Deeside Dragons D1 and D2 Play Off Arrangements Confirmed

Arrangements have now been confirmed for the D1 and D2 Dragons’ play off quarter final matches this weekend.

The D1 Dragons are playing local rivals Widnes Wild in back to back matches with the home game being this Saturday 28th March at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.30pm face off, and the away leg in Widnes the next day, also starting at 5.30pm.

Both games will be ticket only and tickets must be purchased online before the game.

Deeside home game (Saturday): https://shop.dragonsihc.com/tf_event/deeside-dragons-v-widnes-wild/

Widnes home game (Sunday): https://iceaccount.co.uk/widnes-wild/event-tickets/?event_id=8432

The D2 Dragons take part in the play off for the first time this season, having finished 6th in the Laidler Division table.

They will meet 3^rd place finishers Coventry Blaze in back to back games in the quarter finals this weekend with the away game being played in Coventry on Saturday and the home game in Deeside on Sunday, 5.15pm start.

Tickets for this game will be available on the door as usual.

Match Report: Nottingham Vipers 6 - Widnes Wild Women 1(NIHL Division 1 North)

Ilyssa Flemington scored the Wild Women's goal away to Nottingham (Photo by All Sports Photography)

Sunday 22^nd March 2026 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Nottingham Vipers 6 - Widnes Wild Women 1

The Widnes Wild Women slumped to a 6-1 defeat away to Nottingham Vipers on Sunday.

Having been hammered 15-1 by the same opposition on their previous visit to the imposing surroundings of the National Ice Centre - with its impressive 7.500 capacity arena - back in mid-December, this result could reasonably be looked upon as an improvement.

However, in the light of a 3-1 home victory over the Vipers in January and last weekend’s encouraging 8-7 win over Solway Sharks, there might have been hopes of bringing something back from the Lace City on this occasion.

Nottingham were pretty much on top of things right from the start and the somewhat over-worked netminder Stephanie Drinkwater performed her usual heroics in the Widnes goal, doing a very good job of keeping the score down. 

The hosts were 4-0 up by the time the consolation goal  by Ilyssa Flemington at least gave the travelling fans something to cheer about and Widnes now have three weeks to regroup before their next game.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 12^th April when they take on mid-table Sheffield Shadows at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off. 

The 2026 NIHL Play Offs Explained

The regular season schedules for the 4 regional divisions in NIHL North and South were completed at the weekend and attention now shifts to the end of the season play offs. 

The top 8 finishing teams in each NIHL regional division qualify for the quarter finals and the pairings for the ties are decided by final league positions, with the higher finishing teams getting the easier draws.

The team that finishes in 1^st place in the table plays the team that finishes 8^th, 2^nd plays 7^th, 3^rd plays 6^th and 4^th plays 5^th.

The teams will meet in a home and away two-legged tie over the weekend of 28^th & 29^th March and the winners will meet in two-legged semi finals the weekend after on 4^th and 5^th April.

The winners of the semi final ties in all 4 divisions – North 1 & 2 and South 1 & 2 - will meet in one-off finals at the Steel City Showdown weekend, which takes place at iceSheffield over the weekend of 11^th & 12^th April.

The weekend programme is as follows:

Saturday 11^th April

• 10.15:  Laidler (N2) Play Off Final
• 13.15:  Wilkinson (S2) Play Off Final
• 16.15:  Moralee (N1) Play Off Final
• 19.15:  Britton (S1) Play Off Final

Sunday 12^th April

• 13.00:  National Champions Div 2 Final
• 16.30:  National Champions Div 1 Final

Advance tickets for the play off weekend can be purchased via the England Ice Hockey website HERE

Dragon Jake Sets New Points Record

Jake Witkowski
(Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Deeside Dragons’ star American forward Jake Witkowski has set a new Moralee Division record for points scored in a single league season.

Following a haul of 3 goals and 2 assists in the last two games of the regular season, his final tally of 138 points (66 goals and 72 assists) beats the previous record of 133 (65+68), which was set by Jason Hewitt of Hull Seahawks in 2018/19.

