Deeside Dragons Win Moralee Cup

Deeside Dragons - Moralee Cup winners 2025/26 (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Saturday 21^st February 2026 – Moralee Cup Final (1): Telford Tigers 7 - Deeside D1 Dragons 9

Sunday 22^nd February 2026 – Moralee Cup Final (2): Deeside D1 Dragons 6 – Telford Tigers 5

(Deeside win 15-12 on Aggregate)

The Deeside D1 Dragons won the prestigious NIHL Moralee Cup for the first time in their history with a 15-12 two-leg aggregate victory over Telford Tigers at the weekend.

They won the away leg down in Shropshire 7-9 on Saturday and then completed the job at home with a 6-5 victory at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The first leg away in Telford on Saturday was full of goals and incidents. Deeside opened the scoring after just 9 seconds with a goal from Ross Kennedy on their very first attack and it was 0-2 to Deeside with a Colin Cromie goal two minutes later.  

Telford pulled a goal back on 4 minutes but Jake Witkowski restored the two-goal cushion with a well taken breakaway strike on 7 minutes. Telford scored again just 14 seconds after that and went on to level on 12 minutes to leave the score at 3-3 at the first period break.

The second period was just as closely fought - with goals from Jared Dickinson and Ryan Jones putting Deeside two goals ahead once again and Telford again fighting back to be level at 5-5 at the second interval.

The back and forth continued in the third period as Deeside took the lead again on 42 minutes with a Rhys Edwards goal and Telford equalised once more 2 minutes later.

Darmani James fired the Dragons back into the lead on 45 minutes and this was shortly followed by a fight over by the Telford players bench which went on to have repercussions for the outcome of the game.

The resulting penalties from the fight saw Deeside playing with a man advantage for a full 5 minutes and they made the most of this with 2 powerplay goals from Jake Witkowski to build up a 6-9 lead.

Telford eventually pulled a goal back with 5 minutes left to play but that was the last of the action and the Dragons were able to take a two goal aggregate lead into the second leg the next day.

As with the first game, Deeside took an early lead in the return leg with a Colin Cromie goal just 80 seconds in.

Further goals followed - from Damarni James and Theo Malone - and the Dragons were 3-0 up after 6 minutes of play.

Telford were really lacklustre in the first period and the Dragons’ tally could have been much higher as they outshot the visitors by 3 to 1. The Tigers eventually managed a goal of their own with just 40 seconds to go in the period and the score stood at 3-1 at the first break.

The Tigers perked up in the second period and began to look more dangerous going forward. They scored a second goal on 24 minutes but Ross Kennedy hit back for Deeside just 30 seconds later to restore the 2 goal cushion. Telford kept chipping away, however and were rewarded with two more goals late in the period, leaving the score standing at a finely balanced 4-4 at the second interval.

A Rhys Edwards goal on 43 minutes put Deeside back into the lead – 5-4 on the night and 14-11 on aggregate - but a 6-player fight 3 minutes after that seemed to break down any momentum that they might have been hoping to build up.

Three players from each side were sent to the penalty box and a Telford player was banished from the game but the upheaval seemed to rock Deeside more and Telford equalised in the aftermath with a goal on 49 minutes.

The Dragons were on the back foot after this as Telford sensed that they might still have a chance of snatching the silverware. The tension increased around the rink as the clock ticked down and then Jake Witkowski fired in a goal with 92 seconds left to secure the win - and the trophy - for the Dragons.

The Moralee Cup was presented to Deeside team captain Jared Dickinson by England Ice Hockey representatives Martin Peters and Michelle Leigh and the players and coaches all received commemorative medals and caps.

The D1 Dragons return to league action next weekend with a game away to Nottingham Lions on Saturday 28^th February, 1pm face off.  They are back at home the following day when they take on Hull Jets at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 7 – Altrincham Aces 9 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Charlie Spridgeon was the D2 Dragons MVP against Altrincham (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Saturday 21st February 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 7 – Altrincham Aces 9

The Deeside D2 Dragons played their part in a 16 goal thriller but ultimately lost out 7-9 to Altrincham Aces at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The Aces scored first on 4 minutes but Deeside equalised with a James Shaw goal 10 minutes later.  Altrincham scored again on 17 minutes and took a 1-2 lead into the first period break.

The Dragons noticeably upped their game in the second period, outshooting the Aces by more than 2 to 1, and were rewarded with 5 goals – from James Parsons, Stewart Cutting, Charlie Spridgeon and two more from Shaw - to lead 6-4 at the second interval

Unfortunately, Altrincham scored two quick goals early in the third period to draw level but Deeside edged ahead again with a James Parsons goal on 48 minutes.

The Aces equalised once again on 51 minutes and then retook the lead on 57 minutes, setting up a nail-biting finale.

Deeside removed their netminder in favour of an extra attacker to try and snatch a late goal and salvage something from the game but fell victim to an empty goal with 35 seconds left on the clock.

