10 Years Of The Widnes Wild Women

I have been involved with the Widnes Wild Women’s team pretty much from when they started back in 2015 - in an ever-expanding variety of capacities - and what you have here is pretty much every single word that I have written about them over a 10 year period, along with all the stats that I have lovingly and painstakingly compiled.

To summarise, we have:

• Match reports for every game from 2015 to 2025
• News stories, player profiles and season summaries as were published year to year at the time
• League tables, playing records and player statistics for all 9 seasons that were played.
• 10 year totals, player stats and head to head records
• and lots and lots of great photos.

Much – but by no means all - of the written material has previously appeared on my icehockeyreview.co.uk website, in the Widnes Weekly News paper and on the Wild official website at various times - and also in various season review books. However, this is the first time that it has all been collected together and it is also the first time that the majority of the player stats have been published in this format.

Please be aware that there are TWO versions of this book available to order via Amazon.  There is the “budget” black and white version that has b/w photos throughout and is available for a very reasonable £12.50 and can be ordered here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Women-statistics-separate-available/dp/190964370X

There is also the super duper Colour Edition which has exactly the same season by season team information, player stats, photos etc but it is in colour. The problem is that this costs a whopping £23.84 on Amazon, which I think is an unreasonable price to ask.

It is nothing to do with me, by the way – it is due to the fact that this is a “Print On Demand” publication and that is what their pricing structure is for full colour books. Because I have set the selling price at the lowest possible figure, I am hardly making anything from these sales and pretty much all the revenue goes to Amazon. 

There is also a limit of 600 pages for this type of book, so the Black and White version – which I am also really not making any money on – has more pages (627) and has a load of my adverts included at the back, as well as Lucy’s poems about the Wild Women which are, sadly, missing from the colour edition.  

You can however, see all of Lucy’s collected ice hockey poems (and also my infamous “Pauline’s Bitch” verse…) in her dedicated volume here:

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hockey-Poems-2013-2023-Lucy-London/dp/1909643572

So, if anybody is interested in the Colour Edition, please drop me a line first before placing an order anywhere…

Dragons Qualify For Cup Semi Final

Dragons celebrate their win away at Solihull (Photo by Keith & Jenny Davies)

The Deeside Dragons have qualified for the semi-finals of the Moralee Cup after their sensational win away in Solihull on Sunday.

As has been the case in recent seasons, there aren’t separate qualifying matches for the early stages of the cup.  The 10 teams in the Moralee Division have been placed in two groups of 5 and the results from the first league games home and away between the sides in the group count towards the final table.  The top two teams in the two groups then meet in the semi finals.

Deeside were placed in a Cup Group A, along with Solihull, Hull Jets, Widnes Wild and Sheffield Scimitars and their results in the 8 games against those teams - 5 wins, 1 OTW and 2 defeats - have netted them 17 points, which means that they can’t be knocked out of the qualifying positions and will finish at least second in the group.

There is one qualifying game still to be played in Group A – between Solihull and Hull - and the result of that will decide who the second team are that will go through to the semis.

If Solihull win - or even just pick up one point for an OTL - they will finish top of the group and Deeside will be second. If Hull win in regulation time (ie 3 points), they will leapfrog Solihull and finish in second place behind Deeside.

This is important because the top team in the group will play the second place finisher in the other group and vice-versa.

Blackburn Hawks have already qualified from Group B and finish top with 8 wins from their 8 qualifying games.

Telford Tigers currently occupy second spot but they play Billingham Stars away on 14^th December and the outcome of that game will decide who finishes in second place.

So, depending on the outcome of those remaining games in Group A and Group B, Deeside could play Blackburn, Telford or Billingham in the semi final.

The dates for the two legged semi finals have been pencilled in as Saturday 17th and Sunday 18^th January and who plays where and when will be arranged once the match ups are known.

The winners of the two semi final ties will go through to the two legged final, which will take place over the weekend of 21^st/22^nd February.