Damarni James Handed 4-Game Suspension

Deeside D1 Dragons' Damarni James (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

D1 Dragons’ Damarni James missed the weekend games against Billingham after being handed a 4 game suspension by England Ice Hockey’s disciplinary panel.

The decision follows an incident in the first period of the away game at Telford on 14^th March.

James was given a 5 minute penalty for fighting by the referee at the time but, after a video review, the Department of Player Safety has given him a three game ban for fighting plus one game for exceeding 10 disciplinary points. They observed: “Fighting an unwilling combatant. Player was the aggressor, removing his gloves before throwing multiple punches.”

The England Ice Hockey Department of Player Safety (DOPS) has a system which involves the accumulation of disciplinary points for committing offences and receiving penalties prior to, during and after games.

When a player or team has accrued a certain number of points – according to a fixed scale – sanctions such as suspensions or fines can be imposed.

James had already received a 2-game ban earlier in the season following an incident in the cup semi final against Blackburn in January.  This latest suspension takes him over the threshold of 10 disciplinary points, which has led to the additional game ban.

James will also miss the home and away play off quarter final games this weekend but will be eligible for selection for the semi finals, should the Dragons get that far.

Telford’s Joshua Hustwick has also been given a 4 game ban for an illegal check to the head which sparked the incident.  He was given 2 minutes for cross checking, 2 minutes for roughing and 5 minutes for fighting at the time.

The DOPS further commented: “Player delivered a two-handed cross-check to a stationary opponent behind the net. Hands were high, with follow-through, and the head/neck area was first point of contact, recklessly endangering his opponent.”

Dragons’ popular enforcer Will Harper got a 2 minute penalty for roughing and 2 minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct in the fracas but has escaped any further sanction.

You can see the whole incident unfold from 41.30 onwards on the match video HERE 

Deeside Dragons v Billingham Stars Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Dan Fadejevs scored against Billingahm on Saturday (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography) 

Saturday 21st March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 5 – Billingham Stars 4

Sunday 22nd March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Billingham Stars 7 - Deeside D1 Dragons 3

The Deeside D1 Dragons rounded off their Moralee Division regular league season with a mixed weekend beating Billingham Stars 5-4 at home on Saturday and then losing 7-3 to the same opposition away in the North East on Sunday.

Saturday’s home game was the Dragons’ first since they clinched the runners up spot in the league and there was quite a party atmosphere with a sizable, vocal crowd.

There were display stands for the Andy’s Men’s Club men’s health charity and Blood Bikes Wales and an exhibition of the rather bizarre game of “Bubble Football” on the ice during the break.

Jake Witkowski opened the scoring for the Dragons in the 3^rd minute with a goal that meant he had beaten the previous record for points scored in a single season in the Moralee Division.

Dan Fadejevs put Deeside further ahead on 9 minutes but Billingham pulled a goal back just 14 seconds later and the score remained 2-1 at the first period break.

This game was extremely close throughout and Billingham equalised on 23 minutes.  However, goals from Ross Kennedy on 28 minutes and Jake Witkowski on 37 minutes saw the Dragons leading 4-2 and the second interval.

Billingham fought back again in the third period and fired in two more goals to level the score at 4-4 with 5 minutes left to play.

Undaunted by this late setback, the Dragons dug deep and Colin Cromie scored the winning goal on 57 minutes on a powerplay, punishing a Stars hooking call, to hand Deeside a narrow, close fought 5-4 victory.

Billingham were quickest out of the blocks on Sunday and raced to a 3-goal lead before Jake Witkowski finally found the back of the net for the Dragons on 18 minutes.

Colin Cromie further narrowed the deficit two minutes into the second period but two more goals for the hosts saw them leading 5-2 and the second break.

Billingham scored twice more in the third period to open up a 7-2 lead and, although Ross Kennedy pulled another goal back for Deeside on 55 minutes, it was too little too late and the Stars coasted to a 7-3 victory.

With his 3 goals and 2 assists at the weekend, Jake Witkowski set a new Moralee Division record for points scored in a single league season. His tally of 138 points (66 goals and 72 assists) beats the previous record of 133 (65+68), which was set by Jason Hewitt of Hull Seahawks in 2018/19.

