Images (C) Blueline Photography
7th/8th January
After a Christmas break and a vital two points on the road in Telford, we’re back with our round-up from around the National Division.
Saturday
The MK Lightning were heavy favourites at home to the Hull Seahawks and when Sam Talbot scored just 68 seconds into the game, a few might have wondered if a rout was in store. Instead Hull fought their way back into the game and Matty Davies, finally fit enough to ice for the team he helped found, would find the net to tie the game at 1-1. In the second the visitors would take the lead though Finley Ulrick but the Lightning would storm back into the game thanks to a second from Talbot and a goal from Leigh Jamieson.
Peterborough hosted Sheffield but it was the Steeldogs ahead early thanks to Lee Bonner. The lead would last to the first break but a goal from Ales Padelek early in the second tied the game at 1-1. The Phantoms would take the lead through Duncan Speirs but the lead lasted just over half a minute as Ben Morgan would restore parity and Jordan Buesa’s goal gave the Steeldogs the lead in the 35th minute. Padelek would get his second of the night to make it 3-3 but Sheffield had the lead at the second break thanks to a strike from Matt Bissonnette. In the third it would take some time but the Steeldogs would get another goal, this time through Alex Graham to make it 5-3 and a second of the night in the dying stages from Bissonnette made it 6-3 with just over 3 minutes to play and he would complete his hattrick moments later. Vlads Vulkanovs would add an eighth for the visitors before a consultation goal from Martins Susters would see the game finish 8-4 to Greg Wood’s men.
In Bristol, the Pitbulls and the Leeds Knights had a back and forth opening frame. Archie Hazeldine had the Knights ahead early and despite chances both ways, the game was 1-0 at the end of the first. Bayley Harewood tied the game in the 24th minute but from there the Pitbulls were very much called to heel. Goals from Carter Hamill, two from Grant Cooper and one from Zack Brooks had the score at 5-1 after 40 minutes. There was no mercy in the third as Hamill would add his second of the night, Cooper would complete his hattrick and a late powerplay goal from Tate Shudra would see the Knights skate away with an 8-1 win.
In Swindon, the Wildcats hosted the Raiders and Aaron Nell’s side were behind after just 51 seconds as Blahoslav Novak found the net. The visitors doubled the lead through Aaron Connolly but the host would be level with goals either side of the first break from Tomasz Malasinski and Aaron Nell. However the Raiders would own the second as they raced out to a 5-2 lead thanks to Novak’s second of the night as well as goals from Jake Sylvester and Brandon Ayliffe. In the third Edgars Bebris would get one back to make it 5-3 but Novak’s hattrick goal with 2.48 to go seemed to finish the game off. Instead Swindon mounted a mini comeback. A powerplay goal from Nell and another goal from Malasinski had the game at 6-5 with 59 seconds to play. The Wildcats would throw everything at the Raiders net but they would run out of time.
Sunday
Having lost in BS10, the Bristol Pitbulls headed to Elland Road to see if they could get revenge on the Leeds Knights. It’s fair to say that no, they did not. Ethan Hehir and Zack Brooks made it 2-0 at the first buzzer before Brooks’ second of the night and goals from Kieran Brown and Carter Hamill made it 5-0 at the 40 minute mark. In the third the Knights compounded the misery as Grant Cooper scored twice along with Hamill’s second of the night and one from Sam Zajac saw the game 9-0, Sam Gospel and Harrison Walker combing to turn away the 16 shots that they faced.
Having won in Basingstoke on the Saturday, the Bees headed back to Slough to host the Sheffield Steeldogs. The Bees were behind at the first break thanks to a Vlads Vulkanovs goal late in the frame but took the lead in the second thanks to Stuart Mogg and Dominik Gabaj. Sheffield would regain the lead through their captain Lewis Bell and a goal from Lee Bonner but Ryan Webb’s strike made it 3-3 at 40 minutes. Jon Kirk found the net in the 51st minute to make it 4-3 but Josh Smith’s goal with 3.51 left on the clock tied the game at 4-4 and overtime beckoned. Sadly for the home fans, the visitors didn’t need long as Alex Graham took just 17 seconds to find the OT winner and take the extra point back to Yorkshire.
After their narrow loss in MK, the Hull Seahawks welcomed another top end side in Peterborough to the world’s most versatile arena. Glenn Billing had the Phantoms ahead at the first break. Tom Norton would double the lead in the second before Austin Mitchell-King added the third and Martin Susters made it 4-0 just before the end of the period. Matty Davies got the Seahawks on the board in the third but a second of the night fro Billing killed off the game and the Phantoms would win 5-1.
In Romford, it was two teams gunning for a 4 point weekend in the Raiders and the MK Lightning. Alex Roberts put the Raiders ahead before Ed Knaggs tied the game at 1-1. However the hosts took a 3-1 lead into the break as Aaron Connolly and Jake Sylvester found the net. It got better for the Raiders in the second as Mikey Power and a second from Connolly made it 5-1 in the 24th minute which forced MK to take their timeout and saw Jordan Hedley replaced in net by Dan Crowe. It didn’t help things sadly as a second from Roberts had the game at 6-1 at the second break. The Lightning fought back in the third as Sam Talbot scored twice to make it 6-3 but the Raiders saw the game out and held on to take the win.
Anthony Russell is the writer of Banners On The Wall (http://bannersonthewall.wordpress.com) which has covered the Bison and British hockey for the last 11 years. He hosts the BOTW What’s Current Stream, the NIHL’s live show for news and views, Wednesday night at 8pm at Twitter.com/BannersOTW
