting that the first goal of this new era was scored by former Flintshire Furies player – now Dragons player coach - Emma Pearson after 6 minutes and 21 seconds of the first period.

Further goals followed – from Niamh Walsh, Charlotte McAdam and Lucy Kirkham – and the Dragons Women led 4-0 at the first period break.

The visiting Leeds team put in a spirited performance but were no match for Deeside and the Dragons scored two more goals – from Grace Taylor on 24 minutes and McAdam again on 29 – before they managed to find the back of the net for the only time of the game on 33 minutes.

Deeside responded quickly with a goal from Ava Langford just 50 seconds later, a strike from Alicia Smith on 36 minutes and a hat-trick goal for Mc Adam with just 53 seconds left in the period.  The Dragons took a 9-1 lead into the second interval and looked well in control.

The third period continued in similar vein with Deeside well on top and outshooting the visitors by some 3 to 1 overall. Goals from Teagan Walsh, Niamh Walsh, Ava Langford and Lucy Kirkham rounded off the scoring for the game and the Dragons women were able to celebrate their maiden league victory.

Chloe Smith was the Dragons Women's MVP against Leeds (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Despite being the less busy of the two netminders, Chloe Smith put in a solid performance in the Deeside goal in her fist ever senior WNIHL game, narrowly missed out on getting a shut out and was named MVP for her sterling efforts. The MVP award for Leeds went to Grace Eggett.

Talking afterwards about the game, Dragons player coach and overall Women’s Lead at Deeside, Emma Pearson said:

“Yesterday was an incredible start to the first ever season for the Dragons women's team. There hasn't been a women's team at Deeside for around 16 years and to see all the people who came down to support us was just amazing.”

“We had a lot of under 16s and girls who have just turned 16 icing and that was the main reason why we wanted to set the team up. We want them to have somewhere to progress to and to help keep them in the sport after they turn 16. I'm very proud of the team and what we have achieved so far.”

The full Deeside squad for this historic first league game was:

Chloe Smith (NM), Ava Langford, Emma Pearson (Player/ Coach) , Lucy Kirkham (C) , Grace Taylor, Sophie Royle, Jessica Petley, Autumn Lennon, Niamh Walsh, Teagan Walsh, Alicia Smith, Katie Jenkinson, Jenny Wild, Eleanor Johnson, Charlotte McAdam, Emily Davies, Lana Botes.

Bench Coaches: Phil Pearson, Gary Shaw, Dave Clancy & Stewart Cutting,

Match Officials: George Perrett & Adam Hedges

 

The Dragons women’s team have three away games in a row now – at Kingston (Hull) Diamonds on 20^th September, Manchester Storm on 3^rd October and Nottingham Vipers on 10^th October.  They are next at home on Saturday 17^th October when they take on Kingston at Deeside Leisure Centre, 6.30pm face off.

 

The full list of fixtures for the Dragons Women’s 2026/27 WNIHL season is as follows:

• Sat 5^th Sept: Home v Leeds Thorns (won 13-1)
• Sun 20^th Sep: Away @ Kingston Diamonds
• Sat 3rd Oct: Away @ Manchester Storm
• Sat 10^th Oct: Away @ Nottingham Vipers
• Sat 17^th Oct: Home v Kingston Diamonds - 6.30pm
• Sat 31st Oct: Home v Whitley Bay Beacons - 6pm
• Sun 8^th Nov: Away @ Nottingham Vipers
• Sat 14^thNov: Away @ Manchester Storm
• Sat 28^th Nov: Away @ Whitley Bay Beacons (at Dumfries)
• Sun 6^th Dec: Away @ Leeds Thorns
• Sun 10^th Jan: Away @ Kingston Diamonds
• Sat 6^th Feb: Home v Leeds Thorns - 5.45pm
• Sat 13^th Feb: Home v Nottingham Vipers - 6pm
• Sat 20^th Mar: Home v Whitley Bat Beacons - 6.15pm
• Sat 3rd April: Away @ Whitley Bay Beacons (at Dumfries)
• Sat 10^th April: Home v Kingston Diamonds - 6pm
• Sat 17^th Apr: Home v Manchester Storm - 6pm
• Sat 24^th Apr: Home v Manchester Storm - 6pm
• Sat 1^st May: Home v Nottingham Vipers - 6pm
• Sat 15^th May: Away @ Leeds Thorns

Deeside Dragons In Charity Cricket Match

Deeside Dragons "Blades" cricket team. Back row:  Jace Gledhill, Steve Fellows, Jared Dickinson, Rhys Stout, Shaun Bebbington, Noah Percival, Colin Cromie, Front Row: Ross Kennedy, MJ Clancy, Ethan Mayoh, Ben Roscoe, Mike Clancy, Alan Steele 

The Deeside Dragons ice hockey team swapped their sticks for bats on Bank Holiday Monday as they played a charity cricket match against Connah’s Quay Cricket Club in aid of the Blood Bikes Wales charity.

