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| Alex Newman scored twice for the Raiders at Trafford (Photo by Paul Breeze) |
The Riverside Raiders team put in a plucky performance in a challenge match losing out 11-7 away to Trafford Thunder in Altrincham on Saturday.
The Raiders were supposed to be playing the Thunder as part of the group stage of this year’s Summer Classic Cup – a competition that they actually won last year – but an unfortunate combination of rising costs involved in staging home matches and dwindling player numbers to help cover them has meant that they have been unable to take part in the competition this time around.
In the game on Saturday, the Raiders took the lead with just 1 minute on the clock with a goal from Shawn McBride but Trafford fought back to lead 2-1 after 10 minutes. Adam Jenkins scored on 12 minutes to draw the Raiders level again but Trafford edged ahead once more on 14 minutes.
A second goal of the game from McBride looked to have tied the game again heading into the first period break but a late Trafford strike with just 17 seconds left to play handed them a 4-3 lead.
Despite having a short bench and not being able to ice two full lines, the Raiders gave a good account of themselves and drew level again two minutes into the second period with a goal from Alex Newman.
Four unanswered goals from the numerically superior Trafford side then put some daylight between the teams – building up an 8-4 lead – but Raiders heads didn’t drop and a hat-trick goal from McBride and a strike from Newman with 52 seconds to go saw the score standing at 8-6 at the second interval.
They managed to narrow the deficit to just one goal with a strike from McBride – his fourth of the game – on 46 minutes but three more goals for the hosts rounded off an 11-7 win for the Thunder.
The Riverside Raiders are next in competitive action over the weekend of 29th/30th June when they will travel to Humberside to take part in the annual Ricky Barker Memorial Cup - held every year in memory of a valued member of the Hull grass roots ice hockey community - where they will take on a number rec teams from across the country.
