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.  

Emma Happy To Return To The Wild

Wild Woman Emma Dutton
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

The Widnes Wild Women have boosted their roster for the remainder of their Division 1 North campaign with the return of highly experienced player Emma Dutton.

Emma previously played for the Wild Women in their debut 2015/16 Women’s Premier League season in 2015/16 and also the 2016/17 season.

Prior to that she had been the all-time highest appearance holder with the Deeside–based Flintshire Furies – with 111 appearances over 8 seasons –during which time they reached the Division 1 North playoffs twice, won promotion and played three seasons in the WPL.

She also played 2 seasons with the Manchester Phoenix women’s team, making 32 appearances and winning the league and playoffs in 2014/15.

More recently Emma has been Player Coach of the Deeside–based Connah’s Quay Cobras recreational team, who have won a number of trophies at summer tournaments.

Talking about her return to the Widnes team, Dutton said:

“Some of the best hockey I’ve played was with the Wild Ladies. Given the structure and supportive environment at the club, and after a string of injuries, it feels like the right place for me.”

Ross Kennedy Is Dragons Player Of The Month

Ross Kennedy was named Dragons Player of the Month for December 2025 (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

The Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for December has been announced as Ross Kennedy

The popular forward played in all 4 Dragons games during the month of December, scoring 6 goals – in two consecutive hat-tricks at home to Billingham and away to Leeds - and contributing 8 assists, while sitting out just 6 minutes in penalties.

Kennedy is currently the second highest points scorer on the Dragons squad in the Moralee Division at 22 goals and 34 assists overall although his tally of 56 is quite a way behind points leader Jake Witkowski who has 84.

Dragons’ Head Coach Mike Clancy said of Kennedy - who is also an Assistant Captain this season: “Ross has really found his feet contributing to the team with leadership and a great points tally.”

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.

Widnes Wild Women 100 Game Presentations

Leen de Decker, Stephanie Drinkwater and Catherine Fell with captain Victoria Connelly (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday’s game saw a special long service presentation for three Widnes Wild Women players who have all reached 100 appearances for the club.

Leen de Decker, Catherine Fell and Stephanie Drinkwater were all founder members of the Wild Women’s team when it was formed in 2015, having all previously played for the Manchester Phoenix team that moved up the M56 to play at Widnes.

De Decker is a former Belgium international player with 52 international caps and she also played 8 seasons for Kingston Diamonds in Hull after moving to the UK from her homeland.

Catherine Fell played 6 seasons with the Flintshire Furies in Deeside and 6 with the Blackburn Thunder before joining the Phoenix and, ultimately, Widnes and - like de Decker - actually played her 100th Wild game on Sunday.

Netminder Stephanie Drinkwater passed the 100 games mark at the end of last season and is the record holder for Wild Women appearances with 112. De Decker holds the records for Widnes goals, assists and overall points with 106 goals, 46 assists and 152 points.    

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 1 - Caledonia Steelqueens 8 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Jennifer Hickey was the Wild Women's MVP against Caledonia (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 11th January 2025 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 1 – Caledonia Steel Queens 8

The Widnes Wild Women suffered defeat in their first game of the new year with a 1-8 loss at the hands of the Caledonia Steel Queens at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

While a defeat is always disappointing, the Wild Women held their own for long spells in this game – against a team that had three North Americans on their bench - and have plenty of positives to build upon as the season progresses.

Wild Woman Emma Dutton
(Photo by Paul Breeze)

The game saw a return to Widnes colours for Emma Dutton, who was one of the original Wild Women when the team was first formed back in 2015 and brings with her a lot of experience, having also previously played with Manchester Phoenix and the Flintshire Furies.

After a closely matched opening few minutes, Caledonia took the lead at 4.29 and led 0-3 at the first period break. They added three more goals to lead 0-6 before Ellen Tyrer struck the only Widnes goal of the game at 30.38. The Steel Queens scored again three minutes later and the score stood at 1-7 at the second interval.

The third period was very tight and looked as if it might play out goal-less. However, just as it looked as if Widnes had managed to keep the Steel Queens at bay, they hit a late goal with just 32 seconds left on the clock to end up as 1-8 winners.

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) awards are once again this season being sponsored by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and were presented by match volunteer Lynda Bird. They went to Canadian player Hannah Brocanier who scored a hat trick on her debut for the Steel Queens and Jennifer Hickey for Widnes.