Match Report: Solihull Barons 1- Deeside D1 Dragons 3 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Dragons' captain Jared Dickinson scored the game winning goal against Soihull (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Sunday 23^rd November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Solihull Barons 1- Deeside D1 Dragons 3

The Deeside Dragons put in a superb performance away to Moralee Division leaders Solihull Barons, picking up a well deserved 1-3 victory to inflict a first league defeat of the season on the West Midlanders on Sunday.  

The Barons are usually a decent mid-table side but have been having an especially good season this time around, beating the Dragons 5-9 on their own ice back in mid-October.

Deeside got off to a dream start with a goal from Colin Cromie with just 26 seconds gone but Solihull equalised with a powerplay goal on 8 minutes

Team captain Jared Dickinson edged the Dragons back into the lead on 13 minutes and the score remained 1-2 at the end of the first period.

Colin Cromie scored his second goal of the game on 27 minutes to give Deeside a 1-3 lead and, despite numerous chances for both teams in the latter stages, that turned out to be the last goal of the game.

The third period was very tense. There had been a number of skirmishes and other niggly penalties for both sides throughout the game and these, again, punctuated the last 20 minutes but the Dragons were able to weather the storm and record an impressive victory.

Netminder Tyler de la Bertouche was on top form throughout the game and made a number of important saves late on, earning him the MVP award for the Dragons.

Following the weekend games, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 32 points from their 16 games to date. Blackburn Hawks leapfrog Solihull following their two weekend wins over Sheffield Scimitars and Billingham Stars and take over as league leaders with 42 points from 16 games. Solihull have 40 points but have played one game fewer than both the Hawks and the Dragons.

The D1 Dragons are at home this Sunday 30^th November when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 1– Sutton Sting 4 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Leo Hyman was the Dragons' MVP against Sutton (Photo by Adam Bassett)

Sunday 23rd November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 1– Sutton Sting 4

The Deeside D2 Dragons Laidler Division team put in a plucky performance against second place side Sutton Sting, narrowly losing out 1-4 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The game was very close in its early stages and it looked as if the first period would finish goalless but Sutton scored with just 3 seconds left to play to take a 0-1 lead into the first break.

The Sting doubled their lead 4 minutes into the second period but Deeside pulled a goal back with a powerplay strike from James Shaw just 2 minutes later.

The 2-goal cushion was restored just 30 seconds after that with another Sutton goal and the score remained 1-3 at the second interval.

Deeside pushed forward in the third period to try and salvage something from the game but were unable to break down the stubborn Sutton defence.  A fourth goal for the visitors with just 33 seconds on the clock rounded off the scoring for the game   

The D2 Dragons are at home again on Saturday 6th December when they take on surprise league leaders Sheffield Titans at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Widnes Wild Women 0 – Kingston Diamonds 18

Ilyssa Flemington was the Wild Women's MVP against Kingston Diamonds (Photo by Paul Breeze)

Sunday 23rd November 2025 – WNIHL Division 1 North: Widnes Wild Women 0 – Kingston Diamonds 18

The Widnes Wild Women’s challenging start to the NIHL Division 1 North season continued with a 0-18 defeat to league leaders Kingston Diamonds at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.

The Hull based table toppers arrived with an unbeaten record from their 5 games so far and fresh off the back of a 17-0 hammering of Solway Sharks, so this encounter always looked likely to be an uphill struggle for the Wild Women, who are new to the division this season.

Kingston opened the scoring 90 seconds into the game, added a second goal just shy of 4 minutes and were 0-5 up by the half way point of the first period.

There followed a welcome lull in the onslaught and the Wild Women creditably managed to keep the Diamonds out for the next 10 minutes to keep the score to 0-5 at the first period break.

The first 13 minutes of the second period were also goalless and, while Kingston certainly had much of the play, they had trouble getting through the stubborn Widnes defence.