Despite Sunday’s defeat, Deeside finish the regular season in second place in the league table with 28 wins from their 36 games. They finish 11 points behind champions Blackburn Hawks and 5 ahead of Solihull Barons who finish 3^rd.

The Dragons’ attentions now shift to the end of season play offs where they will meet local rivals Widnes Wild in back to back games in the quarter finals this weekend.

Deeside beat Widnes in all four of their league meetings during the regular season and will be hoping to carry their excellent recent form into the knockout games. But play off hockey can be unpredictable and there is no such thing as a certainty.

The D2 Dragons have also qualified for the playoffs in the Laidler Division and will face Coventry Blaze over two legs in their quarter final tie this weekend.

Find out more about Andy’s Man Club HERE

Find out more about Blood Bikes Wales HERE

and find out more about Spartacus Bubble Soccer HERE

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 7 – Bradford Bulldogs 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Thomas Chong was the D2 Dragons' MVP against Bradford (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 22nd March 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 7 – Bradford Bulldogs 4

The Deeside D2 Dragons rounded off their Laidler Division regular league season with a 7-4 victory over Bradford Bulldogs at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Dragons took the lead in the 5^th minute with a delayed penalty goal from James Shaw but Bradford equalised 2 minutes later and the score remained 1-1 at the first period break.

Deeside had the upper hand in the second period and two unanswered goals from Thomas Chong (his first ever senior NIHL goals) on 23 and 35 minutes saw them leading 3-1 at the second break.

The third period started with a bit of a goal fest as two quick goals - from Liam Yarwood and Charlie Spridgeon – edged the Dragons further ahead but two more goals for Bradford cancelled them out.

Spridgeon scored again on 54 minutes and Karl Bacon found the back of the net 4 minutes later to give the Dragons an unassailable lead and a last gasp goal for Bradford with just 14 seconds to go on the clock left the final score at 7-4 to Deeside.

The D2 Dragons have finished in 6^th place in the Laidler Division table, meaning that they have qualified for the end of season play offs for the first time. 

They will now meet 3^rd place finishers Coventry Blaze in back to back games in the quarter finals this weekend.

Match Report: Connah’s Quay Cobras 10 – Shropshire Huskies 6 (Challenge Match)

George Spofforth was the Cobras' MVP against Shropshire (Photo by Scott Dutton)

Sunday 15^th March 2026 – Challenge Match: Connah’s Quay Cobras 10 – Shropshire Huskies 6

The Connah’s Quay Cobras returned to winning ways with a 10-6 victory over Telford-based Shropshire Huskies in their latest challenge match at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The game was pretty close in its early stages and the first goal didn’t come until the 10^th minute when Sam Plant gave the Cobras the lead.

Shropshire hit back almost immediately but three more Connah’s Quay goals – from Louis Ellwood, Martyn Rybka and Ellwood again – gave the home side a clear lead.  Another Huskies goal with just 19 seconds left in the period closed the gap slightly and the score stood at 4-2 at the first break.

The second period was quite even in terms of possession and shots on goal but Connah’s Quay made the most of their chances and unanswered goals from Plant, Slavomir Sykora and George Spofforth saw them leading 7-2 at the second interval.

Sam Plant scored his hat-trick goal on 45 minutes but Shropshire fired in three quick goals of their own – within 72 seconds of each other – to narrow the score to 8-5.

Spofforth’s second goal of the game on 55 minutes steadied the ship somewhat and then Martin Stolicny fired in 45 seconds later to put the Cobras into double figures.  

Shropshire scored the final goal of the game on a powerplay with just 3 seconds left on the clock and the match finished 10-6 to the Cobras, with George Spofforth being named MVP for his 2 goals and 1 assist.

Thomas Warburton Completes Half Marathon For Alder Hey Charity

Young Dragons player Thomas Warburton with his Liverpool Half Marathon finishers medla (Photo by Lee Warburton)

Kind hearted young Deeside ice hockey player Thomas Warburton took part in his first ever half marathon on Sunday to raise funds for the Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

He ran the 13.1 mile course of the annual Liverpool Half Marathon – which started at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium and took in many of the city’s famous landmarks before finishing at the Pier Head, set against the iconic backdrop of the Three Graces - in 2 hours and 6 minutes and has, to date, raised over £600 for this worthy cause.

