Match Report: Widnes Wild 2 – Leeds Knights 7 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Jonathan Williamson was the Wild NIHL team’s MVP against Leeds (Photo by Keith and Jenny Davies)

Sunday 29th September 2024 – NIHL Moralee Division : Widnes Wild 2 – Leeds Knights 7

The Widnes Wild NIHL team lost their 4th league game in a row with a 2-7 defeat at the hands of Leeds Knights at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday. 

The Leeds Knights NIHL 1 team are new to the Moralee Division this year and they have assembled an impressive roster that includes three overseas born players – among them a US AAA trained junior - as well as Matty Barlow and Alex Mitchell, who both played for Widnes for the past two seasons.

This cross-Pennine derby game was niggly from the off and was littered with minor penalties throughout. The only goal of the first period came on 13 minutes and it fell to the visitors who took the 0-1 lead into the first interval.

Bailey Thomson equalised for the Wild on 28 minutes but Barlow fired the Knights back in front just 30 seconds later. 2 more goals put Leeds further ahead and they led 1-4 at the second period break.

The Knights went 1-5 up just 36 seconds into the third period but Jono Williamson pulled a goal back for Widnes 3 minutes later.  However, this wasn’t enough to spark a late revival and two more goals for Leeds late on made the score look a little more one-sided than the game actually was.

It was Leeds’ first win of the season after 4 straight defeats and the result leaves Widnes and Sheffield both adrift at the bottom of the Moralee Division table, still looking for their first points.

The Wild have back to back away games at the weekend when they play away to Leeds on Saturday 5th October and then make the long trip to the North East to take on Whitley Warriors on Sunday.

They are next at home on Sunday 13th October when they take on Solihull Barons at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.

*****

The Wild Junior Academy hosted games for their Under14 and Under 16 teams against their Nottingham counterparts at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday. The Under 14s lost 1-13 to Nottingham while the Under 16s lost 2-4.

The Academy Under 18 team lost 4-3 away to Telford while the Under 10s took part in a 4 team tournament at Blackburn where they played against Manchester Storm and Deeside U10s as well as the host team.  Under 10s games are played for fun and no scores are recorded.

The Wild Academy are always keen to recruit new players across all age groups from Under 10 to Under 18 and hold training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Planet Ice Widnes.

Separate “Learn To Play” sessions are also available for anybody new who would like to take up the sport. For more information, contact Academy Head Coach mike.gilbert@wildacademy.co.uk

Match Report: Kingston Diamonds 4 – Widnes Wild Women 4 (WNIHL Div 2 (N)

New Wild Women signing Ruth Leopold in action for Swindon – Photo by Flyfifer Photography

Sunday 29th September 2024 – WNIHL Div 2 (N): Kingston Diamonds 4 – Widnes Wild Women 4

The Widnes Wild women’s team started their 2024/25 Division 2 North season with a 4-4 draw away to the Kingston Diamonds in Hull on Sunday. 

The game saw Wild debuts for new signings Jennifer Greenwood, Ruth Leopold, Nicole Rainey and Niamh Horsfield – and returns to the team for Sav Sumner and Charlotte Jackson after spending some time away with other clubs. 

The two teams were very closely matched throughout this game and the first period remained goal-less until the very last minute when Jennifer Hickey opened the scoring for the Wild with just 35 seconds left on the clock.

Two goals early in the second period put the Diamonds in the lead and they edged further ahead with a goal on 30 minutes to lead 3-1 at the second interval.

The Wild Women visibly upped their game in the third period and two goals in two minutes – from Katie Fairclough and Leen de Decker – put them on level terms with 13 minutes left to play.

Kingston got their noses back in front with a 4th goal on 50 minutes but de Decker equalised again with 4 minutes left on the clock to secure the point for Widnes.

The Wild Women have two more away fixtures - at Sheffield on 12th October and Whitley Bay on 27th October - before their first home game against Whitley Bay Beacons on Sunday 24th November at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

*****

Ruth Leopold is a new face in a Widnes shirt this season but has been very well-known around the women’s game for many years. She started playing for the Blackpool Blades women’s team in 1987/88 and then moved to the Blackburn Falcons in 1991. 

She joined the newly formed Sheffield Shadows for the 1993/94 season – scoring the club s’ first ever goal – then moved down to Bristol for work and joined the Swindon Top Cats in 1995. Ruth won a number of Division One titles with Swindon and also had a WPL title-winning year with Slough in 1998/99 before returning to the Top Cats and later playing for the Bristol Huskies.