But the pressure paid off and Kingston eventually found the back of the net again - and three more unanswered goals followed to give them a convincing 0-9 lead at the second interval.

Widnes didn’t actually play badly in this game and, on the occasion when they were able to put an attack together, looked more than capable of scoring. In the Wild net Stephanie Drinkwater put in another of her heroic performances - getting bashed and battered along the way – and did much to keep the score down.

9 more goals followed for Kingston in the third period, although it wasn’t all one way traffic and Widnes actually had more shots on goal themselves than they had managed in the first two periods combined.

Much of the damage was done by Diamonds players CJ Ashton – a former GB international player who also plays regular NIHL (men’s) hockey with the Altrincham Aces - and Lydia Lutwyche - a GB Under 18 player who is on a 2-way with Women’s Elite League side  Solihull Vixens – who each bagged 6 goals in the game. 

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 Beatrice Lester for Kingston and Ilyssa Flemington for Widnes.

By a strange quirk of the fixtures calendar, the same two teams meet again this Sunday 30^th November at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off, in what is sure to be another entertaining encounter.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 6 – Bradford Bulldogs 10 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Charlie Spridgeon was the Dragons' MVP against Bradford (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Sunday 16^th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 6 – Bradford Bulldogs 10

The Deeside D2 Dragons Laidler Division team had a mixed weekend with two back to back home games, beating Altrincham Aces 10-6 on Saturday and losing to Bradford Bulldogs by the same score on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre.

Following Saturdya's win over Altrincham, the game against Bradford on Sunday was another highly entertaining affair and very close, until the latter stages.

James Shaw got the Dragons off to a dream start with a goal after just 45 seconds but the Bulldogs then scored two quick goals to get their snouts in front.

A Cameron Kushnirenko strike on 6 minutes levelled the scores again but Bradford hit back to lead 2-3 at the first break.

Two goals each in the second period – the Deeside markers coming from Shaw, again, and Stewart Cutting - left the game on a knife edge at 4-5 with everything still to play for in the final 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, the Dragons got into penalty trouble early in the third period and three straight powerplay goals gave Bradford what would turn out to be a match winning lead.

Deeside pulled two goals back – from Noah Percival and Dan Fadejevs - but were unable to make the most of powerplay chances of their own and two shorthanded goals in the last 10 minutes for the Bulldogs gave the final score a more one-sided look than the game necessarily deserved.

Despite Sunday’s defeat, the weekend results see the D2 Dragons in the lofty position of 5th in the 9-team Laidler Division table – the highest position they have ever occupied. 

They now have 12 points from 11 games and, even with less than half of the season having been played, they already have more points than their previous incarnation - the Deeside Ducks - achieved in the whole of last season

The D2 Dragons are at home again this Sunday 23^rd November when they take on second place team and regular title challengers Sutton Sting at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Deeside D2 Dragons 10 – Altrincham Aces 6 (NIHL Laidler Division)

Cody Ogden celebrates the Dragons' opening goal against Altrincham (Photo by Adam Bassett)

Saturday 15th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 10 – Altrincham Aces 6

The Deeside D2 Dragons Laidler Division team had a mixed weekend with two back to back home games, beating Altrincham Aces 10-6 on Saturday and losing to Bradford Bulldogs by the same score on Sunday at Deeside Leisure Centre.

The game on Saturday saw the Dragons take a 2-0 lead into the first break courtesy of power play goals from Cody Ogden and Chris Jones.

Altrincham pulled a goal back on 32 minutes but then three quick-fire goals within 65 seconds of each other – from James Shaw, Ben Roscoe and Charlie Spridgeon enabled the Dragons to open up a 5-1 lead. 

Chris Jones was the MVP
for the Dragons 
(Photo by Adam Bassett) 

The Aces pulled another goal back with just 52 seconds left in the period but Deeside still looked well on their way to a first ever victory against their M56 rivals.