The match was part of an overall family fun day held at the North Wales cricket venue which also offered games & stalls, food & refreshments, raffle and tombola and live music.

The game was played as a “Pairs” game rather than the traditional format and, for the record, the CQCC Batz scored 390 for 8 off 24 overs and the Deeside Dragons Blades scored 350 for 14 off 24 overs, with the Batz starting on 200 and the Blades on 300*.

The Dragons team was made up of: Jace Gledhill, Steven Fellows, Jared Dickinson, Rhys Stout, Shaun Bebbington, Noah Percival, Colin Cromie, Ross Kennedy, MJ Clancy, Ethan Mayoh, Ben Roscoe, Mike Clancy and Alan Steele.

The top scorers for the Dragons were Rhys Stout with 20 runs and Ben Roscoe with 18 - and Mali Auty and Josh Clarke got 32 and 24 respectively for Connah’s Quay.

With the ball in hand, Ross Kennedy took 2 wickets for 23 runs and Ben Roscoe 2 for 7 for the Blades, while Luke Bennet took 4 for 11 and George Cottrell 2 for 11 runs for the Batz.

Sports fans will, no doubt, be hoping to see a return match on ice at some stage where the Dragons players will probably have the upper hand...

*For the benefit of the uninitiated, "Google AI" describes Pairs Cricket as follows:

In pairs cricket (common in junior and school formats), each team starts with a baseline score like 200 runs. Batters face a set number of overs as pairs (usually 3 or 4 overs per pair). When a wicket falls, 5 runs are deducted from the team total, but the batters keep batting and swap ends.

 

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Lucy had done cricket scoring before I met her and, when I introduced her to ice hockey, she noted the similarities between the two - otherwise quite disparate - sports in terms of record keeping and player statistics. She subsequently became a keen and very accurate gamesheet scorer for ice hockey.

She has also commented on other similarities between the two sports:

“There are partially disabled cricket teams - national mixed-disability teams, county-level softball and hardball squads, and regional disability champion clubs supporting players with physical, learning, and hearing problems. So that is another similarity between ice hockey and cricket, as Para Ice Hockey is also played regularly.”

In white ball (limited overs) cricket, each team has a powerplay where they are fielding restrictions in place.

In the Hundred, each team an call a strategic “Time Out” of up to 90 seconds. They can choose when they use it. The coach can walk out to the middle of the ground and discuss tactics with their players during the time out.

Incidentally, “Timed Out” is also a method of dismissal in cricket. It occurs when an incoming batsman is not ready to play within two minutes of the previous batsman being out (or 90 seconds in T20 matches). It is very rare to be out in such a fashion, and has never occurred in any international match.”

You can find out more about Blood Bikes Wales – or make a donation - on their website at https://www.bloodbikes.wales/

New Deeside Dragons Women's Team Play First Game this Saturday.

Deeside Dragons Coaches Emma Dutton, Phil Pearson, Emma Pearson and Josh Grocutt (Photo by Katy Lennon)

The new Deeside Dragons women’s team play their first ever league game this Saturday 5^th September when they take on Leeds Thorns in WNIHL Division 2 North at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.45pm face off.

Doors open at 5pm and admision is free!

There hasn’t been a women’s team at Deeside since the demise of the Flintshire Furies back in 2010 and the opening games of the season will represent a steep learning curve for the new-look team.

The Dragons Women have a good mix of ages and abilities with a number of former Deeside juniors on their roster, a few former Furies and some other experienced players who have joined from other teams.

They will play in the B (Elizabeth) Section of Division 2 North which will see them take on Leeds, Nottingham, Kingston (Hull), Whitley Bay and also near rivals Manchester Storm twice home and twice away for a 20-game season.  

Read more about the coaching line-up HERE

and you can follow all the news about the new Deeside Dragons Women’s team on their Facebook page HERE

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The Deeside D1 Dragons are back on the ice action this weekend when they play fierce rivals Telford Tigers in back to back challenge matches.

