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.
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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