The D2 Dragons have an away trip to Hull on 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.

Match Report: Connah's Quay Cobras 8 - Birmingham Rockets 7 (PS) - Challenge Match

Emma Dutton was the Cobras'
MVP against Birmingham 
(Photo by Beth Jones)

Sunday 15th February 2026 – Challenge Match: Connah’s Quay Cobras 8 – Birmingham Rockets 7 (PS)

The Connah’s Quay Cobras played out a closely fought and highly entertaining challenge match against the Birmingham Rockets at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday, finishing all square at 7-7 before going on to win on penalty shots .

The start was delayed after a panel of plexi glass got broken during the warm up and had to be replaced, but once the game finally got underway, it was quite eventful.

In the very first minute, the referee signalled a delayed penalty call and – in some confusion - both teams thought that the call was in their favour.

Both netminders rushed off the ice in favour of an extra attacker, leaving both goals undefended  and the Cobras – who were, in fact, the beneficiaries of the decision - managed to take an early lead as Ken Valyear fired in the empty net goal.

The rest of the game played out in a more regular fashion and it remained goal-less until the 16th minute when Birmingham equalised.  The Cobras retook the lead just 50 seconds later with a goal from Mike Filek but the Rockets equalised again with 48 seconds left in the period to leave the game standing at 2-2 at the first period break.

The second period continued in similar vein as Filek put the Cobras ahead again on 24 minutes, with Birmingham levelling again 2 minutes later.

Martin Solicny edged Connah’s Quay ahead once more on 30 minutes and the Rockets countered again 5 minutes after that.   Just as it looked as if the sides would remain level at the second interval, Stolicny scored again with 36 seconds left on the clock to give the Cobras a narrow 5-4 lead with one period left to play.

Birmingham were quickest out of the blocks for the third period and two quick goals within 90 seconds of each other put them in the lead for the first time in the game. 

Sam Plant equalised for the Cobras on 51 minutes but the Rockets edged ahead again just 49 seconds after that.

A Slava Sykora goal on 55 minute drew Connah’s Quay level once more to set up a nail-biting last 5 minutes.

With no more scoring in the game, it had to be decided by a penalty shoot out and Mike Jones secured the victory for the Cobras with the winning shot.

The MVPs for the game went to Tom Hooper for Birmingham Rockets and Emma Dutton for Connah’s Quay Cobras.

Deeside Dragons v Telford Tigers In Moralee Cup Final This Weekend

The Deeside D1 Dragons face their most important challenge since the club was reformed after the Covid closure – or, quite possibly, ever - when they take on Telford Tigers in the two legged Moralee Cup final this weekend.

It is also quite an achievement for the Tigers to have reached the cup final in their first season up in the Moralee Division, having won the Laidler Division title last season and made the step up in the summer.

There has been little to choose between the two teams so far this season and they are locked in a fascinating battle for second place in the league table as well being rivals for the cup.

Deeside, however, hold a slight advantage in head to head matches after having narrowly beaten the Tigers in overtime when they last met 3 weeks ago.

The away game is in Telford on Saturday – 6pm face off – and the deciding home leg is at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday, 5.15 pm face off. Both games are ticket only and completely sold out.

As ever, there is lots more Dragons news on the club’s official website: www.dragonsihc.co.uk

Match Report: Kingston Diamonds 16 – Widnes Wild Women 0 (WNIHL Div 1 North)

Wild Women away (Photo by MadMac Photography)

Sunday 15th February 2026 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Kingston Diamonds 16 – Widnes Wild Women 0

The Widnes Wild Women went to Hull and back and suffered a 16–0 defeat at the hands of Kingston Diamonds on Sunday.

The Wild Women have had problems scoring goals against the Humbersiders all season and had lost both their previous encounters - 0-18 and 0-7 at home – without finding the back of the net. 

So, with the team travelling east along the M62 with a smaller than usual roster and a number of regular players missing, Sunday’s game against the fully-benched league leaders, who had yet to lose a game all season, always seemed likely to play out in a similar fashion.

Kingston opened the scoring on 3 minutes but strong defending from Widnes managed to keep them at bay for much of the first period and it was only through two late goals that the Diamonds were able to take a 3-0 lead into the first period break. 

The home side scored again just 51 seconds into the second period and never really looked back after that. 8 unanswered goals in the second period and five more in the third handed Kingston a comprehensive victory.

Overworked netminder Stephanie Drinkwater put in her regular heroic performance in the Widnes goal, facing an incredible 108 shots of which she stopped an impressive 92, keeping the score lower than it might otherwise have been.

Interestingly enough, the game was played without any penalties being incurred by either side – the third time this has happened in the three meetings so far between the two teams this season.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 8^th March when they welcome Solway Sharks –the team just above them in the Division 1 North table - to Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Match Report: Blackburn Hawks 3 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Deeside Dragons were the first team to win in the league at Blackburn this season (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography)

Sunday 15th February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Blackburn Hawks 3 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5

The Deeside D1 Dragons put in a gutsy performance away to newly crowned league champions Blackburn Hawks and managed to spoil the title winners’ home-coming party with a 3-5 victory away in East Lancashire on Sunday.