They travel away to Shropshire on Saturday 5^th September and play the return home game at home on Sunday 6th September at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

The competitive league season starts the following weekend when the Dragons are at home to Sheffield Scimitars on Sunday 13^th September at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Wild Women Prepare For New Season

Leen de Decker
(Photo by Paul Breeze) 

The Widnes Wild Women have announced their coaching team in preparation for the new 2026/27 WNIHL season.

Steve Furber returns as Head Coach supported by Leen De Decker and Suzie Miller as Player / Coaches.

It is the same coaching group that oversaw the Wild Women’s successful Division 2 North title winning campaign in 2024/25 and then enjoy their best season since 2017 in the higher Division 1 North (previously known as the “Women’s Premier League”) last season after being promoted.

De Decker’s presence as a player on the ice will be crucial in the new season as she is the club’s all-time highest points scorer with 112 goals and 48 assists in 108 games.  She was one of the founder members of the Wild Women when the former Manchester Phoenix team moved en-bloc to Widnes from nearby Altrincham in the summer of 2015.

She had previously played 8 seasons for Kingston Diamonds before arriving at Widnes via Manchester. She was, until recently, the most capped player for her native Belgium with 52 World Championship games under her belt, along with 3 WC bronze medals and 1 silver medal.

Two more of the Wild Women “originals” have also re-signed for this season.

Netminder Stephanie Drinkwater holds the club record for appearances with 123 over the eleven years of the Wild Women’s history – but only 10 seasons as there was no competition in the 2020/21 season due to Covid closures.

Vanessa Crickmore-Clarke is a highly experienced attacker turned defender who won 5 league titles with the Sunderland Scorpions in her native north east and then spent 9 seasons playing with the Flintshire Furies at Deeside and Phoenix at Altrincham before the move to Widnes.

In an impressive career to date, Vanessa has played some 400 competitive games in total, including 84 for Widnes.

Drinkwater, Crickmore-Clarke and de Decker were all key members of the Widnes team that won league titles in 2019/20 and 2024/25.

The Wild Women will be playing in WNIHL Division 1 North again this season and have been holding player trials at their weekly training sessions. They are always keen to hear from prospective new squad members and players with higher league or international experience are especially welcome.

Anybody interested is asked to contact the team via Facebook or by email to widneswildwomen@gmail.com

Sledge Hockey 2026: Weekend Round-Up #14 (31st August)

The regular season schedule for the 2026 British Para Ice Hockey League was brought to a close with Manchester Mayhem recording a 0-9 shut-out win away to Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.

Dean Lahan led the scoring with 3+2, Karl Nicholson scored twice and Emily McLean, Anton Tomlinson, Mark Colquitt and Peggy Assinck all got a goal each.

Peterborough put in another battling performance but couldn’t get past the Mayhem defence and netminder Dan Hartshorn was able to record a 7-shot shut out – his second clean sheet of the season.

The result means that the league table finishes with a fascinating three-way tie for second place with Sheffield Steelkings B team (the Stings) the Mayhem and Cardiff Huskies all level on 8 points each.

Under league regulations, teams that finish level on points are separated in the league standings by head to head results in matches between them.  With three teams involved, it becomes more complicated but, in the current situation, the Stings finish up as league runners up – 8 points behind league champions Sheffield Steelkings A – as they have superior playing records against both the Mayhem and the Huskies.

The Mayhem finish in third place as they have a better record against Cardiff who end up in fourth, and then  Peterborough prop up the final table with 8 defeats from their 8 league games this season, thus missing out on the end of season play offs.

For more information about the British Para Ice Hockey League, check out the official website at www.paraicehockey.co.uk 

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 2 – Milton Keynes Thunder 12 (Challenge Match)

Dragons' MVP Joe Everitt (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 30^th August 2026 – Challenge Match: Deeside D2 Dragons 2 – Milton Keynes Thunder 12

The Landstruction Deeside D2 Dragons continued their pre-season programme with a robustly contested 2 -12 challenge match defeat at home to Milton Keynes Thunder at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

Teams from NIHL North don’t play against teams from the south very often and, with Milton Keynes making their first visit to Deeside in over 30 years, this fixture was very much an unknown quantity.

The game saw home Dragons debuts for summer signings Oliver Massey, Joe Everitt, Ben Fox and Oli Howells and former Deeside juniors Jake Lowndes and Sophie Davies.