A second goal of the game for James Shaw just 25 seconds into the third period edged Deeside further ahead and goals from Charlie Nicholson, Stewart Cutting and two more from Chris Jones for his hat-trick saw them pull further away

Altrincham staged a late rally with four goals of their own - three in the last minutes which were also littered with a number of penalties for both sides - but the Dragons were able to weather the storm and record their highest ever score to date in a Laidler Division game.

Match Report: Sheffield Scimitars 4 - Deeside D1 Dragons 13 (NIHL Moralee Division)

Dragons' Ross Kennedy scored a hat-trick away at Sheffield (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 15th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Sheffield Scimitars 4 - Deeside D1 Dragons 13

It was a case of lucky thirteen for the Deeside Dragons as they hammered the league’s bottom club Sheffield Scimitars 4-13 away in Sheffield on Saturday.

After a nervy opening, Deeside took the lead on 5 minutes with a goal from Colin Cromie.

Three more goals quickly followed from the same player and then a Penalty Shot converted by fellow American Jake Witkowski saw Deeside 0-5 ahead before the hosts eventually managed to open their account with a Penalty Shot of their own with just 3 seconds left in the first period.

The second period was pretty much all Deeside and 5 unanswered goals – two from Ross Kennedy, two more from Witkowski and an impressive fifth in the game for Cromie saw them leading 1-10 at the second interval.

Sheffield scored two more goals early in the third period and another late on, but it didn’t make much difference as strikes from MJ Clancy, Matty Barlow and a hat-trick goal for Ross Kennedy meant that the Dragons were able to cruise to a comfortable 4-13 victory.

Following the weekend games, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 29 points from their 15 games to date.

They are 7 points behind second place Blackburn Hawks who have played one game fewer and 11 points behind league leaders Solihull Barons who have 40 points, also from 14 games.

The Dragons are away to Solihull this Sunday 23^rd November, hoping to avenge their 5-9 home defeat at the hands of the West Midlanders earlier in the season.

They are next at home on Sunday 30^th November when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Match Report: Sheffield Shadows 12 - Widnes Wild Women 1 (WNIHL Division 1 North)

Stephanie Drinkwater was the
Wild Women's MVP away at Sheffield
(Photo by Wild Women IHC)

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – WNIHL Div 1 North: Sheffield Shadows 12 - Widnes Wild Women 1

The Widnes Wild Women played their second away game of the new WNIHL season away to Sheffield Shadows on Sunday and had to travel back home across the Pennines on the wrong end of a 12-1 defeat.

The Wild Women had played the Shadows in their first game of the new season – back in early September.  This was a baptism of fire and saw them losing 2-16 at home so losing by “only” 12-1 in an away game could reasonably be seen as making some sort of progress.

While these results might seem rather one-sided, they need to be looked at in the correct context.

The Wild Women are playing in a higher division this season, having won the Division 2 North title last year. The current Division 1 North teams all seem to have a number of players with Women’s Elite League or international experience on their rosters, so – with the best will in the world - it is going to be a steep learning curve for the Widnes Ladies.

As it happened, Sheffield scored three goals very early in the game and didn’t really look back from there. The score was 6-0 at the first period break and the game was clearly already over as a contest by then, so it was a case of damage limitation after that.

Stephanie Drinkwater put in her usual heroic performance in the Widnes goal and faced an eye-watering 106 shots over the 60 minutes. She pulled off a string of impressive saves throughout the game – keeping out an incredible 94 of those shots - and was deservedly named MVP for the Wild Women.

The Widnes consolation goal was scored by Leen de Decker - her second strike of the season.

The Wild Women are next in action on Sunday 23^rd November when they play the Kingston Diamonds for the first time this season at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Deeside Dragons v Blackburn Hawks Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

The special Remembrance shirts were sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA (Photo by Dragons IHC)

Saturday 8th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Blackburn Hawks 8 – Deeside D1 Dragons 4

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 3 – Blackburn Hawks 2

The Deeside Dragons had another mixed weekend, losing  8-4 away to Blackburn Hawks on Saturday and then beating the same opposition 3-2 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

The Hawks have an especially strong squad this season - with a number of former National Division players in their ranks and also former Dragons and Widnes import Jakub Hajek - and are likely to be in the mix for the league title come the end of the season.