The Hawks had secured the Moralee Division title the night before with a 1-3 win away to Leeds Knights and were in a celebratory mood - but Deeside are still in the running for second spot and need to make the most of every game in the run-in. 

Blackburn scored first after 6 minutes but Damarni James equalised against his former club 4 minutes later to leave the score at 1-1 at the first period break.

Despite having had more of the play in the first period, the Hawks got into penalty in the second and Deeside made the most of their chances with goals from Jake Witkowksi, Rhys Edwards and Colin Cromie seeing them take a 1-4 lead into the second interval

Blackburn pulled two goals back in the third period to narrow the deficit to just one but Jake Witkowksi’s second strike of the night on 56 minutes re-established daylight between the two teams and the Dragons were able to hold on to celebrate a 3-5 victory.

The Hawks hadn’t lost at home in the league all season so this Deeside win will have taken some of the shine off the Moralee Division trophy presentation, which was held after the game.

Disciplinary Bans For D2 Dragons Duo

D2 Dragons' Rhys Howells (photo by Lewis Cleveland)

D2 Dragons duo Rhys Howells and Cameron Kusnirenko missed the weekend’s games, having both been handed disciplinary bans following incidents in the previous week’s game away to Nottingham.

Kushnireno – who was playing only his second game back with the D2 Dragons after serving a 3-match suspension for an incident before Christmas - was expelled from the game in the 33^rd minute for unsportsmanlike conduct and received a 2-game ban.

Howells picked up an eye-watering 59 penalty minutes in the game at Nottingham – 47 of them for racing out of the penalty box at the final buzzer and instigating a fight. He also had a 2 minute penalty for tripping that put him in the sin bin in the first place and a 10 minute major penalty for spearing earlier in the game. Two Nottingham players also got major penalties for the post-match altercation.

Rhys received a 2-game ban for his part in the fracas and also an extra game suspension for exceeding 10 disciplinary points. 

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.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 4 – Coventry Blaze 3 (NIHL Laidler Division)

James Shaw was the D2 Dragons' MVP against Coventry (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Saturday 14th February 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 4 – Coventry Blaze 3

Sunday 15th February 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Sutton Sting 7 - Deeside D2 Dragons 0

The Deeside D2 Dragons made it three wins in a row with a closely fought 4-3 win at home to Coventry Blaze on Saturday before slumping to a 7-0 defeat away at league leaders Sutton Sting on Sunday.

A Ben Roscoe goal on 14 minutes gave the Dragons the lead on Saturday but Coventry equalised two minutes later to leave the score at a finely balanced 1-1 at the first period break.

Deeside edged back ahead with a Liam Yarwood goal on 22 minutes and the lead was further extended with a James Parsons powerplay strike on 37 minutes for a score of 3-1 at the second break.

With just 10 minutes to go, the score was still 3-1 and Deeside were looking comfortable but a freak collision between two Dragons players saw them both knocked to the ice, which allowed two Coventry players to break away and pull a goal back.  90 seconds later the Blaze struck again to level the score and set up a nail biting last few minutes.

Just as it looked as if the game would go into overtime, leading scorer James Shaw fired in what would turn out to be the winning goal and Deeside just had to hold out for the final 25 seconds.

The mounting tension finally boiled over with an unfortunate incident with just 2.4 seconds left on the clock – followed by lengthy deliberations by the match officials – which eventually saw Deeside legend Chris Jones banished for what remained of the game - and further disciplinary action is likely to follow as a result. 

The remaining seconds were then played, Deeside held on to win and James Shaw was awarded the Dragons MVP award.

The away game on Sunday against Sutton was a much tougher task and saw a 7-0 win for the title favourites.

The score stood at 3-0 after the first period, 7-0 after the second and the third period played out goalless, with Thomas Warburton taking the MVP award for the Dragons.

The D2 Dragons are back at home this Saturday 21^st February against Altrincham Aces. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday but had to be moved as the D1 Dragons’ cup final game needs to be played on that day.

Dragon Theo On GB Duty

Deeside Dragons' Theo Malone (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography)

Deeside D1 Dragons’ recent signing Theo Malone was on international duty at the weekend with the Great Britain Under 18 team in Hungary, taking part in the Winter Challenge series that saw the GB team playing the Hungarian national Under 19 team in three matches over three days.

The 16-year old forward - who is on a 2-way contract with Elite League Manchester Storm and previously played with the Hull Seahawks in the NIHL National Division – played his first game for the Dragons two weeks ago, when he bagged two assists against Sheffield Steelers.

He picked up another assist away at Solihull and then scored his first Deeside goal in the dramatic over time win against Telford and was named MVP for the match.