The Wild Women face a trip up to Scotland this Sunday 18th January when they take on Solway Sharks Ladies for the first time this season up in Dumfries. They are back at home the Sunday after – 25th January – when they entertain Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.   

Dragons To Meet Hawks in Cup Semi Final

Colin Cromie and Jake Witkowski with the Welsh Cup (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

The Deeside D1 Dragons have a break from league action this weekend as they take part in home and away ties in the Moralee Cup semi finals.

They finished second in their qualifying group, meaning that they will play Blackburn Hawks – who finished in first place in the other group – in the semi final. 

The home game will be played on Saturday 17^th January at Deeside Leisure Centre – 5.15pm face off - and the away game on Sunday starting at 6pm.

The other semi final sees Solihull Barons paired with Telford Tigers.  The winners of the two semi finals will meet home and away in a two-legged final over the weekend of 21st & 22^nd February.

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

Jace Gledhill picked up 2 MVP awards at the weekend (Photo by David Tattum)

Saturday 10^th January 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 1 – Deeside D1 Dragons 2

Sunday 11^th January 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 3 - Widnes Wild 2

The Deeside D1 Dragons can proudly boast local bragging rights for another season over near neighbours Widnes Wild after back to back wins against their fiercest rivals at the weekend.

The Dragons won 1-2 away on Merseyside on Saturday and 3-2 at home on Deeside on Sunday to complete a clean sweep of all 4 league games between the two teams for the season.

The away game in Widnes was very close throughout and the result could easily have gone either way.  The Wild opened the scoring after just 90 seconds but despite numerous chances for both sides, the score remained 1-0 at the first period break.

The second period looked as if it was going to play out goalless but Jake Witkowski fired in a Deeside equaliser with just 1 second left on the clock, leaving the game all tied at 1-1 with one period left to play.

The Dragons had more of the play in the third period and their pressure eventually paid off when Ross Kennedy fired the puck home on 55 minutes to score what would turn out to be the game winning goal.

Jace Gledhill had an outstanding game in the Deeside goal, turning away all but one of the 29 shots that he faced, and was named Dragons’ MVP for his performance.

Sunday’s home game was similarly close and remained goal-less in the first period.

Deeside finally took the lead with a goal from team captain Jared Dickinson on 28 minutes and Jake Witkowski doubled the advantage on 35 minutes.

Witkowksi found the net again with a powerplay strike  with just 12 seconds left in the period and the Dragons took a 3-0 lead into the second interval.

Widnes, however, looked dangerous throughout and scored two goals late in the third period to reduce the deficit to just one.

This set up a nail-biting last couple of minutes but the Dragons held on to record their fourth win over their local rivals this season and round off a 6-point weekend.

Jace Gledhill, once again, impressed in the Deeside net and picked up his second MVP award in consecutive games.

Following the weekend’s results, the Dragons have moved back up into second place in the Moralee Division table. They are tied on 53 points with Telford Tigers who have also played the same number of games – 24 – and are only separated by overall goal difference.

Solihull Barons - who also won twice at the weekend - are also in the mix down in fourth place, two points behind but with a game in hand.

Blackburn Hawks still lead the table with 72 points from 26 games – massive 19 points clear at the top.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons Away Weekend (NIHL Laidler Division)

Karl Bacon scored two goals at the weekend (Photo by Adam Bassett)

Saturday 10^th January 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Coventry Blaze 6 – Deeside D2 Dragons 3

Sunday 11^th January 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Altrincham Aces 4 - Deeside D2 Dragons 7

The Deeside D2 Dragons had a rollercoaster road weekend losing 6-3 away to Coventry Blaze on Saturday and then beating Altrincham Aces 4-7 away on Sunday.

The young Dragons put in a plucky performance away in Coventry but never really looked like winning and goals from Stewart Cutting, Lewis Edward and Karl Bacon weren’t enough to save them from a 6-3 defeat.

In the game in Altrincham on Sunday, they led from the start and never looked back.

First period goals from Chris Jones and James Shaw saw them leading 0-2 at the first interval and they ended the second period 2-6 ahead with strikes from Ben Roscoe, Cody Ogden, Cameron Kushnirenko  and Jones again .

Karl Bacon scored his second goal in two games,  rounding off the Deeside scoring and the D2 Dragons  were able to celebrate a home and away league double over the Aces for the first time.

The D2 Dragons have a three week break from competitive action before their next game, which is away to Nottingham Lions on 8th February.

They are next at home on Saturday 14^th February when they take on Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre.