Talking about joining Widnes for the new season, Leopold said; 

“I moved back up to Lytham last year and thought I had retired, but was inspired by Rachael (Pearce) to come back and started training with Blackburn women. I enjoyed that so wanted to play league hockey again, and I decided to come along to Widnes.” 

“I am really looking forward to the season, where I hope my experience can be an asset to help the team. I am very grateful to the Wild for giving me a chance to continue playing the sport I have loved for 37 years!”

You can watch video coverage of the whole of the Kingston Diamonds v Wild Women match on the Diamonds’ YouTube channel HERE 

Widnes Wild Women Season Preview

Wild Women's Head Coach Steve Furber (left) with Assistant Coach Paddy Horner and Player Coach Leen de Decker (Photo by Widnes Wild Women IHC)  

The Widnes Wild women’s team have announced their leadership teams in preparation for the new 2024/25 WNIHL season, which starts this weekend.

The Head Coach for the new season is Steve Furber, with Thomas (Paddy) Horner as Assistant Coach.  Leen De Decker, Katie Fairclough and Suzie Miller will all be Player / Coaches. 

Charlotte Cramp returns as team captain in the role that she filled so admirably last season and Rachael Pearce and Elizabeth Loss are Alternate Captains.

The Wild Women will, once again, be playing in WNIHL Division 2 North where they will take on opposition from: Hull, Sheffield, Whitley Bay, Edinburgh, Telford and Leeds.  

Last year’s strugglers Grimsby withdrew from the league during the summer and a new 3-team Northern Cup competition has been introduced between Widnes, Telford and Sheffield to provide extra matches to make up the shortfall.

The Wild Women start their season with a trip to Hull and back this Sunday 29th September when they take on the Kingston Diamonds. They then have two more away fixtures before their first home game against Whitley Bay Beacons on Sunday 24th November at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

The full Wild Women’s fixture list for the 2024/25 season is:

• 29th Sept: away @ Kingston
• 12th Oct: away @ Sheffield
• 27th Oct: away @ Whitley
• 24th Nov: home v Whitley
• 7th Dec: away @ Caledonia
• 15th Dec: home v Sheffield (Cup)
• 12th Jan: away @ Telford
• 26th Jan: home v Telford
• 2nd Feb: away @ Sheffield (Cup)
• 16th Feb: home v Telford (Cup)
• 9th Mar: home v Sheffield
• 16th Mar: home v Kingston
• 22nd Mar: away @ Leeds
• 13th April: home v Leeds
• 27th April: home v Caledonia
• 3rd May: away @ Telford (Cup)

Wild Women's home games are on Sunday afternoons at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25 pm face off.  Admission is free for all spectators and there is ample free parking outside the venue.  

Match Report: Widnes Wild 2 – Deeside Dragons 7 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Luke Alston was the Wild's MVP in the home defeat against Deeside (Photo by Steve Cunningham)

Sunday 22nd September – Moralee Division: Widnes Wild 2 – Deeside Dragons 7

The Widnes Wild NIHL team’s disappointing start to the season continued with a 2-7 defeat at the hands of local rivals Deeside Dragons at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

Due to the close proximity of the two teams – and regular interchanges of players over the years - matches with the Dragons are always feisty affairs and this was no exception.

A short-benched Widnes - caused by mounting injury worries - actually scored first with a goal by Kai Hathaway but three strikes for the Dragons – including a brace from former Wild favourite Jakub Hajek - saw the visitors leading 1-3 at the first period break.

Luke Alston narrowed the deficit to just one goal midway through the second period but two goals late on handed the Dragons a 2-5 lead with one period left to play.

The game was pretty much dominated by Deeside’s new import and former Leeds Knights National Division player - American Jake Witowksy – and he rounded off an impressive hat trick to go with his three assists to bring the score to 2-6 midway through the third period.

A seventh goal for the Dragons late in the game further rubbed salt in the Wild wounds and bragging rights remain at the western end of the M56 – at least until the next Widnes / Deeside encounter.

The Wild are next in action this Sunday 29th September when they are at home to the new Leeds Knights 2 team in the Moralee Division at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.

Match Report: Coventry NIHL Blaze 13 – Deeside Ducks 1 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Deeside Ducks' first ever away game - against Coventry NIHL Blaze (Photo by Maxine Roscoe)

Saturday 21^st September: NIHL Laidler Division – Coventry NIHL Blaze 13 – Deeside Ducks 1

The Deeside Ducks had a difficult time on their first ever away trip – losing 13-1 to a highly organised Coventry Blaze side on Saturday.