In the away game on Saturday, Blackburn opened the scoring after just 2 minutes but Colin Cromie equalised for Deeside on 8 minutes with a powerplay goal punishing a Hawks slashing call. The hosts edged ahead again but a Dan Fadejevs goal on 15 minutes ensured that the teams went into the first period break level at 2-2.

Deeside actually took the lead with a Ross Kennedy goal on 25 minutes but two quick goals from Blackburn within 90 seconds of each other turned that on its head.  Another Dragons strike, however – from Cromie just 11 seconds later - restored parity and the game rested on a knife edge at 4-4 at the midway point.

Blackburn scored again to retake the lead on 35 minutes but, at 5-4 with one period left, it was still anybody’s game.

Unfortunately, everything went wrong for the Dragons in the third period. Although they had their chances, they weren’t able to convert any of them into goals and Hawks unanswered strikes on 48, 53 and 56 minutes saw the home side cruise to victory.

The return game on Sunday was another evenly-balanced affair, littered with niggly penalties and skirmishes befitting a north west derby encounter.

Deeside took an early lead with a goal from Matty Barlow after just 3 minutes and the score remained 1-0 at the first period break.

The second period was similarly close and the only goal came from Ross Kennedy on 30 minutes, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead at the second interval.

A third Deeside goal from Jake Witkowski 3 minutes into the third period looked as it might have settled the game in favour of the Dragons but Blackburn staged a late fightback.

They finally broke their duck for the game with a goal on 54 minutes and then scored a second just 80 seconds later to set up a nail-biting finale.

Luckily, their momentum was broken when former Deeside favourite turned Hawk Andy McKinney picked up a 5 minute major boarding penalty, meaning that Blackburn would have to play the remainder of the game a man short.

The Dragons shut up shop and held on to record an important victory.  

As it was Remembrance Sunday, the Dragons players wore special themed shirts – sponsored by Chris and Elaine King from FOQA - in honour of the fallen in conflicts past and present. 

The shirts were all raffled off after the game, with a donation from the proceeds going to the Royal British Legion.

After the weekend’s matches, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 26 points from their 14 games to date – four points behind Blackburn, who have 30 points from 12 games.

Solihull Barons remain top of the table with 34 points from 12 games.

The D1 Dragons are away to the Moralee Division’s bottom club, Sheffield Scimitars, this Saturday 15th November and then away to current league leaders Solihull Barons on Sunday 23rd November.  They are next at home on Sunday 30th November when they take on Leeds Knights at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15 pm.

Deeside D2 Dragons Weekend Report - 8th & 9th November (NIHL Laidler Division)

Dragons 2 enforcer Karl Bacon in “action” against Kingston (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

Saturday 8th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Deeside D2 Dragons 8 – Kingston Sharks 4

Sunday 9^th November 2025 – NIHL Laidler Division: Billingham Buccaneers 5 – Deeside D2 Dragons 4

The Deeside D2 Dragons had a satisfying weekend in the NIHL Laidler Division, beating Kingston Sharks 8-4 at home on Saturday and then running title challengers Billingham Buccaneers very close, narrowly losing out 5-4 away on Sunday.

With the Dragons development team having beaten Kingston 3-8 away on Humberside in their previous game, the home game on Saturday was always going to be a feisty affair.

It started well for the Dragons as they were awarded a penalty shot after just 3 minutes, which was calmly slotted away by seasoned campaigner James Parsons.

The lead was doubled on 7 minutes with a goal from Noah Percival but the Sharks hit back with two goals of their own to level the score on the 10 minute mark.  A strike from James Shaw edged the Dragons back in front just 49 seconds later and the score remained 3-2 heading into the final minutes of the period.