New Book: Sledge Hockey 2025

The Widnes-based Mayhem sledge team feature prominently in a new book, which is thought to be the first title in the world ever to be published about Para Ice Hockey.

Entitled “Sledge Hockey 2025” – the book covers all the action of the 2025 British Para Ice Hockey League regular season and play offs, with full player statistics – and lots of photos.

The book includes reports and articles from a number of writers covering the various teams across the country and there are also game-by-game reports of the Great Britain women’s team who took part in the first ever Women’s World Championships in Slovakia.

“Sledge Hockey 2025” is published by niche publishers Ice Hockey Review and mail order details can be found HERE.

Deeside v Widnes Rivalry Resumes - A Few Memorable Moments

Deeside v Widnes matches are always very "passionate" encounters (Photo by Geoff White)

This weekend sees keenly anticipated back to back NIHL Moralee Division matches between near neighbours (in ice hockey terms, at least...) Deeside Dragons and Widnes Wild, who enjoy a fierce rivalry dating back to when the Wild team was formed back in 2013.

Needless to say, there have been some memorable encounters over the years - and here are just a few of them: 

The Wild’s first ever league game was away at Deeside on 8^th September 2013 and the Dragons won 9-5.

The first Widnes Wild game that I ever saw was also against Deeside. It was the first game of the 2015/16 season and Deeside won away in Widnes 5-7 – and they went on to win the Laidler Division title that year.

That season had quite a few memorable moments – some humorous, some less so.  It started off with Scott McKenzie ‘s slightly embarrassing press conference where he confidently announced that Widnes would “definitely” win the league that year – and later on, in reply, we had Phil Lowndes’ iconic “Widnes Pussies” video clip.

Scott McKenzie: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1679189762330278

Phil Lowndes: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1669912499924671

The Dragons actually secured the Laidler title with a 7-7 draw away at Widnes on Valentine’s Day and went on to finish 10 points clear of the Wild in the final league table. However, the latter part of that regular league schedule season is probably best remembered for the abandoned game at Deeside on 26^th March when Widnes refused to play on after an unfortunate incident in the 25^th minute of the game.

For anybody who wants to watch / revisit what happened there, you can see the incident and the aftermath from 34.30 onwards on the Drop The Puck episode here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNOL7anI2K0

3^rd February 2019 saw a very unusual incident in a Dragons away game at Widnes. This was the occasion when the match officials decided to award a retrospective goal to Deeside nearly a 2 full minutes after it had happened - and then wound the game clock and penalties back and replayed the intervening match time…

You can see the original incident at 5.30 on the highlights video, the on-ice deliberations from 7.00 to 8.30 and then slow-motion replays of the “was it / wasn’t it” goal from 8.30 to 9.00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7omQW54TH2I

I am not convinced that this course of action was actually allowed for in the rules - and internet research hasn’t uncovered any other instances where it had ever happened before.

Widnes won the game 11-4, by the way

And, to round off this brief saunter down a Memory Lane of unusual occurrences, in another passionately contested Wild v Dragons clash at Widnes – in the Moralee Division this time, on 6^th November 2022 - at 59.57, the referee awarded Widnes a PENALTY GOAL.  While I knew this was on the rule books, in over 40 years of watching British ice hockey, I had never personally seen this happen before – or, indeed, since.

By way of explanation, the Dragons had removed their netminder in favour of an extra attacker to try and force a late equaliser and the Widnes forward (Matty Barlow – now a Deeside Dragon) broke away and was bearing down on an empty net when he was tripped.  With the goal being undefended, in those circumstances, the presumption is that the attacker will score, so a Penalty Goal is awarded instead of a Penalty Shot.

You can see this unusual incident at 1.04.25 to 1.04.40 on the Drop The Puck highlights video. The rest of the programme is worth a watch as well, obviously…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2KeRjyPtaY 

So, these are a few of my own keenly remembered moments from Deeside v Widnes games

There was, of course, also the Laidler Play Off final in 2016 that Deeside won 5-2  - and the one off Promotion Play Off, played at Blackburn, that ended all square and was won by the Dragons in overtime.  The list could go on and on... and I am sure you will have plenty more memories of your own.

Anyway, the next thrilling instalment of the ongoing Deeside v Widnes rivalry can be seen this weekend when the Wild host the Dragons at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday 10^th January – 7pm face off – and Deeside are at home to Widnes in the return fixture on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre – 5.15pm start. 