Malone had previously played for Team GB at Under 16 level in two international tournaments and also spent last season playing for Energie Karlovy Vary in the Czech Under 17 league.

The GB youngsters lost the first game against Hungary 9-3 on Friday then 7-1 on Saturday – with Malone scoring the sole GB goal - and then 7-2 on Sunday.

Bailey Thomas – who played for the Dragons for much of this season before being snapped up by National Division Milton Keynes Lightning - was also part of the GB Under 18 squad in Hungary.

Team GB are using the Winter Challenge as part of their preparation for the IIHF U18 World Championships in Romania this April.

Deeside D1 Dragons Weekend Report - 7th & 8th February

Ethan Mayoh scored away at Nottingham and was MVP at home to Blackburn (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 7^th February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Nottingham Lions 0 - Deeside D1 Dragons 5

Sunday 8^th February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 3 – Blackburn Hawks 5

The Deeside D1 Dragons had a mixed weekend in the NIHL Moralee Division, winning 0-5 away at Nottingham Lions on Saturday and narrowly losing to league leaders Blackburn Hawks 3-5 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Dragons had scored double figures in both their home wins over the Lions this season but had yet to visit the imposing National Ice Centre with its impressive 7.500 capacity arena.

They weren’t overly daunted, however, and goals from Colin Cromie and Ross Kennedy saw them leading 0-2 at the first period break.

A second goal from Cromie, one from Ethan Mayoh and one from top scorer Jake Witkowsi gave the Dragons a 0-5 lead at the end of the second period and they shut up shop in the third, obviously saving their energy for the big game against Blackburn Hawks the next day.

Tyler de la Bertouche and Jace Gledhill played half the game each in the Deeside goal, sharing a 24-shot shut-out, and Dan Fadejevs was named MVP for the Dragons.

The home game between the league’s top two on Sunday was a different matter all together and a short-benched Deeside team – missing a number of regular players – knew they were in a contest right from the start.

The Hawks opened the scoring on 11 minutes and, despite numerous chances for the Dragons, the score remained 0-1 at the first period break.

Blackburn doubled their lead 56 seconds into the second period but Deeside pulled a goal back through captain Jared Dickinson two minutes later.

A powerplay goal saw Blackburn restore their 2-goal cushion on 28 minutes but Matty Barlow narrowed the deficit once again 69 seconds after that.  However, the Hawks struck again on 34 minutes and the score stood at 2-4 to the visitors at the second interval.

A Jake Witkowski goal just 33 seconds into the third period gave Deeside hope but they were unable to build on this any further. 

With less than 2 minutes to play and the score still at a tantalisingly close 3-4, Deeside called a timeout and withdrew their netminder in favour of an extra attacker. 

Unfortunately, they got caught out while pressing forward for a late equaliser and Blackburn fired in an empty net goal with 5 seconds left on the clock to seal the 3-5 victory.

Following the weekend results across the league, Deeside remain in second place in the Moralee Division table with 64 points from 29 games – now seven points ahead of Telford in third following the Tigers’ 5-2 defeat in Hull.

Blackburn Hawks still lead the table with 84 points from 30 games, having also beaten Widnes Wild on Saturday, and are now 20 points ahead of the Dragons. They could secure the Moralee Division title as early as next weekend if they win one of their two games.

The D1 Dragons, however, could have a hand in those proceedings as they travel away to face Blackburn in East Lancashire on Sunday, 6pm face off.

They are next at home the following weekend, when they take on Telford Tigers in the two legged Moralee Cup final, away on the Saturday and at home on the Sunday.  Both games are already sold out.

Match Report: Nottingham Lions 4 - Deeside D2 Dragons 6 (NIHL Laidler Division)

James Parsons scored a hat-trick away at Nottingham (Photo by Adam Bassett)

Sunday 8^th February 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Nottingham Lions 4 - Deeside D2 Dragons 6 

The D2 Dragons returned to Laidler Division action after a four week break with a 4-6 win away to Nottingham Lions on Sunday.

In keeping with the club’s policy of encouraging young talent, the game saw a senior NIHL debut for former Widnes junior Thomas Warburton, who has been playing for the Dragons’ Under 19 team this season.

This game was very competitive and littered with niggly penalties throughout for both sides.

It could have gone either way for much of the game until Deeside pulled away in the third period.  Goals from Cody Ogden, Charlie Spridgeon, Rhys Howells and a third period hat–trick from James Parsons secured the points for the Dragons.

The D2 Dragons are back at home for the first time since mid-December this Saturday 14th February when they host the Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.  They are then away to Sutton Sting on Sunday.

Dickinson Is Dragons Player Of The Month For January

Jared Dickinson receives the Player of the Month award for January (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

The Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for January has been announced as team captain Jared Dickinson.

The popular skipper played in all 7 Dragons games during the month of January scoring 2 goals and contributing 4 assists, while sitting out just 6 minutes in penalties.

Experienced campaigner Dickinson is in his fourth season at Deeside and was appointed captain at the start of this season.