Warburton is a Deeside Dragons Junior club player and has been playing with the Under 19 team this season. He has also made a number of appearances with the D2 Dragons side as part of their policy of giving senior league experience to promising younger players.

Thomas explained why he decided to rub shoulders with some 15000 other runners and undertake the half marathon:

“I’m raising money for children at Alder Hey who are living with long-term illness and can’t fight their battles on their own.”

“I chose Alder Hey because, when I was younger, I struggled to see properly due to a turn in my eye. The staff there were amazing and helped me as much as they could, and this is my way of giving something back.”

The race may be over for this year, but there is still time if anybody would like to support Thomas n his fundraising efforts for the charity as he has a Just Giving page at:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/thomaswarburton14

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 8 – Solway Sharks Ladies 7 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Lydia Lutwyche scored 4 goals for the Wild Women and was named Widnes MVP (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 15th March 2026 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 8 – Solway Sharks Ladies 7

The Widnes Wild Women put in a tremendous, battling performance in their latest WNIHL Division 1 North game, narrowly beating Solway Sharks Ladies 8-7 at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

The game saw a senior WNIHL debut for Eva Gibson, who played for the Deeside Under 16 girls team last year and it was a good game for her to start with.

The same two teams had met seven days earlier in a game that Solway had edged 3-5 so this repeat fixture was always likely to be another close one and Widnes put in their best showing of the season so far in a fast–paced action-packed game that was a superb advert for women’s ice hockey.

Solway took the lead on 6 minutes but Widnes equalised with a goal from Maggie Whitmore just 80 seconds later.  30 seconds after that, Widnes were in front with a superb strike from Leen de Decker and then went further ahead with a goal from Tayla Huxley–Richards on 9 minutes.

The Sharks hit back again to narrow the deficit but Widnes deadline day signing Lydia Lutwyche restored the 2-goal cushion on 11 minutes – equalling the highest score that the Wild Women had managed in a game all season so far.

Solway scored again with 3 minutes left on the clock and the score stood at an incredible 4-3 at the first break.

The second period continued in similar vein with end to end action and quite a lot of physicality for a “non-checking” women’s game.

Widnes scored again to extend their lead with a goal from Lutwyche on 32 minutes and Lise Gillen put the Wild Women 6-3 ahead 2 minutes later.  Solway pulled a goal back on 35 minutes and the score stood at 6-4 at the second interval.

The Sharks were quickest out of the blocks in the third period and two quick goals for Cassie MacGregor – who had scored all 7 in Solway’s 7-4 win over Widnes in Dumfries back at the end of January – saw the visitors draw level within 30 seconds of the puck drop.

But Widnes heads did not drop and the Wild Women kept battling on. They were rewarded with a rare short-handed goal from Lutwyche on 44 minutes but the lead didn’t last long as Solway equalised again 4 minutes later.

The last ten minutes were incredibly tense as both teams pushed hard to try for a winning goal.  Each team called a time out to discuss tactics and the atmosphere was absolutely electric around the rink.

The breakthrough came on 56 minutes when Lydia Lutwyche scored her 4th goal of the night, which turned out to be the winning goal.  Solway put the Widnes net under intense pressure in the closing minutes but the Wild defence held out to make sure of a well-earned 8-7 victory.

The context of this achievement really needs underlining. Not only was this the Wild Women’s second win of a very challenging season, it was the first time that they have won two games in the same season at the higher WPL/Div1 level since 2016/17 – and their highest goal tally in a WPL level game since they won 2-9 away at Slough in April 2017.

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards for Wild Women home games are once again this season being sponsored by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and, as well as the usual trophies, the winners also receive special edition pens handcrafted and donated by Anthony Stock. 

The awards were presented by the goal judge Lynda Bird and went to Emily Duffy for Solway and Lydia Lutwyche for Widnes.

