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.

Dragon Jake Visits Frankie & Dan

Jake Witkowski with Frankie
at Alder Hey Hospital
(Photo by Dragons IHC)

Deeside Dragons star forward Jake Witkowski paid a very special visit to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool to meet up with 16 month old Frankie Graham and his father Dan.

Frankie is bravely battling a microdeletion of multiple chromosomes and dystonic cerebral palsy – the only known case in the world – and has had to spend 13 months of his short life so far in hospital undergoing countless tests and medical procedures.

Kind hearted American Jake presented his Moralee Cup Winners medal to Frankie and spent quality time chatting with the family, sharing stories and, hopefully, bringing a few smiles along the way.

Frankie’s dad Dan said:

“I just want to thank Jake and all the Dragons family for the support they’ve shown over the last 16 months. Ice hockey has been my escape from the hospital and the Dragons community is like a family, which makes me feel like I can just be Dan and take a break away from all the medical parenting. The club is in an amazing place and it is memories like this that make the club so special and shows the love that the players and staff have for their fans.”

Shortly after he was born, Frankie suffered a bleed on the brain, a devastating event that changed the course of his life forever. This injury resulted in a diagnosis of dystonic cerebral palsy, a condition that affects his muscle control, movement, and ability to do the things many children learn naturally.

Instead of spending his first year learning to crawl, explore, and play, Frankie has spent over 13 months out of his 15 months of his life in hospital. These months have been filled with uncertainty, medical procedures, and countless appointments and MDTs, but also with remarkable strength, determination, and courage far beyond his years. Despite everything he has endured, Frankie continues to smile, laugh, and show an incredible will to keep going.

Because of his condition, Frankie requires specialised equipment and intensive therapy to support his development. He needs a suitable wheelchair designed specifically for his needs so he can sit comfortably, be supported safely, and experience the world around him with greater independence. This does come at a cost of around £5,000. Alongside this, regular physiotherapy is essential to help manage his dystonia, improve his movement, prevent pain, and give him the best chance to reach his full potential. Unfortunately, these vital supports come with significant costs.

A gofundme page has been set up for anybody who would like to help Frankie and his family: 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-frankie-to-access-vital-equipment-and-therapy

and you can follow Frankie’s progress via a special Facebook page called FrankiesJourney777 here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588337301166

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.