Deeside Dragons celebrate a goal against Telford (photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)
Saturday 6th
September 2025 – Challenge Match: Deeside Dragons 10 –
Telford Tigers2 7
Sunday 7th September 2025 – Challenge Match: Telford Tigers2 10 - Deeside Dragons 7
The Steel 4 Structures Deeside Dragons got the new season off to a mixed start in a two game challenge series against Telford Tigers, winning 10-7 at home on Saturday and losing 10-7 away on Sunday.
The home game on Saturday – sponsored by the Share homeless charity - saw
Dragons debuts for a number of the summer signings including American import
Colin Cromie, Matty Barlow, Rhys Edwards, Bailey Thomas and Ethan Mayoh - and
Tyler de la Bertouche made his first start in goal.
Noah Percival – who scored two goals in his first 2 games with the D2
Dragons the previous weekend - also made a step up to make his senior Dragons
debut.
The game was played at a furious pace throughout, with end to end
hockey, and was a great advert for the NIHL Moralee Division.
Deeside took the lead with a goal from new team captain Jared Dickinson
on 5 minutes but Telford equalised 4 minutes later.
A powerplay strike from Jake Witkowski edged the Dragons back in front
on 15 minutes only for Telford to reply again almost immediately but two quick
fire goals – from Ross Kennedy and Matty Barlow – just 16 seconds apart in the
last minute of the period gave the home side a 4-2 lead at the first break.
The second period was just as keenly contested but three goals in a row
for Telford saw them overhaul the Dragons and take a 4-5 lead by the mid-point
of the game.
However, the Dragons’ heads did not drop and goals from Witkowski and
Barlow put them back in front to carry a narrow 6-5 lead into the second
interval.
Two more Deeside strikes early in the third period – from Colin Cromie,
his first as a Dragon, and Dan Fadejevs - finally put daylight between the two
teams but Telford were not done yet and stubbornly pulled a goal back.
Witkowski’s hat-trick goal on 45 minutes restored the 3-goal cushion to bring
the score to 9-6 but Telford scored again on 51 minutes to set up a potentially
barnstorming finale.
However, as it turned out, a goal from another Deeside debutant - Rhys
Edwards - just 20 seconds after that rounded off the scoring for the evening
and the Dragons were able to celebrate a 10-7 victory.
Between the pipes, Tyler de la Bertouche impressed in his first outing
for the Dragons. The former National Division netminder faced 37 shots and made
several key saves, including a string of one-on-one stops.
The MVP awards were presented by Tom Phillips, MD of Dragons’ title
sponsors for the season Steel 4 Structures, and his son Sebastian and went to
Dan Mitchell for Telford and Matty Barlow for Deeside.
Matty Barlow was the Dragons' MVP in his first game for Deeside (Photo by Dragons IHC)
The return fixture in Telford on Sunday was played in similar vein and there was little to choose between the two teams for much of the game. Colin Cromie gave the Dragons the lead after just 18 seconds but the Tigers fought back to lead 4-2 at the first break, with the other Dragons goal coming from Jake Witkowski.
At the second interval, the score was 7-5 to Telford after a 3-3 period
that saw Dragons goals from Witkowski (2) and MJ Clancy.
The Dragons continued to battle hard in the third period with goals coming
from Jared Dickinson and Rhys Edwards but it wasn’t enough to stave off a 10-7
defeat.
The Dragons D1 team open their NIHL Moralee Division campaign this
Saturday 13th September with an away trip to face Sheffield
Scimitars at iceSheffield. They then play the same opposition at home the next
day at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.