The Wild Women are away to Nottingham Vipers this Sunday 22^nd March at the National Ice Centre in the Lace City in a 7.30pm face off game and they are next at home on Sunday 12^th April when they take on Sheffield Shadows at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 5 – Billingham Buccaneers 0 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Ben Roscoe receives his MVP award from D1 Dragons import Colin Cromie 

Sunday 15th March 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 5 – Billingham Buccaneers 0

The Deeside D2 Dragons picked up their first ever shut out with a 5-0 victory over Billingham Buccaneers at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

James Shaw gave the Dragons the lead on 3 minutes and Deeside netminder Finn Ogden saved a penalty shot on 13 minutes to leave the score standing at 1-0 at the first period break.

Shaw fired in 3 more unanswered goals in the second period and James Parsons rounded off the scoring with the only goal of the third.

Ogden put in an impressive display in the Deeside goal to register a 22-shot shut out and Ben Roscoe was named MVP for the Dragons.

The Deeside D2 Dragons play their last game of the regular season this Sunday 22^nd March when they take on Bradford Bulldogs at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Telford Tigers 6 - Deeside D1 Dragons 9 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Ross Kennedy scored 4 goals at Telford and was the Dragons' MVP (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Saturday 14^th March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Telford Tigers 6- Deeside D1 Dragons 9

The Deeside D1 Dragons have secured the runners-up position in the Moralee Division table after a hard fought 6-9 win away to Telford Tigers on Saturday.

The result means that the Tigers would not be able to accrue enough points from their remaining games to overtake the Dragons – and Solihull Barons, who were the only other contenders for second place, also crashed out of the race with a 3-5 defeat at home to Billingham Stars on Sunday. 

Saturday’s game was a bad tempered affair, with a number of niggly penalties and other various hold ups, played in a rather hostile atmosphere at the Shropshire rink.

Telford opened the scoring in the second minute but Ross Kennedy equalised for the Dragons in the third minute and then fired them into the lead 60 seconds later. A third goal – from Deeside’s top scorer Jake Witkowski - followed on 11 minutes and the Dragons took a 1-3 lead into the first period break.

Deeside had the upper hand for much of the game and out-shot their hosts by more than 2 to 1 in the first two periods.

Their pressure was rewarded with second period goals from Rhys Edwards, Colin Cromie and Kennedy again, for his hat-trick – to lead 1-6 at the midway point of the game.

Telford managed to pull a goal back but Ethan Mayoh scored again for the Dragons on 32 minutes to give them a commanding 2-7 lead at the second interval.

The Tigers fought back in the third period and scored two goals early on to narrow the deficit to just 3 but two quick-fire strikes - from Ross Kennedy and Colin Cromie - just 14 seconds apart on 52 minutes restored the 5-goal cushion.

Two more goals followed for Telford but it was too late for them to mount any sort of serious fightback and Deeside held on to record an important 6-9 victory.

Jake Witkowski - who is in with chance of breaking the record total points in the NIHL Moralee Division for a single season - had a hand in all 9 goals with one strike himself plus 8 assists. Ross Kennedy was named Dragons’ MVP after his 4 goal haul.

The D1 Dragons round off their regular season schedule with back to back matches against last season’s champions Billingham Stars this weekend.

They are at home to the Stars on Saturday 21^st March at Deeside Leisure Centre – 5.15pm face off - and then play the return fixture away in the north east on Sunday, 5.30pm start.

Junior Dragon Thomas To Run Half Marathon For Charity

Thomas Warburton
(Photo by Dragons IHC)

Kind hearted young Deeside ice hockey player Thomas Warburton is taking part in his first ever half marathon this Sunday to raise funds for the Alder Hey Children’s Charity.

Warburton is a Deeside Dragons Junior club player and has been playing with the Under 19 team this season. He has also made a number of appearances with the D2 Dragons side as part of their policy of giving senior league experience to promising younger players.

Thomas will be running the Liverpool Half Marathon this Sunday 15th March and explained why he decided to do this:

“I’m raising money for children at Alder Hey who are living with long-term illness and can’t fight their battles on their own.”

“I chose Alder Hey because, when I was younger, I struggled to see properly due to a turn in my eye. The staff there were amazing and helped me as much as they could, and this is my way of giving something back.”