An altercation with 3 minutes and 15 seconds left on the clock saw some blood spilled on the ice and the period was ended early for the surface to be cleaned up. 

The remaining time was played after the ice-cut and the teams then changed ends to start the second period.

Kingston equalised again 2 minutes into the second period and there followed a nervy phase when the game could have gone either way.

James Shaw fired in his second goal of the game on 30 minutes to edge Deeside back in front and 6 minutes later Cody Ogden found the back of the net to give the Dragons a 5-3 lead at the second interval.

A first senior goal for Lewis Edward on 43 minutes further extended the Dragons lead and then a fight following a heavy boarding incident saw a Kingston player expelled from the game.

During the ensuing powerplay, Deeside scored two more goals – from James Shaw for his hat-trick and Cameron Kushnirenko – to bring the score to 8-3. 

Kingston pulled a goal back on 55 minutes but there was no chance of them catching up by then and the Dragons were able to celebrate their biggest home victory since they started off as the Deeside Ducks last season.

James Shaw was the D2 Dragons' MVP against Kingston (Photo by Lewis Cleveland)

On Sunday the D2 Dragons made the long journey to the north east to take on 3^rd place Billingham Buccaneers. 

The game was finely balanced and close throughout and, in the end, the Dragons were unlucky not to come out of it with at least a point.

They actually took an early lead with a goal from Noah Percival in the 4^th minute before being pegged back to 1-1 at the end of the first period.

Chris Jones edged the Dragons back in front on 29 minutes but three quick goals for the Buccaneers saw them catch up and open up a 2 goal lead.

Cameron Kushnirenko pulled a goal back for Deeside on 39 minutes but the score remained 4-3 to Billingham at the second interval.

The home side restored their 2 goal cushion early in the third period but a Cody Ogden goal on 53 minutes gave the Dragons some hope.  Unfortunately, they were unable to build any further on this and the game finished as a very narrow 5-4 victory to Billingham. 

As a result of Saturday’s victory, the D2 Dragons move up into 6^th place in the Laidler Division table with 9 points from 9 games, leapfrogging Kingston who have the same number of points but an inferior playing record.

The Division 2 Dragons are at home again this Saturday 15^th November when they take on Altrincham Aces for the first time this season at Deeside Leisure Centre, 5.15pm face off.

Altrincham are just one place above Deeside in the league table – with 11 points from 10 games - so this should be a very competitive encounter.

The Dragons are then away to Bradford Bulldogs the following day.

Deeside Dragons To Wear Special Remembrance Shirts

Deeside netminder Phil Pearson models the Dragons' special 2025 remembrance shirt (Photo by Emilia Roberts Media)

The Deeside Dragons v Blackburn Hawks game on Remembrance Sunday (9th November) will see the Dragons players wearing special themed shirts in honour of the fallen in conflicts past and present which will all be raffled off in a live “Shirt Off the Back” draw after the game, giving fans the opportunity to take home a piece of Dragons history straight from the ice.

A donation from the proceeds will be made to the Royal British Legion – supporting their work with veterans and families across the UK.

You can read more about the Remembrance shirts and how to take part in the raffle on the Dragons official website HERE

The Dragons have back to back matches against Blackburn Hawks this coming weekend. The away game is in East Lancashire on Saturday 8^th November and the home game at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 9^th November, 5.15pm face off.

Colin Cromie Named Deeside Dragons Player Of The Month For October

Colin Cromie was named Deeside Dragons Player Of The Month for October (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

The Deeside Dragons Player of the Month for October has been announced as Colin Cromie.

American forward Cromie is new to the Dragons this season and, in the short time that he has been here, has become a firm favourite with the fans.

He was an ever-present in the Dragons team during the month of October, having played in all 7 league games. In that time, he has scored 7 goals and 9 assists – including an impressive 5-goal haul in the home win over Leeds and the all-important match-winning goal in the home victory over Hull Jets.