Dragons’ Head Coach Mike Clancy said of Dickinson: “He has been a really good leader through January and was pivotal in leading the fight back against the Hawks in the Cup semi final. A great contribution throughout January with the team at the forefront of everything he has done”.

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.

Deeside Dragons' Lindop Toyota Deal

Dragons’ captain Jared Dickinson and Jake Witkowski with Lindop Toyota cars (Photo by Dragons IHC)

The Deeside Dragons have agreed a new two-year sponsorship deal with returning sponsors Lindop Toyota Queensferry.

As part of the sponsorship, supporters will see Lindop Toyota vehicles on display outside the rink on selected home game nights, adding to the matchnight atmosphere and strengthening the visible link between the Dragons and local businesses that actively invest in grassroots sport.

Lindop Toyota will also serve as the official sponsor of the Deeside Dragons’ social media highlights, supporting the club’s digital coverage and helping bring Dragons action, goals, and key moments to an ever-growing online audience.

The deal was put together by Dragons’ Director of Marketing Jake Witkowski who said:

“A big thank you to Toyota Lindop for joining the Dragons this season. Having the support of a trusted local brand means everything to us. Partnerships like this help us grow the club, inspire the next generation, and keep pushing forward on and off the ice. We are proud to have them on board.”

Dragons Go Clear In Second After 5-Point Weekend

Colin Cromie scred two goals away in Solihull (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

Saturday 31^st January 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Solihull Barons 2 - Deeside D1 Dragons 4

Sunday 1^st February 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 5 – Telford Tigers 4 (OT)

The Deeside D1 Dragons went clear in second place in the Moralee Division league table after winning 2-4 away at Solihull Barons on Saturday and then beating Telford Tigers 5-4 in overtime at home on Sunday.

The Barons had actually looked like potential title challengers earlier in the season but a recent run of defeats has seen them fall out of contention. But away trips to Solihull are always tricky and Saturday’s game proved to be no exception.

The Dragons got off to a dream start with a goal from Ross Kennedy after just 59 seconds. Solihull eventually equalised on 16 minutes and the score remained 1-1 at the first period break.

Colin Cromie fired Deeside back into the lead with a goal on 25 minutes and then doubled the advantage on 32 minutes with a powerplay goal punishing a Solihull charging penalty.

The score stood at 1-3 to the Dragons at the second interval but a goal for Solihull just 48 seconds into the third period narrowed the deficit to just one, signalling that the contest clearly wasn’t over yet.

There were chances for both sides in the final 20 minutes and Matty Barlow finally re-established daylight between the two teams with a goal on 54 minutes, which proved to be the last of the game.

The game on Sunday against the Tigers was always going to be close, with the two teams going into the weekend level on points in the league table and with an identical playing record.

Deeside opened the scoring just 90 seconds into the game with a powerplay goal from Ross Kennedy and, despite chances for both sides, the score remained at a very close 1-0 at the first period break.

Deeside went 2-0 up with a Colin Cromie goal after just 50 seconds of the second period but Telford pulled two goals back to level matters by the halfway stage and the score stood finely balanced at 2-2 at the second interval.

Two goals within 40 seconds of each other early in the third period – a first goal from youngster Theo Malone following his recent move to the club, and then one from MJ Clancy - looked to have put Deeside back in the driving seat – but there was more drama to come.

The Tigers narrowed the deficit to 4-3 on 47 minutes and put the Deeside net under enormous pressure. 

Heading into the last 2 minutes, the score remained 4-3 and the tension around the rink was almost unbearable.

Telford withdrew their netminder in favour of an extra attacker in an attempt to force a late equaliser and the pressure paid off with an equalising goal with just 49 seconds left on the clock.

20 seconds later, the Tigers incurred a tripping penalty but they still pressed forward and, with 8 seconds left, almost snatched the game with a two man breakaway but were called offside.

The score was still level at 4-4 at the end of regulation time and this meant that the game would have to be decided by an extra 5 minute period of sudden death overtime.

As Telford had a player in the box, this meant that Deeside had a powerplay opportunity for the first 1.31 of overtime and they made the extra man count when Jake Witkowski fired in the overtime winner just 3 seconds shy of the expiration of the penalty.

Deeside get 2 league points for the overtime win and Telford get one for having been level at the end of normal time. They also have a slight psychological edge over the Tigers, who they are due to meet again in the two-legged Moralee Cup final later this month.

The Dragons’ five point haul from their two weekend games means that they have pulled clear in second place in the table with 61 points from 27 games – four points ahead of Telford in third and 10 points ahead of Solihull in fourth, although they have played one game more than both of those teams.

Blackburn Hawks still lead the table with 78 points from 28 games, having beaten Hull Jets on Sunday, and have a 17 point lead over the Dragons.

The Dragons are in action again this Saturday 7^th February when they travel away to face Nottingham Lions in an early 1pm face off.