Warburton has set up a Just Giving page for anybody who would like to support him in his fundraising efforts for the charity at:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/thomaswarburton14

Match Report: Trafford Thunder 11 - Connah’s Quay Cobras 5 (Challenge Match)

Scott Dutton was the Cobras' MVP away at Trafford (Photo by Martin Rybka)

Saturday 7^th March 2026 – Challenge Match: Trafford Thunder 11 - Connah’s Quay Cobras 5

The Connah’s Quay Cobras suffered an 11—5 defeat in their challenge match against a very strong Trafford Thunder side at Planet Ice Altrincham on Saturday.

The Cobras had a shorter bench than the home team and found themselves up against it in the early stages. Trafford opened the scoring in the 4^th minute and went on to lead 5-0 at the first period break.

Despite the final scoreline, this wasn’t a one sided game by any means and the shots on goal were pretty even throughout, it was just that Trafford were able to make more of their chances when they came. 

The Cobras picked up in the second period and their efforts were rewarded with goals from Mike Filek, Sam Plant, Sam Kennedy and Ellis Flanagan. Unfortunately, Trafford also scored 4 goals in the period and the score stood at 9-5 at the second interval.

Two more goals for the Thunder early in the third period put the game well beyond the reach of Connah’s Quay but the Cobras had the last word with a second goal of the night from Filek on 49 minutes to round off the scoring for the evening.

The MVP award for the Cobras went to team manager and coach Scott Dutton.

The Connah’s Quay Cobras train at 8.30pm on Sunday evenings at Deeside Leisure Centre and are always keen to welcome new players.  More information can be found on their website - https://cobras.hockey/ - and “Cobras Hockey” Facebook page HERE. 

Match Report: Hull Jets 2 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Deeside's Jake Witkowski scored 4 goals away at Hull (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 8th March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Hull Jets 2 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5

The Deeside D1 Dragons improved their chances of finishing as runners up in the NIHL Moralee Division table with a 2-5 win away to Hull Jets on Sunday.

The Dragons’ previous visit to Humberside had finished in a narrow 4-3 defeat but they had beaten Hull fairly easily 8-2 in the home game last weekend so it was all a matter of which Jets team might turn up for this encounter.

As it was, Deeside took the lead with a Jake Witkowski goal after 3 minutes and comfortably outshot the Jets in the first period.  Hull equalised on 17 minutes but a second strike from Jake just 22 seconds later ensured that the Dragons went into the first break with a narrow 1-2 lead.

The second period was closer and Hull equalised again on 29 minutes but, once again, Deeside edged back into the lead almost immediately with Witkowski’s hat trick goal. The score remained 2-3 at the end of the second period, leaving plenty for both teams to play for in the final 20 minutes.

Deeside finally put some daylight between the two teams with Witkowski’s fourth straight goal on 46 minutes.

Then, Noah Percival – impressively playing his second game of the day along with Dan Fadejevs as the pair had also turned out for the D2 Dragons in the mid-day face off game at the same venue – fired in the 5^th Deeside goal of 55 minutes to round off the scoring for the game.

Jake Witkowski was named MVP for the Dragons for his impressive 4-goal haul.

Sunday’s win gives the Dragons an 8 point lead over Telford Tigers, who are their main rivals for a second place finish, after the Shropshire side suffered an unexpected 4-7 defeat at home to Solihull Barons.

The Barons have now moved level on points with Telford and re-enter the mix for the runners up position.

With just three games left to play in the regular season schedule, the Dragons’ visit to Telford this Saturday 14^th March – 6pm face off - will be hugely important for all concerned.   

They are next at home on Saturday 21^st March when they play their last regular home game of the season against Billingham Stars at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Match Report: Kingston Sharks 7 - Deeside D2 Dragons 3 (NIHL Laidler Division)

D2 Dragons' Dan Fadejevs (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Sunday 8th March 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Kingston Sharks 7 - Deeside D2 Dragons 3

The Deeside D2 Dragons were also away in Hull on Sunday, and they slumped to a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Kingston Sharks. 

