Dragons' MVP Joe Everitt (Photo by Paul Breeze)
Sunday
30th August 2026 – Challenge Match: Deeside D2 Dragons 2 – Milton Keynes
Thunder 12
The Landstruction Deeside D2 Dragons continued their pre-season programme with a robustly
contested 2 -12 challenge match defeat at home to Milton Keynes Thunder at
Deeside Leisure Centre on Sunday.
Teams
from NIHL North don’t play against teams from the south very often and, with
Milton Keynes making their first visit to Deeside in over 30 years, this fixture
was very much an unknown quantity.
The
game saw home Dragons debuts for summer signings Oliver Massey, Joe Everitt,
Ben Fox and Oli Howells and former Deeside juniors Jake Lowndes and Sophie
Davies.
It
was fairly close in its early stages. Milton Keynes took the lead after 3
minutes but Deeside snatched an equaliser with just 1 second left in the first
period with a maiden goal from Joe Everitt.
The
Thunder edged ahead again on 23 minutes but a goal from another new Deeside
player – Oliver Massey, on 29 minutes - levelled the score again. Three unanswered goals followed for Milton
Keynes and they finished the second period with a commanding 2-5 lead. 
Oliver Massey (Photo by View
From Up Here Photography)
The
visitors scored again just 36 seconds into the third period and ran away with
the game after that.
The
game was punctuated with niggly fouls throughout, with the two teams amassing
40 penalty minutes between them and, in between sin-bin visits, a further 6
Milton Keynes goals followed for a final scoreline of 2-12.
A
positive aspect of the game was that the new players look to be settling in well
and Joe Everitt was named Most Valuable Player for the new look Deeside team.
The
D2 Dragons start their Laidler Division campaign this Saturday 5th
September when they travel away to face the Nottingham Lions, 7.20pm face off. Their
first home league game is the following Saturday 12th September when
they entertain Sheffield at Deeside Leisure Centre in a later than usual 6.40pm
face off.