They are back at home the next day – Sunday 8th February - when they take on league leaders Blackburn Hawks at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

The D2 Dragons return to Laidler Division action after a four week break with a trip to Nottingham on Sunday 8th February when they play the Lions D2 team, 5pm face off.  They are next at home on Saturday 14th February when they host the Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off. 

Match Report: Solway Sharks 7 – Widnes Wild Women 4 (WNIHL Div1 North)

Leen de Decker (#5) attacks the Solway goal (Photo by MadMac Photography)

Saturday 31^st January 2026 – WNIHL Div1 North: Solway Sharks 7 – Widnes Wild Women 4

The Widnes Wild Women put in an impressive performance on their latest trip to Scotland but came out just short, losing 7-4 away to Solway Sharks Ladies on Saturday.

The game saw a Wild Women debut for Lydia Lutwyche, a Great Britain Under 18 women’s international player who is also playing for the Wild Academy U19 (mixed) team this season.

Despite the final score, this game was actually quite close and it took until the 14^th minute for Solway to open the scoring.  They scored again 2 minutes later and took a 2-0 lead into the first break, but Widnes weren’t outclassed by any means.

The Wild Women’s pressure on goal eventually paid off with a goal from Leen de Decker on 23 minutes and this sparked a frantic 2 ½ minutes that saw 4 more goals fly in.

Solway restored their 2 goal lead with a strike 37 seconds later but Tayla Huxley–Richards pulled a goal back for Widnes straight from the restart.

Another De Decker goal 45 seconds after that saw Widnes draw level but they weren’t able to build any further on this – despite outshooting their hosts during the middle period - and Solway edged back into the lead with their fourth goal of the game on 25 minutes.

The score remained at a tantalisingly close 4-3 at the second interval but, after a nail biting 10 minutes of back and forth early in the third period, Solway pulled away with 3 straight goals to lead 7-3.

Leen de Decker scored her hat-trick goal on 55 minutes with a delayed penalty strike punishing a Solway holding call but that was the last goal of the game.

Following on from their first win of the season at home to Nottingham Vipers last weekend, the Wild Women can take a number of positives from this away defeat.

Their four-goal haul is their highest of the season so far and they pretty much matched the opposition in terms of shots on goal over the 60 minutes of play.

Lydia Lutwyche contributed an assist in her first game for the club and Elizabeth Bird was named Player of the Game for Widnes.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday when they go to Hull and back to take on league leaders Kingston Diamonds on Humberside – 12.30 (noon...) face off.  They are next at home on Sunday 8^th March when they host Solway Sharks at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25 pm face off.

Dragons v Tigers Moralee Cup Final Details Confirmed

Dragons imports Colin Cromie and Jake Witkowski with the Welsh Cup that they won earlier in the season (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography) 

Arrangements have been finalised for the Deeside Dragons’ two-legged Moralee Cup final against Telford Tigers.

The away leg will be played in Telford on Saturday 21st February - 6pm face off - with the second leg being the day after at Deeside Leisure Centre, puck drop at 5.15pm.

Visiting supporters’ tickets for the away leg at Telford sold out within minutes of going on sale and fans are advised to purchase their tickets for the home leg in advance.

Tickets for the home game at Deeside will go on sale at 9am on Monday 2^nd February via the Dragons online ticket portal at https://shop.dragonsihc.com/tickets/

Advance tickets are available by online purchase only.

Season ticket holders will have a priority booking window and will be contacted separately with details beforehand.

The date of the home leg of the cup final had previously been earmarked for a D2 Dragons Laidler Division game but, as the final takes priority, that game will now have to be re-scheduled.

Match Report: Deeside D1 Dragons 9 – Sheffield Scimitars 5 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Rhys Edwards was the Dragons' MVP against Sheffield (Photo by Angel Devlin Sports Photography)

Sunday 25^th January 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 9 – Sheffield Scimitars 5

The Deeside D1 Dragons had a tough game against the league’s bottom club Sheffield Scimitars but dug deep to notch up a 9-5 victory at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Dragons had won all three of their matches against the Scimitars this season by a total of 32 goals to 4 so this game always seemed likely to be a home banker. However, Sheffield had finally managed to pick up their first win of the season the night before – at the 26^th attempt – with a 5-2 home win over Widnes Wild, and arrived in North Wales on a bit of a high.

The game saw a Dragons debut for young forward Theo Malone – who has joined for the rest of the season on a  2-way agreement with Elite League Manchester Storm, having also played for Hull Seahawks in the National Division this season.

Sheffield actually scored first on 5 minutes and, although Ryan Jones equalised for the Dragons 3 minutes later, the Scimitars scored again to take a 1-2 lead into the first break.

Deeside actually outshot Sheffield by a whopping 64 to 15 over the course of the game but the Scimitars made the most of what they had and edged further ahead on 24 minutes.

Two quick-fire goals from the Dragons around the 30 minute mark - from Rhys Edwards and Ross Kennedy – finally drew them level but another goal from the visitors with just 18 seconds left in the period saw them leading 3-4 at the second interval.