Deeside actually led after 0-1 after the first period, courtesy of a Dan Fadejevs goal, but Kingston scored 3 unanswered goals in the second period to lead 3-1 with one period left to play.  The final 20 minutes saw a veritable goal fest with 4 more goals for the Sharks and strikes from Rory Sillery and Chris Jones for the Dragons.

This was the D2 Dragons’ last away game of the regular league season. They have two home games left to play, starting this Sunday 15^th March when they entertain Billingham Buccaneers at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Sutton Sting secured the Laidler Division title after a 2-5 win away to Coventry Blaze on Saturday.

Sheffield Titans are guaranteed the runners up position as they can’t be overtaken by the chasing pack who are now all jockeying for play off positions.  The match ups for the quarter finals are decided by final league placings and the higher placed finishers get the easier draw in the two legged ties.

The D2 Dragons have qualified for the play offs and look likely to finish in either 6^th or 7^th place in the table, depending on the results from their last two games and the remaining games of the other teams around them.

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 3 – Solway Sharks Ladies 5 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Widnes Wild Women and Solway Sharks Ladies teams with the Wild Mascot "Shadow" (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 8th March 2026 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 3 – Solway Sharks Ladies 5

 The Widnes Wild Women put in a battling performance but narrowly lost out 3-5 to Solway Sharks Ladies at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

Solway took the lead just 74 second into the game and went 0-2 up 5 minutes later. 

Widnes pulled a goal back with a short-handed goal from Lydia Lutwyche – her first for the club since joining just before the January signing deadline – on 10 minutes but Solway restored the two-goal cushion 3 minutes later and led 1-3 at the first period break.

The Sharks edged further ahead with a fourth goal on 23 minutes and then made it 5 at the mid-way point of the game.

Widnes hit back, however, with two goals of their own - from Lise Gillen on 35 minutes and Leen de Decker with just 27 seconds left in the period to leave the score standing at a relatively close 3-5 at the second interval.

The third period played out goal-less but Widnes did have their chances.  On 51 minutes, they were handed a 5 on 3 powerplay opportunity when Solway picked up a couple of penalty calls one closely after the other. 

The Wild Women called a time-out at this point to discuss strategy but, despite putting the Sharks goal under intense pressure, were unable to make the most of the two player advantage and the game finished 3-5 to the visitors. 

Jenny Hickey was the Wild Women's MVP against Solway (Photo by Paul Breeze)

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards for Wild Women home games are once again this season being sponsored by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and, as well as the usual trophies, the winners also receive special edition pens handcrafted and donated by Anthony Stock.  

The awards were presented by the Widnes Wild mascot “Shadow” and went to Emma Miller for Solway and Jenny Hickey for Widnes.

The Wild Women are back in action against the same opposition this Sunday 15^th March at Planet Ice Widnes in what should be another highly entertaining encounter –  4.25pm face off.

MJ Clancy Named Player Of The Month For February

MJ Clancy was named Dragons' Player Of The Month for February (Photo by Shaun Bebbington) 

The Deeside Dragons Player Of The Month for February has been announced as Michael (MJ) Clancy.

Clancy played in 6 of the Dragons’ 7 games during February, scoring 1 goal – at home to Telford in the league - and 1 assist from his utility role, and picking up 2 penalty minutes.

Dragons Head Coach Mike Clancy said of Clancy:  

“MJ Clancy has been outstanding throughout February and fully deserves the Player of the Month recognition.”

“His versatility has been invaluable to the team, seamlessly transitioning between forward and defensive roles whenever needed. Whether leading the line in attack or reinforcing the back line, MJ has consistently put the team first and delivered strong, composed performances.”

“As assistant captain, he has led by example both on and off the ice. His commitment, work rate, and willingness to step into any position to support the squad highlight not only his playing ability but also his character.”

“MJ has done everything possible to drive standards, support his teammates, and contribute to the team's success.”

Previous winners of the monthly award this season have been:

• September: Matty Barlow
• October: Colin Cromie
• November: Jake Witkowski
• December: Ross Kennedy
• January: Jared Dickinson

The Player of the Month award is organised by Dragons D1 and D2 press reporter Paul Breeze and the trophies are sponsored by the Ice Hockey Review grassroots news website.