Continuing their policy of encouraging young talent and providing a stepping stone into senior league hockey, the Ducks gave NIHL debuts to three more promising players – Mackenzie Wilkes, Liam Yarwood and 16-year old Deacon Wilkes.

Deeside found themselves up against it right from the start and were 3-0 down by the end of the first period. It was 8-0 after two periods and they were 12-0 down by the time Michael Speare scored their first ever away goal in the third period. The netminding partnership of Callum Preston and Paul Jones were kept busy all night but managed to keep out 55 of the 68 shots that they faced between them.  Deacon Wilkes was named the Ducks’ Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the match.

After the game, lead coach Peter Bleackley said:

 “I’m not going to make any excuses. We just didn’t gel as a team last night. We’ve lots of areas to work on in training and I am putting this down to a bad day at the office. Coventry were a well organised team and played good simple hockey from the start. They outworked us and took every opportunity and capitalised on it.”

 “We will dust ourselves off and the team are looking forward to this weekend. It is early days for us all as a new development team and we just need to bring to the games the energy and competitive levels that we have at training.”

The Ducks have another away game this Saturday 28^th September then they go to Hull and back to face the Kingston Sharks, who they lost very narrowly to 4-5 in their first game of the season. They are then at home on Sunday to Sheffield Titans at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.

(Note: gamesheet not provided so match details are incomplete).

Sheffield Steelkings Win BPIHL Play Offs

Sheffield Steelkings celebrate winning the 2024 BPIHL Play Off title at Nottingham (Photo by Sheffield Steelkings PIHC)

British Para Ice Hockey Play Offs 2024 (14^th & 15^th September - at Nottingham)

• Semi Final 1: Cardiff Huskies 4 – Mayhem 3
• Semi Final 2: Peterborough Phantoms 2 – Sheffield Steelkings 5
• 3rd Place Game: Peterborough Phantoms 7 – Mayhem 4
• Play Off Final: Cardiff Huskies 2 – Sheffield Steelkings 6

The Sheffield Steelkings won the British Para Ice Hockey play off title for the second year in a row with a 6-2 win over league champions Cardiff Huskies in Nottingham on Sunday.

The top four finishers in the league qualified for the play offs in the Lace City and the semi finals on the Saturday saw league champions Cardiff Huskies take on 4^th place Mayhem and runners up Peterborough Phantoms paired up with third place Sheffield Steelkings at the National Ice Centre.

The Mayhem put in a superb performance in their semi semi-final and led for much of the game. They were eventually overhauled by two late goals from Huskies’  Tyler Christopher with the winner coming just 3 minutes from time for a narrow 4-3 Cardiff victory.

Sheffield beat Peterborough 5-2 in the other semi-final with goals from Jake Oakley (2), Daniel Clarke (2) and Connor Grocock.  The league’s top scorer Gary Farmer scored both goals for the Phantoms.

The third place game on the Sunday paired Peterborough with the Mayhem.  Gary Farmer scored 4 goals and Callum Shakespeare 3 in the 7-2 Phantoms victory while Karl Nicholson (3) and Tom Kimm were on target for the Mayhem.

Sheffield got off to the better start in the final against Cardiff and were 4-0 up by the time the Huskies managed to score their opening goal.

Tyler Christopher and Jon Le Galloudec scored the Cardiff goals but Strikes from Oakley (2), Paul Brown (2) and one each for John Plummer and Daniel Clarke were more than enough for the Steelkings to see off the league champions in a 6-2 victory. 

Widnes Wild NIHL Weekend Summary - 14th / 15th September

Wild youngster Kai Hathaway was on target against Billingham (Photo by David Tattum / DJT Ice Hockey Photos)

The Widnes Wild NIHL team had a losing start to their NIHL Moralee Division season with a 9-2 defeat away to Hull Jets on Saturday and a 3-6 home loss to defending champions Billingham Stars at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

The home game on Sunday saw Billingham leading 1-4 at the first period – the only Wild goal coming from Widnes youngster Luke Alston - and the game was pretty much done and dusted at that point.  

Widnes had more of the play in the second and third periods – drawing each of them 1-1 - with goals from Mikey Gilbert and Kai Hathaway helping to keep the score respectable. 