Deeside’s continued pressure began to pay off in the third period and they drew level again with a goal from Jake Witkowski just 46 seconds in. Further goals followed - from Matt Wainwright, Dan Fadejevs, a second for Rhys Edwards and Charles Phillips - to give the Dragons an 8-4 lead before Sheffield finally struck again on 58 minutes.

Veteran netminder Phil Pearson had come on for the Dragons in the third period and, such was the Deeside superiority in the final 20 minutes, he only faced one shot on goal – and it went in, leaving him with a very rare and unlucky 0% save record for the game. He did get an assist on Rhys Edwards’ second goal so it wasn’t all doom and gloom for the “popular stopper”!

Just 7 seconds from the restart, Jake Witkowksi scored his second goal of the night and rounded off a 9-5 victory for the Dragons.

Rhys Edwards was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the Dragons and Theo Malone was handed the “Hardest Worker Belt” by his fellow players in the dressing room after the game for an impressive performance on his Dragons debut.

Following the weekend games across the Moralee Division, the Dragons remain in second place in the league table with 56 points from 25 games.

Telford Tigers have the same number of points but occupy third place due to overall goal difference

Solihull Barons remain in fourth place but have lost ground on the chasing pack after weekend defeats at the hands of Blackburn Hawks and Hull Jets, leaving them on 51 points from 25 games.   

Blackburn Hawks still lead the table with 75 points from 27 games and their 19-point margin over the Dragons and Tigers makes them odds-on favourites to take their first league title since 2016

The Dragons are back in action this Saturday 31^st January when they travel away to face Solihull Barons hoping to put yet more daylight between the two teams in the chase for league positions. 

The intrigue continues the next day – Sunday 1^st February - when, due to a quirk in the fixture list, they take on cup final opponents Telford Tigers in a league game at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 3 - Nottingham Vipers 1 (WNIHL Div1 North)

Widnes Wild Women celebrate their first win of the season (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 25^th January 2026 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 3 – Nottingham Vipers 1

The Widnes Wild Women picked up their first win of the season with a hard fought and well-deserved 3-1 victory over Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

This was the same opposition that had hammered the Wild Women 15-1 back in December in the Lace City so this really was a superb performance.

And, to add some more context to this result, not only was this the Wild Women’s first win of THIS season, it was actually their first win at WPL level (as this division used to be known) since 17^th December 2017 when they won 0-2 away, also against the Vipers – although they have won lots of games and two league titles in the lower division in the meantime.

As you can imagine from the scoreline, the game was very close throughout and it took until the 15^th minute for Nottingham to open the scoring, somewhat against the run of play.

The score remained 0-1 at the first period break but Widnes equalised on 26 minutes with a goal from team captain Victoria Connelly – her first of the season. The ice rink went wild 10 minutes later when Lise Gillen fired in a powerplay goal punishing a Nottingham misconduct penalty – putting the Wild ahead in a game for the first time this season.

With a 2-1 lead heading into the third period, all Widnes needed to do was keep the Vipers out for another 20 minutes to clinch their first win of the season.

Nottingham continued to look dangerous with their attacks but the stubborn Wild defence was up to the task and kept them at bay. Widnes also looked good pushing forward and had a number of chances of their own.

The tension around the rink became unbearable as the clock slowly ticked down with the score still at a very precarious 2-1.

Then, with just 2 minutes and 2 seconds left to play, recent signing Emma Dutton fired in the Wild Women’s third goal and put some daylight between the two teams for the first time in the game.

The pressure was lifted - to a certain extent – but the Vipers upped their game trying to mount a late fightback.

With 40 seconds left on the clock, Widnes conceded a tripping penalty and Nottingham withdrew their netminder in favour of an extra attacker to put extra pressure on the Wild goal.

The Widnes girls managed to hold out, however, and were able to celebrate their first win of the 2025/26 season.

Emma Dutton was the Wild Women's MVP against Nottingham (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. They went to Clare Jones for Nottingham and Emma Dutton for Widnes.

The Wild Women are away in Scotland this Saturday 31^st January when they travel to face Solway Sharks for the second time this season. They then have another away to trip - to Hull - on Sunday 15th February before their next home game which is on Sunday 8^th March against Solway, again, at Planet Ice Widnes.

Dragons Beat Hawks in Dramatic Cup Semi Final

Dragons players celebrate their OT cup win away at Blackburn (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 17^th January 2026 – Moralee Cup S/Final 1: Deeside D1 Dragons 2 – Blackburn Hawks 4

Sunday 18^th January 2026 – Moralee Cup S/Final 2: Blackburn Hawks 1- Deeside D1 Dragons 4 (OT)

Deeside win 6-5 on aggregate

The Deeside Dragons won through to the Moralee Cup final in the most sensational fashion with a  two-legged semi final victory over Blackburn Hawks, losing 2-4 at home on Saturday and then winning  1-4  away in overtime on Sunday to triumph 5-6 on aggregate.