It was fairly close in its early stages. Milton Keynes took the lead after 3 minutes but Deeside snatched an equaliser with just 1 second left in the first period with a maiden goal from Joe Everitt.

Oliver Massey (Photo by View
From Up Here Photography)

The Thunder edged ahead again on 23 minutes but a goal from another new Deeside player – Oliver Massey, on 29 minutes - levelled the score again.  Three unanswered goals followed for Milton Keynes and they finished the second period with a commanding 2-5 lead. 

The visitors scored again just 36 seconds into the third period and ran away with the game after that.

The game was punctuated with niggly fouls throughout, with the two teams amassing 40 penalty minutes between them and, in between sin-bin visits, a further 6 Milton Keynes goals followed for a final scoreline of 2-12.

A positive aspect of the game was that the new players look to be settling in well and Joe Everitt was named Most Valuable Player for the new look Deeside team.

The D2 Dragons start their Laidler Division campaign this Saturday 5^th September when they travel away to face the Nottingham Lions, 7.20pm face off. Their first home league game is the following Saturday 12^th September when they entertain Sheffield at Deeside Leisure Centre in a later than usual 6.40pm face off.

Match Report: Peterborough Phantoms 0 – Mayhem 9 (BPIHL Match #20)

Peterborough Phantoms v Manchester Mayhem - both teams (Photo by Rox Photography)

Sunday 30^th August 2026 – BPIHL Match #20: Peterborough Phantoms 0 – Mayhem 9

The Mayhem sledge team rounded off their regular season schedule with a 0-9 shut-out win away to bottom team Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.

Dean Lahan opened the scoring for the visitors on 3 minutes and, by the end of the first period, the lead had been extended to 0-4 thanks to strikes from Emily McLean, Lahan again and Karl Nicholson.

The second period continued in similar vein with Peterborough defending valiantly but the Mayhem enjoying most of the play.  Five unanswered goals – from Nicholson, Anton Tomlinson, Lahan for his hat-trick, Mark Colquitt and Peggy Assinck – gave them an unassailable lead and the score stood at 0-9 at the second period break.

With the game well and truly won by that point, the Mayhem eased off the gas and the third period played out goal-less.

Dean Lahan was named MVP for the Mayhem for his haul of three goals and two assists while netminder Dan Hartshorn was able to record a 7-shot shut out – his second clean sheet of the season.

Dean Lahan was the Mayhem's top scorer away at Peterborough (Photo by Rox Photography)

The win means that the Mayhem finish the season in a fascinating three-way tie for second place in the final league table, level on 8 points with both Sheffield Steelkings B team (the Stings) and Cardiff Huskies.

Under league regulations, teams that finish level on points are separated in the league standings by head to head results in matches between them.  With three teams involved, it becomes more complicated but, in the current situation, the Stings finish up as league runners up – 8 points behind league champions Sheffield Steelkings A – as they have superior playing records against both the Mayhem and the Huskies.

The Mayhem finish in third place as they have a better record against Cardiff who end up in fourth, and then  Peterborough prop up the final table with 8 defeats from their 8 league games this season, thus missing out on the end of season play offs.

The Play Offs take place at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in east London over the weekend of 12^th and 13^th September.

The semi final match-ups are seeded, meaning that League winners Sheffield A will take on fourth place finishers Cardiff in the first semi final and Sheffield B will play the Mayhem – who finished second and third respectively - in the other game on the Saturday.

The two losing semi-finalists will meet in the 3^rd place play off game on the Sunday and that will be followed by the two winners meeting in the final.

The Mayhem won the Play Off final back in 2017 and have finished in third place four times since then - in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2025.

Manchester Mayhem official website:  www.manchestermayhem.co.uk

For more information about the British Para Ice Hockey League, check out the official website at www.paraicehockey.co.uk 

Mayhem Players On GB Duty

Felicity Gregory, Dean Lahan, Mark Colquitt, Karl Nicholson and Daniel Hartshorm (Photo by Rox Photography)

A number of players and team staff from the Mayhem sledge team were involved with the Great Britain international side at the weekend as they took part in a 4 game challenge series against Ukraine at the Lee Valley Ice Centre in east London.

Karl Nicholson, Dean Lahan, Felicity Gregory and Mark Colquitt were already experienced international players but the tournament saw a GB debut for Mayhem netminder Daniel Hartshorn.

This was quite an impressive achievement as he only started playing in goal last season having previously played out as a defenceman.