Cromie received the October Player Of The Month Award after the Dragons’ home game against Telford Tigers on Sunday. The presentation was made by trophy sponsor and award organiser Paul Breeze, of the Ice Hockey Review grass-roots news website and publisher.

Deeside Dragons v Telford Tigers Weekend Report (NIHL Moralee Division)

Rhys Edwards scored in both games over the weekend (Photo by Emilia Roberts Photography)

Saturday 1^st November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Telford Tigers 6 – Deeside D1 Dragons 4

Sunday 2^nd November 2025 – NIHL Moralee Division: Deeside D1 Dragons 7 – Telford Tigers 5

The Deeside Dragons had a mixed weekend in back to back games against Telford Tigers, losing 6-4 away in Shropshire on Saturday and then winning 7-5 at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.

In the away game on Saturday, the Dragons scored first with a goal from Rhys Edwards after just 2 minutes and then doubled the lead with a Charles Phillips strike 90 seconds later.  The score remained 0-2 at the first period break and things were looking good for Deeside, who went on to outshoot the Tigers by a considerable margin over the course of the game.

Telford fought back early in the second period, however, and two quick goals saw them level the score.  They went ahead with a shorthanded goal on 33 minutes but Deeside equalised two minutes later with a powerplay goal from Jake Witkowski and the game remained at a finely balanced 3-3 at the second interval.

Tensions boiled over early in the third period with a couple of fights that saw players from both sides in the penalty boxes. The Dragons took advantage of the ensuing disruption to edge back into the lead again on 48 minutes with a powerplay goal from Ross Kennedy but a shorthanded goal for the Tigers two minutes after that left it level pegging with 10 minutes left to play.

Then came the hammer blow of two Telford goals within 60 seconds of each other that put daylight between the two teams. There were still 6 minutes left to play but Deeside couldn’t find their way back into the game and it ended up in a 6-4 victory for the hosts.

The return game on Sunday was very fiercely contested with lots of penalties being dished out to both sides – some 100 minutes in total over the course of the game.

Telford had the edge for the first two periods although the score was an evenly balanced 1-1 at the first period break with a Jake Witkowski goal levelling an early Telford strike.

Tempers flared as the teams returned to the changing rooms and a fight in the tunnel saw Deeside’s Will Harper and Telford’s Connor Keys ejected from the game and two more players from each team sent to the penalty box.  

Telford took the lead again on 22 minutes and Deeside equalised again with a Ross Kennedy goal on 24.  Just 20 seconds after that, Telford re-took the lead and then a third goal of the game for the Tigers highly- rated Czech player Vladimir Luka on 30 minutes saw the visitors leading 2-4.

Matty Barlow pulled a goal back for the Dragons on 34 minutes and the score remained 3-4 at the second interval.

Telford restored their two-goal cushion just 40 seconds after the restart but Deeside visibly upped their game in the third period and clawed their way back into contention.

A second goal from Barlow on 44 minutes was followed by Witkowski’s second just 50 seconds later and the Dragons were level again.  This time, they were able to push on and Witkowski’s hat-trick goal on 50 minutes put Deeside ahead for the first time in the game.

A goal from Rhys Edwards with 2½ minutes to go released the unbearable tension that had been building up around the rink and Deeside were able to weather some late Telford pressure and hang on for an important 7-5 win.

After the weekend’s matches, the Dragons remain in third place in the Moralee Division table with 23 points from their 12 games to date – two points ahead of Telford, who have three games in hand.

Solihull Barons remain top of the table with 28 points from 10 games – 1 point ahead of Blackburn Hawks, whose unbeaten start to the season came to an end when the Barons beat them on Saturday.

The Dragons have back to back matches against Blackburn Hawks this coming weekend.

The away game is in East Lancashire on Saturday 8^th November and the home game at Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday 9^th November, 5.15pm face off.

The Division 2 Dragons are also at home at the weekend with a game against Kingston Sharks on Saturday, 5.15pm face off.