In the home leg on Saturday, Deeside actually looked the better team in the first period but were unable to make the most of their chances. 

Their efforts were eventually rewarded with a Matty Barlow goal on 18 minutes and they took a 1-0 lead into the first period break.

Blackburn upped their game in the second period and former Deeside import Jakub Hajek equalised on 23 minutes. 

The Hawks edged into the lead on 34 minutes and, shortly after this, Dragons’ former Hawks Damarni James picked up a 5 plus game penalty for slashing, leaving the Dragons a man short for the rest of the period.

The defence stood firm, however and Tyler de la Bertouche made some crucial saves in the Deeside net to help weather the storm, and the score remained 1-2 at the second interval.

Blackburn continued their pressure in the third period and two early goals - one from former Deeside favourite Andy McKinney – gave the visitors a 3-goal lead heading into the last 10 minutes.

The Dragons pushed hard to try and drag themselves back into the game and the pressure paid off with a second goal of the night for Matty Barlow on 52 minutes.

They were unable to build any further on that, however, and the final score of 2-4 result meant that they had to carry a 2-goal deficit into the away leg in Blackburn the next day.

Blackburn hadn’t lost a game at home all season and looked pre-game favourites to win this one as well.  However, Deeside had a point to prove and put in an impressive all-round performance - and the game remained goal-less at the end of the first period.

The Hawks were awarded a penalty shot early in the second period after a slashing call but Tyler de la Bertouche - who was having an outstanding night in the Deeside net – made the save.

Blackburn eventually scored the first goal of the game on 32 minutes to extend their aggregate advantage to three but Jake Wikowski levelled on the night for the Dragons  with just 1 second left on the clock to leave the score at 1-1 at the second interval .

Deeside upped their game in the third period and caused Blackburn all sorts of problems - and they picked up a number of penalties as they battled to keep the marauding Dragons at bay. Deeside got their noses in front 1-2 with a powerplay goal from Matty Barlow on 47 minutes and then another powerplay goal  – from Colin Cromie on 55 minutes - dramatically levelled the aggregate score.

With just 30 seconds left on the clock, Deeside had the chance to grab a late winner when Jake Witkowski was awarded a penalty shot after a check to the head.  He beat the Hawks’ netminder but the goal was disallowed as the puck had travelled backwards, which is not allowed on a penalty shot.

With the scores level at the end of the 60 minutes’ regulation time, the game went to a 5 minute period of sudden death overtime to decide a winner and a goal from “Man of the Weekend” Matty Barlow two minutes in won the tie for the Dragons and secured their place in the cup final.

In the other semi final, Telford Tigers staged a similar second leg fightback to beat Solihull Barons 10-9 on aggregate and will now meet the Dragons in the two-legged final on 21^st & 22^nd February.

With the top four teams all having been in cup action this weekend, the Moralee Division table looks pretty much the same as it did last week with leaders Blackburn still 19 points clear of second place Deeside, although they have played two games more.

The Dragons are locked in a fascinating three-way tussle for second spot along with Telford Tigers and Solihull Barons and just two points separate those three teams . This is important because the final league table positions will determine who plays who in the end of season Play Offs, with the higher placed teams getting an easier draw in the quarter final ties.

The Dragons are back in league action this Sunday 25^th January when they take on the Moralee Division’s bottom club Sheffield Scimitars – who remain without a win from 25 starts this season - at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Solway Sharks 8 - Widnes Wild Women 3 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Wild Women battling away at Solway (Photo by MadMac Photography)

Saturday 17th January 2025 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Solway Sharks 8 - Widnes Wild Women 3

The Widnes Wild Women ventured north of the border on Saturday and lost out 8-3 to the Solway Sharks Ladies in Dumfries. 

Solway opened the scoring after 3½ minutes and then added a second goal just 27 seconds later. Widnes replied with a long distance strike from Tayla Huxley-Richards on 7 minutes – her first goal for the Wild - but the Sharks scored three more unanswered goals before the break to lead 5-1 after the first period.

Widnes were quickest out of the blocks in the second period and pulled a goal back through Maggie Whitmore – also her first goal for the Wild – on 24 minutes. 

Solway responded, however, and restored their 4-goal cushion with a strike on 28 minutes and then further extended their lead with a powerplay goal 70 seconds later, leaving the score standing at 7-2 at the second interval. 

The Sharks scored again on 44 minutes but, even though the game was clearly out of their reach by then, the Wild Women kept pressing forward and were rewarded with a second goal for Huxley-Richards on 58 minutes to round off the scoring for the game.

While still a defeat, the three goals represent the highest total that they have managed in a game so far this season and therefore must be viewed as an improvement.

It is also pleasing to see yet more of the new younger players getting on the scoresheet.

The Wild Women are back at home this Sunday 25^th January when they entertain Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes for the first time this season, 4.25pm face off.