The Wild are next in action this Sunday 22nd September when they take on local rivals Deeside Dragons at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.

Match Report: Peterborough Phantoms 7 – Mayhem 4 (BPIHL Play Off 3rd Place Match)

Karl Nicholson scored 5 goals at the Play Off weekend (photo by Blindside Trading Cards)

Sunday 15th September – BPIHL Play Off 3rd Place Match: Peterborough Phantoms 7 – Mayhem 4

With Sheffield Steelkings beating Peterborough 5-2 in the other semi final, this set up a Phantom v Mayhem tussle for 3rd place on Sunday. 

Peterborough took the lead after just 57 seconds with a goal from the league’s top scorer Gary Farmer but Rob Allen put the Mayhem on level terms 2 minutes later.

A second goal from Farmer in the 10th minute edged Peterborough back in front and they led 2-1 at the first period break.

Two unanswered goals in the second period – from Callum Shakespeare and Farmer again saw Peterborough build up a commanding lead and the score stood at 4-1 at the second interval..    

Two more goals early in the third period – from Shakespeare and Farmer – further extended the Phantoms’ lead to 6-1 but this sparked a late surge from the Mayhem.

Three quick goals from Karl Nicholson in 4 minutes, brought the score to a tantalisingly close 6-4 with 90 seconds left on the clock and everything still to play for. However, 26 seconds later, Callum Shakespeare scored his hat-trick goal for Peterborough and that was to be the last goal of the game.

The 7-4 victory saw Peterborough secure the third place finish, while Sheffield beat Cardiff 6-2 in the final to retain the Play Off crown that they had previously won last year. 

Mayhem Head Coach
Peter Hagan
(Photo by Blindside
Trading Cards)

Looking back over the Play Off weekend, Mayhem Head Coach and Team Manager Peter Hagan said:  

“After missing out last year, we were thrilled to make this years play offs - especially as they were held at Nottingham – and, although the results didn’t go our way, I’m really happy how we performed - especially against Cardiff, the league champions. You can see the progression that the squad has made and those close losses will turn into wins soon, we have no doubt about it.”

“We went in without our goalie who had surgery last week, and 3-4 players missing through work & injury, so we were up against it and huge thanks go to Sheffield & Cardiff for loaning us a netminder so we could compete.”

“We have a strong foundation to build on for 2025 and are excited for the future. We are recruiting & continuing looking for sponsors to help, and hopefully can bring silverware to Widnes soon.”

Match Report: Cardiff Huskies 4 – Mayhem 3 (BPIHL Play Off Semi Final)

Mayhem’s Felicity Gregory contests a face off against Cardiff. (photo by Blindside Trading Cards)

Saturday 14th September – BPIHL Play Off Semi Final: Cardiff Huskies 4 – Mayhem 3

The Mayhem sledge team took part in the British Para Ice Hockey League’s end of season play offs at Nottingham’s prestigious National Ice Centre over the weekend and, although they lost both of their games, they gave a good account of themselves and helped to sign the season off in style.

The top four finishers in the league qualified for the play offs and the semi finals on the Saturday saw league champions Cardiff Huskies take on 4th place Mayhem and runners up Peterborough Phantoms paired up with third place Sheffield Steelkings.

The Mayhem had lost both of their league encounters with Cardiff during the regular season – but only by narrow margins – and this semi final game was just as closely fought.

The first period was goal-less – which is quite unusual in ice hockey - and both teams had an equal number of shots on goal, but the Mayhem took the lead 36 seconds into the second period with a goal from Karl Nicholson.

Cardiff quickly struck back and equalised just 44 seconds later with a goal from their top scorer Tyler Christopher but a second goal from Nicholson 67 seconds after that restored the slim Mayhem advantage.  

Cardiff drew level again on 23 minutes with a strike from Jon Le Galloudec but a goal from Tom Kimm edged the Mayhem back in front to lead 2-3 at the second period break.

The third period was similarly close but two goals from Christopher – on 37 minutes and 42 minutes – levelled the scores and then put Cardiff in front for the first time in the game.  The Mayhem were unable to manage a late reply and the Huskies went on to book their place in the final with a narrow 4-3 victory. 

Match Report: Deeside Ducks 4 - Kingston Sharks 5 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Ducks netminder Callum Preston receives the MVP award from team sponsor Richard Beevers, CEO of Customer Plus (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Saturday 14^th September 2024 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside Ducks 4 - Kingston Sharks 5

The Deeside Ducks put in a plucky performance in their first ever league game, only narrowly losing out 4-5 to the Kingston Sharks at Deeside Leisure Centre on Saturday.