Talking about his first international experience, Hartshorn said: 

 “Pulling on the GB jersey and representing my country for the first time was an incredibly proud moment and something I’ll never forget. The whole weekend was a fantastic experience, and what impressed me most was seeing how much we grew as a team. With every game we became stronger, fought harder and learned more about each other.”

“It was also a real privilege to share the ice with the Ukraine team. They were an incredible group of players, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to play alongside and against them over the weekend. Their skill, determination and spirit made the experience even more memorable.”

“To finish the weekend by being named MVP in our final game was a huge personal honour, but having such supportive teammates and coaches around me made the whole experience even more special. I gave everything I had out there, and hopefully this is just the beginning of my journey with GB.”

The Ukraine team provided tough opposition and, despite some battling performances from the British team, managed to win all 4 games.  They won the first game on Friday 1-3, the game on Saturday morning 1-3, the game on Saturday afternoon 0-3 and the final game on Sunday 0-2 for a 4-0 series win.

Mayhem players Lahan and Nicholson scored the two Team GB goals. Peggy Assinck and her brother Patrick were team coaches for the GB team and Peter Hagan helped out in an off-ice capacity.

The Saturday afternoon also saw an exhibition game to showcase the GB Women’s team against a composite side made up of GB and Ukraine men’s players and coaches.  

Mayhem player Emily Maclean played for the GB women with Karl Nicolson as head coach while Peter Hagan was bench coach for the select team. The game finished as a 0-7 win for the Ukraine select.

The Mayhem are back in league action this weekend after the international break with an away trip to face bottom side Peterborough Phantoms on Sunday.

It is the last game of the regular league schedule and, if the Mayhem win, they will finish in third place in the final table, which will give them a more favourable draw in the Play Offs which will take place at Lee Valley on 12/13^th September. 

Match Report: Bradford Bulldogs 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 5 (Challenge Match)

Deeside D2 Dragons, August 2026 (Photo by Dragons IHC)

Sunday 23rd August 2026 - Challenge Match: Bradford Bulldogs 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 5

The D2 Dragons played their first game of the new season on Sunday when they travelled to face Bradford Bulldogs in a pre-season challenge match.

Having trailed 3-1 at the end of the first period, they fought back to draw 5-5 in the third before conceding a late Bulldogs goal to narrowly lose out 6-5.

A number of the new signings made their first appearances in the new-look Dragons line–up and there was also a late call-up for former Deeside junior and GB international player Sophie-Rose Davies who was making her senior men’s / mixed debut.

Davies scored a goal and was named MVP in her first Dragons NIHL level game.  The other goals came from James Parsons, Shannon Lingwood, Noah Percival and Lewis Edward.

The D2 Dragons are at home this Sunday 30^th August when they take on Milton Keynes Thunder of NIHL South Division 2 in a challenge game at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Deeside D2 Dragons Complete Roster

Deeside D2 Dragons' Cameron Kushnirenko (Photo by Keith & Kenny Davies)

The Deeside D2 Dragons have put the finishing touches to their roster ahead of the forthcoming 2026/27 Laidler Division season with the return of several more players and two new signings.

Popular defenceman Cameron Kushnirenko is back for his second season with the Deeside development side.

He scored 6 goals and 9 assists last season and also had the dubious honour of receiving the most penalty minutes in the whole of the Laidler Division – with 85 minutes in his 19 league games, and 103 in all competitions.

Luke Wainwright with Rory Sillery (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Luke Wainwright and Rory Sillery both return for their third season with the D2 team, having both originally signed up for the Ducks – as they were then called – back in 2024.

Since then, Sillery has played 50 senior games, scoring 2 goals and 2 assists, while Wainwright has scored 2 goals in 33 games. 

Former Deeside Junior Thomas Chong is back for his second season, having scored 3 goals and 3 assists in 24 games for the D2 Dragons last season, and netminder Miles Radford also returns.

The D2 Dragons have also signed two promising young players from near rivals Telford.

Former Telford junior Callum O’Reilly played 21 games for the Tigers during the 2024/25 season but didn’t play competitively last year. Luke Everitt – is also a graduate of the Telford junior system and made his senior NIHL debut last season.  

The D2 Dragons play the first game of the new season this Sunday 23rd August when they travel to face Bradford Bulldogs in a pre-season challenge match. They are at home for the first time next Sunday 30^th August when they take on Milton Keynes Thunder of NIHL South Division 2 in a challenge game at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.