Enforcer Harper Handed 2 Game Ban

Will Harper (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Deeside Dragons’ popular “enforcer” Will Harper missed the two games at the weekend, having been handed a two game disciplinary ban for his fighting penalty in the Moralee Cup final against Telford Tigers the weekend before.

He was given a 1 match suspension for fighting and an extra game for having exceeded 10 disciplinary points, as he had already received a ban earlier in the season. 

The England Ice Hockey Department of Player Safety (DOPS) has a system which involves the accumulation of disciplinary points for committing offences and receiving penalties prior to, during and after games. When a player or team has accrued a certain number of points – according to a fixed scale – sanctions such as suspensions or fines can be imposed.

Two Telford players – Liam Bartholomew (2 games) and former Dragons player Brodie Jesson (1 game) were also given bans for fighting penalties incurred over the cup final weekend.

Deeside Dragons Weekend Report - 28th February / 1st March (NIHL Moralee Division)

Ross Kennedy scored a hat-trick against Hull on Sunday (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography)

Saturday 28^th February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Nottingham Lions 2 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5

Sunday 1^st March 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 8 – Hull Jets 2

The Deeside D1 Dragons consolidated their hold on second place in the NIHL Moralee Division table with a six point weekend, winning 2-5 away at Nottingham Lions on Saturday and beating Hull Jets 8-2 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Dragons had won their three previous games against Nottingham this season quite comfortably but, with the Lions chasing a playoff spot, Saturday’s early face off game was a much tougher proposition.

It took until the 17^th minute for Jake Witkowski to open the scoring for the Dragons but despite the Dragons outshooting the Lions by almost 2 to 1, that was the only goal of the first period.

Ross Kennedy doubled the Deeside lead on 22 minutes but Nottingham pulled a goal back to leave the score at the second break standing at 1-2.

The Dragons had more of the play in the third period – outshooting the Lions by an incredible 24 to 4 - and their efforts were rewarded with goals from Witkowski, Rhys Edwards and Damarni James.

Nottingham managed another goal on 55 minutes to round off the scoring for the game. Rhys Edwards was named MVP for the Dragons.

Sunday’s game against Hull was expected to be the tougher of the two weekend fixtures, with each side having one win each to date and both encounters having been won by a single goal margin. However, the Jets had exerted themselves to beat recently crowned league champions Blackburn Hawks 5-3 the night before and, after a close start, seemed to run out of steam

Ross Kennedy opened the scoring for the Dragons in the 10^th minute but Hull equalised just 2 minutes later.  Deeside edged back into the lead again with a second  Kennedy goal just 37 seconds after that and then weathered a disallowed Hull goal to take a 2-1 lead into the first break.  

The second period was pretty much all Deeside and unanswered goals from Colin Cromie, Theo Malone, Matty Barlow and a hat trick strike from Kennedy saw them leading 6-1 at the second interval.

Hull finally managed a second goal late in the third period but the Dragons had scored two more by then – both short-handed efforts – from Cromie and Jake Witkowski, to round off an emphatic victory.

It was a good all-round team performance, with 10 different players getting on the scoresheet, and MJ Clancy was named both MVP for the match and Player of the Month for February.

Following the weekend results across the league, Deeside remain in second place in the Moralee Division table with 73 points from 32 games They are now eight points ahead of Telford in third – who are their main rivals for the runners up position – after the Tigers dropped a point by only managing an overtime win against Widnes on Sunday.

Telford have two games in hand, however, and Deeside’s away game down in Shropshire on 14^th March could go a long way towards deciding who will finish second this season and, following the Dragons’ recent cup final win over the Tigers, that game is bound to have extra spice.

Before that, the D1 Dragons are away in Hull this Sunday 8^th March, 5.30pm face off. They are next at home on Saturday 21^st March when they play their last regular season game against Billingham Stars at Deeside Leisure Centre.

After a weekend without a game, the D2 Dragons are also away in Hull this Sunday 8^th March to face Kingston Sharks in a 12 noon face off and are back at home the following Sunday, 15^th March, when they entertain Billingham Buccaneers at Deeside Leisure Centre.