The Ducks team has been set up this season to provide a stepping stone between the highly regarded Deeside junior set up and the senior Dragons side and comprises mainly younger players with a few older heads to offer experience and stability.  As such, the game saw NIHL debuts for 12 players who had never played at this level before.

Before the face-off, there was a minute’s applause in memory of Ken Taggart - the former player, referee and long time Chairman of the English Ice Hockey Association – who died earlier in the week at the age of 78.

Once the puck had dropped, the visitors were quickest out of the blocks and took an early lead after just 42 seconds. However, the Ducks managed to settle down and their first ever league goal came on 12 minutes 32 seconds scored by Thomas Milnes, assisted by Charlie Spridgeon.

The score remained 1-1 at the first period break and although they had been outshot by almost 3 to 1, the Ducks had given a good account of themselves.

The second period saw 2 unanswered goals for the Sharks and they edged further ahead early in the third period to lead 1-5 with 15 minutes left to play.

The Ducks second goal of the game came on 50 minutes with team captain Chris Jones firing in a delayed penalty strike punishing a Sharks tripping call and this served to spark a late Deeside fightback.

Further goals for the Ducks – from Cody Ogden on 54 minutes and the same player on 57 minutes - drew the home side to within one goal of their opponents. 

Both teams called timeouts in the latter stages to discuss last ditch tactics, wrenching up the tension around the rink, but there was no further scoring and the game finished 4-5 to the Kingston Sharks.

The MVP awards were donated and presented by Mr Richard Beevers, CEO of Customer Plus - who are one of the Ducks team sponsors for the season.

These went to Joe Gray for Kingston and Deeside netminder Callum Preston who managed to turn away an incredible 42 of the 47shots that he faced over the 60 minutes.

Speaking about the game afterwards, Head Coach Gary Shaw said:

“For the first competitive game for the newly formed Ducks, the team performed well together. They had to overcome not really knowing each other’s game as they have been on the ice for less than 2 months and only 1 practice game. The experienced players in the team helped the junior players at this level.”

“As the game progressed, they made a few mistakes, which we expected to happen, and we can see as a coaching team what we need to focus on to be able to build on this performance. We have a good base to build on, and as the team grows together from this strong performance, we should see that they will have a good competitive season.”

The Ducks now have two away games – away to Coventry NIHL Blaze this Saturday 21st September in a combined league and cup game and then to Kingston in Hull the following Saturday.

They are next at home on Sunday 29th September when they take on the Sheffield Titans at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.

You can follow the progress of the new Deeside Ducks team as they embark on their debut season in the NIHL Laidler Division on their Facebook page.   HERE

Ducks Line-Up v Kingston Sharks:

Paul Jones (NM), Charlie Spridgeon, Michael Speare, Louis Morgan, Gary Dixon, Stewart Cutting, Henry Phillips, Thomas Milnes, Kieran Clarkson, Heather Clarkson, Ben Roscoe, Louis Ellwood, Cody Ogden, Callum Preston (NM), Chris Jones, Joshua Jones, George Spofforth, Kenny Williams, Rory Sillery, Luke Wainwright, James Morgan, Jack Davies

Bench staff:  Peter Bleackley (Coach), Steven Fellows (Coach), Angela Wilkes (Manager).

The Wild #64 Shirt Explained

Widnes Academy players who have joined the Wild NIHL team for the 2024/25 season - #12 Luke Alston, #19 Jared Knowles, #6 Kai Hathaway and #64 Robbie Thomson – along with coaches Mikey Gilbert and Gary Eddleston (Photo by Steve Cunningham)

Eagle-eyed Widnes fans will have noticed that the #64 shirt has been in evidence again at Wild matches this season.

The number 64 was previously worn by original Wild netminder Greg Ruxton who played in the very first in Widnes game back in August 2013 and stayed with the club for four seasons from 2013 to 2017.

Ruxton was forced to give up playing due to a recurring knee injury and his career at the Wild was recognised with a special on-ice ceremony in October 2017, which also saw his #64 shirt “retired”.

Commenting on the resurrection of the #64 shirt, Wild GM Steve Cunningham explained:  “We spoke to Greg and he is happy to honour the number and not retire it.” 