Wild Women Raring To Go

Wild Women's Lise Gillen
(Photo by Flyfifer Photography)

Having had a well-earned festive break to recharge their batteries, the Widnes Wild Women return to league action this Sunday when they take on the Caledonia Steel Queens at Planet Ice Widnes. 

The Wild Women start the new calendar year bottom of the Division 1 North table with 8 defeats from their 8 games so far this season.  While that may sound disappointing, it is not completely unexpected because there is huge chasm in playing standards between this division and Division 2 where they were playing last season.

Having said that, the Wild Women do have a number of positives to take from the early part of the season and have seen their performance improve as the campaign has progressed.

In a season where goals have been hard to come by, Canadian born Lise Gillen is the Widnes top scorer with 2 goals and 1 assist while former Belgium international Leen de Decker has two goals. The other players to have found the back of the net so far this campaign are Karyn Cooper, Dee Vause and Ilyssa Flemington, all with one strike each, while Nicola Wallace, Eleanor Johnson and Abigail Aldred have all contributed assists.

There is still a long way to go in this marathon-esque season with 12 of the 20 scheduled league games yet to come. While they have had difficulties against teams at the top of the league table, the Wild Women have yet to play fellow strugglers Solway Sharks, who they will meet 4 times in the business end of the season – twice at home and twice away – so there is still plenty to play for.

The Widnes Women take on the Caledonia Steel Queens this Sunday at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off. Admission is free for all spectators and there is ample free parking around the rink. 

Match Report: Deeside D1 Dragons 11 – Nottingham Lions 2 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Ryan Jones was the Dragons' MVP against Nottingham (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 4^th January 2026 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 11 – Nottingham Lions 2

The Deeside Dragons Moralee Division team got 2026 off to a winning start with an 11-2 victory at home to Nottingham Lions at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Dragons hit the ground running and took the lead with a Colin Cromie goal after just 24 seconds but Nottingham put up a good fight in the early stages and actually outshot Deeside by almost 2 to 1 in the first period.

In fact, it took until 17 minutes in for Cromie to score the Dragons’ second of the night and the score stood at 2-0 at the first period break.

Nottingham fired in a powerplay goal just 61 seconds into the second period and the score remained at a rather nervy 2-1 at the midway point in the game.

Two further Dragons’ goals did eventually follow – from team captain Jared Dickinson and Jake Witkowksi - but it was far from a done deal at that period, despite a 4-1 lead at the second interval.

The mounting Deeside pressure paid off in the third period, however, and a goal-fest ensued. Witkowsi scored his second goal of the night straight from the face off and then added his hat-track strike 5 minutes later.

Then, Ross Kennedy got in on the act on 50 minutes exactly and Deeside looked to be cruising.

Nottingham did pull another goal back on 52 minutes but it was too late by then to mount any sort of comeback and two more goals from Kennedy brought him a third period hat—trick.  

Witkowski added a fourth to his tally and defenceman Ryan Jones also fired in a goal – his second of the season - and went on to be named Dragons’ MVP for the game.

The win means that the Dragons move back up into third place in the Moralee Division table, overtaking Solihull Barons who didn’t have a game this weekend, and they now have 47 points from 22 games

Telford Tigers have climbed into second place after back to back away wins over Sheffield and Widnes and they are now 3 points ahead of Deeside, although they have played a game more.

League leaders Blackburn Hawks were also without a game at the weekend but are now further ahead at the top of the table after two wins over the festive period and they now have 66 points from 24 games.

The Dragons have back to back matches against fierce local rivals Widnes Wild this weekend – with the away game on Saturday, 7.00pm face off, and the home game on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre - 5.15pm start.  

Match Report: Sheffield Titans 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 2 (NIHL Laidler Division)

D2 Dragons' James Shaw
(Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Sunday 4^th January 2026 – NIHL Laidler Division: Sheffield Titans 6 - Deeside D2 Dragons 2

The Deeside D2 Dragons team opened 2026 with a narrow 6-2 defeat away to league leaders Sheffield Titans on Sunday.

Sheffield started the strongest and took a 3-0 lead into the first period break but Deeside kept them out in the second and pulled a goal back through leading scorer James Shaw for 3-1 at the second interval.

Three more goals followed for the home side in the third period but a strike from Noah Percival gave the final score a bit more respectability.

The D2 Dragons have three more away games in a row -with trips to Coventry this Saturday 10^th January, Altrincham on Sunday 11^th and Nottingham on 8th February.

They are next at home on Saturday 14^th February when they take on Coventry Blaze at Deeside Leisure Centre.