Greg Ruxton in goal for the Wild (Photo by Geoff White)

Renegades Beat Huskies in Play Off Final

The Blackburn Renegades win silverware for the third year in a row.

Sunday 8th September – Blood, Sweat & Beers Play Off Final: Halton Huskies 5 – Blackburn Renegades 8

The Blackburn Renegades secured the Blood, Sweat and Beers Play off title after a 5 - 8 victory over Halton Huskies at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

The Renegades had won the cup - in its various guises - for the past two seasons the Huskies had won the league stage of the competition this year.

The two teams had shared remarkable 10-10 draws in both of their meetings in the group stage of the competition so this season’s finale between the top two finishers was always going to be a bit of a spectacle.

The game was played at a high tempo throughout, in very good spirit and in front of a huge crowd at the Widnes rink.

*****

The Huskies will be holding their end of season awards night at the Hub Venue in Widnes on Saturday 9th November from 5.30 to 9pm. 

Tickets cost £5 per person – with children getting free admission – and should be booked in advance via the Halton Huskies IHC Facebook page HERE

As well as the presentation of the player awards, there will also be a buffet and a raffle.

Widnes Wild V Telford Weekend Report

Joel Bark was the Wild MVP in the home game against Telford on Saturday (Photo by Steve Cunningham)

Saturday 7th September – Challenge Match: Widnes Wild 3 – Telford Tigers 5

Sunday 8th September – Challenge Match: Telford Tigers 4 - Widnes Wild 1 

The Widnes Wild NIHL team had a disappointing weekend with back to back defeats at the hands of last season’s Laidler Division champions Telford Tigers, losing 3-5 at home on Saturday and 4-1 away on Sunday.

The home game on Saturday saw a rather depleted Wild line up compared  with the three full lines that had battered Bradford Bulldogs the week before but they managed to take a 2-0 lead in the first 10 minutes with goals from new team captain Andrew Hopkins and former Solway Sharks and Edinburgh Capitals player Andrew Craik, who joined the Wild during the summer.

Telford pulled a goal back to bring the score to 2-1 at the first break and then scored two unanswered goals in the second period to lead 2-3 after 40 minutes of play.

Outstanding Wild youngster Jared Knowles equalised two minutes into the third period with his third goal in two games for Widnes but two more goals – including an empty net strike after netminder Charlie Henry had been taken off in favour of an extra attacker - secured the win for the Tigers.

The away game on Sunday was pretty close in its early stages but Telford eventually took the lead on 15 minutes.  They doubled the advantage 90 seconds into the second period and Widnes finally opened their own account with a Damarni James goal on 26 minutes.

A penalty shot early in the third period edged the Tigers further ahead again and a goal from former Wild import Filip Supa rounded off the scoring for the game with 10 minutes left to play. 

The NIHL season proper starts this weekend with a road trip to Hull and back this Saturday 14th September when the Wild play Hull Jets in their first league fixture of the season.  They are home on Sunday when they take on last season’s league champions Billingham Stars at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.

*****

The Widnes Wild Junior Academy had their first games of the new season at the weekend.

The Under 19 team won 3-9 away at Solihull on Saturday and the Under 18 team lost 1-8 away to Kingston (Hull) on Sunday.

The Wild Academy runs teams in all age groups - ie Under 10s, Under 12s Under 14s, Under 16s and Under 18s - and also has a team in the Under 19 league that has been newly formed for this season.

The Academy are always keen to recruit new players across all age groups and hold training sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Planet Ice Widnes.

Separate “Learn To Play” sessions are also available for anybody new who would like to take up the sport. For more information, contact Academy Head Coach mike.gilbert@wildacademy.co.uk

Deeside Ducks Sign Gary Dixon

Deeside Ducks' latest signing Gary Dixon (Photo by Peter Sheffield)

The Deeside Ducks have announced the signing of Gary Dixon to further boost their squad for their debut 2024/25 Laidler Division season.

The 38 year old forward is a highly experienced player who has spent most of his 22 year senior career at Deeside playing with the Flintshire Freeze and the Dragons.

Dixon has played some 320 competitive games at NIHL level, scoring 49 goals and 138 assists and picking up 488 penalty minutes.

He was part of the Dragons team that won the Laidler Division league and Play Off double in the 2015/16 season and last season he played 20 league games in the Moralee Division helping the team to a well-earned 4th place in the league table.

Talking about joining the Ducks, Gary said:

“One of my main reasons for supporting this exciting project is to help the club create a pathway for our home-grown generation of junior Dragons players to progress into senior hockey.”

“I feel this has been lost over the last few years, though not due to any fault of its own, and the club is currently thriving as a whole under Snip (Junior Head Coach James Parsons).”

“There has been a lot of positive feedback regarding the club’s name and branding so I am looking forward to seeing how far this club can grow.  It’s time to play two-way hockey!”

Commenting on Dixon’s signing, Deeside Juniors Head Coach James Parsons said:

“Dicko brings a wealth of experience not only on the ice but also in the dressing room. He has played in N1 and N2 for many years, and I am looking forward to him sharing his experience and guidance with the younger players. Welcome to the team, Ham!”

The Ducks’ first league game is at home to Kingston Sharks on Saturday 14th September at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.

You can follow the progress of the new Deeside Ducks team as they embark on their debut season in the NIHL Laidler Division on their Facebook page HERE

Deeside Ducks Laidler Division Fixtures Announced

The Deeside Ducks have announced their full list of Laidler Division fixtures for their first ever season on NIHL ice hockey.

The first league game is on Saturday 14th September at home to Kingston Sharks and the regular NIHL season runs through until March, finishing up with a Play Off Finals weekend in April.

The full list of Deeside Duck fixtures for the 2024/25 season is as follows  ( * = combined league and cup games):  

• 14th Sept: home v Kingston
• 21st Sept: away @ Coventry*
• 28th Sept: away @ Kingston
• 29th Sept: home v Sheffield
• 5th Oct: home v Bradford*
• 20th Oct: away @ Sheffield
• 26th Oct: away @ Telford*
• 3rd Nov: away @ Bradford*
• 17th Nov: home v Telford*
• 23rd Nov: away @ Coventry
• 30th Nov: home v Coventry*
• 8th Dec: away @ Altrincham*
• 14th Dec: home v Bradford
• 15th Dec: away @ Billingham
• 21st Dec: home v Altrincham
• 4th Jan: away @ Sutton
• 5th Jan: home v Altrincham*
• 12th Jan: away @ Bradford
• 26th Jan: away @ Telford
• 1st Feb: home v Sutton
• 2nd Feb: away @ Altrincham
• 8th Feb: home v Nottingham
• 16th Feb: home v Coventry
• 1st Mar: home v Billingham
• 8th Mar: home v Telford
• 15th Mar: Play Off QFs
• 16th Mar: Play Off QFs
• 22nd Mar: Play Off QFs
• 23rd Mar: away @ Nottingham
• 29th Mar: Play Off QFs
• 30th Mar: Play Off QFs
• 5th Apr: Play Off Semi Final
• 6th Apr: Play Off Semi Final
• 12th April: Play Off Finals Weekend
• 13th April: Play Off Finals Weekend

Ducks home games face off at 5pm at Deeside Leisure Centre with doors opening at 4.15.

Ticket prices are: Adults - £7.00, Children - £3.00, Dragons season ticket holders - £3.00 (must show season ticket to qualify), Concessions - £3.00, Junior Dragons - free entry with Junior Dragons pass.

You can read more about the format of this season’s Laidler Division, Laidler Cup and Play Offs HERE

And you can follow the progress of the new Deeside Ducks team as they embark on their debut season in the NIHL Laidler Division on their Facebook page HERE

Huskies In Play Off Final On Sunday

The Halton Huskies will be looking to secure a league and play off “double” as they take on the Blackburn Renegades in the Play Off final of the Blood, Sweat and Beers Cup this Sunday 8th September at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.00pm start.

The Huskies finished top of the Cup table with 6 wins from their 8 games and the only points that they dropped were in their two meetings with the Renegades which - somewhat amazingly - both ended in highly entertaining and close fought 10-10 draws.

The Renegades won last year’s competition and finished second in the table this time around with 3 wins and 2 draws from 8 games so will be keen to try and get one over on the Huskies in this big season finale.

Both teams have some former league players on their rosters so it should be a great game to watch. Admission is free for all spectators and there is also ample free parking.

 

Captains Aboard At Widnes

New Wild Captain Andrew Hopkins with Bez Hughes (left) and Jonathan Williamson (right) - Photo by Steve Cunningham 

Prior to the home game against Bradford, the Wild NIHL team unveiled their captaincy team for the 2024/25 season.

Andrew Hopkins is the team captain for the new season, taking over the role that was vacated by Tom Jackson when he was appointed player coach during the summer.  The Alternate Captain roles (AC) go to Bez Hughes and Jonathan Williamson.  

The role of Alternate Captain is very important because, in ice hockey, only the Captain is allowed to discuss decisions with the match referee. If the Team Captain is on the bench at the time of the call, he is not allowed to rush onto the ice to query it and, therefore, each playing line has an Alternate Captain to ensure that this role is always covered throughout the game.

After Jackson, Bez Hughes is the Wild’s longest serving player, having originally joined for the 2014/15 season. 

Match Report: Widnes Wild 12 – Bradford Bulldogs 2 (Challenge Match)

Jared Knowles scored 2 goals and 2 assists on his Wild senior debut.

Sunday 1st September 2024 – Challenge Match: Widnes Wild 12 – Bradford Bulldogs 2

The Widnes Wild NIHL team got the new season off to a winning start with a comprehensive 12-2 victory over Bradford Bulldogs on Sunday at Planet Ice Widnes.

The Bulldogs are a Laidler Division side - and play one division below the Wild – so one can’t really read too much into the result of this pre-season friendly match but it was certainly a good first outing for Player Coach Tom Jackson’s new look Widnes team and it gave fans the chance to see all the new signings together on the ice.

The game saw an unprecedented number of Wild debuts handed out, following a busy summer of player movements, with 9 brand new names featuring on the roster. Forwards Kai Hathaway, Robbie Thomson & Andrew Craik, defencemen Ross Chalmers, William Daley, Joe Howie & Scott Kirkpatrick and netminders Charlie Henry & Harry Campbell all made first appearances in Wild colours. 

Widnes Academy junior player Jared Knowles made his first senior appearance for the club while former Wild players Tristan Grimshaw and Matt Tarpey both returned to the team after a number of seasons away.  The Bradford team also looked quite familiar as former Wild players Jake Lowndes, Tom Mardell, Keiron Furlong and Joel Bark were all on the Bulldogs line up.

Despite so many new faces playing together for the first time, the new look Widnes team seemed to gel very well.  Damarni James scored the first goal of the new season in the second minute and the Wild raced into a 6-0 lead by the end of the first period with further goals from James (again), Knowles, Grimshaw, Tarpey and Craik.

The second period saw goals from Mikey Gilbert, Andrew Hopkins and Chalmers and the third, Chalmers Knowles and Tarpey for a 12-2 win.

The Wild will probably face a tougher test this coming weekend when they have a home and away double header against last season’s Laidler Division champions Telford Tigers.  The home game is on Saturday 7th September, 7pm face off, and the away game is the next day in Telford, with the puck dropping at 6pm.

The NIHL season proper starts the weekend after with a road trip to Hull and back on Saturday 14th when the Wild play Hull Jets in their first league fixture of the season.  They are home the next day when they take on last season’s league champions Billingham Stars at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off. 

Deeside Ducks First Public Appearance

Deeside Ducks Team – 31^st August 2024 (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Back Row: James Morgan, Gary Dixon, Charlie Spridgeon, Chris Jones, Kieran Clarkson, Callum Preston, Heather Clarkson, Paul Jones, Luke Wainwright.  Front Row: Michael Speare, Mackenzie Wilkes, Jack Davies, Rory Sillery, Cody Ogden, Josh Jones, Ben Roscoe, Deacon Wilkes.

The Deeside Ducks made their first public appearance on Saturday as fans were invited to watch an “On Ice Session” at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Members of the Ducks squad were joined on the ice by a group of local recreational players and a number of former Dragons to bring an air of realism to the training session as they continue to prepare for their debut league season.

The ducks further strengthened their roster during the  week with the signing of 4 new players – all of whom are products of the highly respected Deeside junior development system and are, indeed, two sets of brothers!

20 year old forward Mackenzie Wilkes is a former Deeside junior player who “aged out” during the Covid closure period and has recently been playing for the Connah’s Quay Cobras recreational team while his younger brother - 16 year old defenceman Deacon Wilkes - played for the Dragons Under 16 and Under 18 teams last season.

The other pair of brothers are the Morgan brothers Louis and James.

Despite being only 23, defenceman Louis Morgan already has an impressive senior career having played Moralee Division hockey for 4 seasons with the Dragons senior team, while his older brother James Morgan – a 27 year old defenceman - played for the Dragons juniors for a number of years before taking a break from the sport.

The Ducks’ first league game is at home to Kingston Sharks on Saturday 14th September at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5pm face off.