Image (C) Jo Loat
24th/25th/26th February
By Anthony Russell
A frustrating weekend where the Herd couldn’t get the job done. It was a weekend with a few back to back encounters so it’s time to look at the rest of the National Division.
Friday
After losing on Wednesday to Peterborough, Telford travelled to Sheffield to take on the Steeldogs. It was a good first for the Tigers as Finley Howells had them ahead after 20 minutes. However in the second, the hosts came racing back with two goals from Alex Graham and one from Lee Bonner made it 3-1. Rick Plant would score to make it 3-2 but Graham’s hattrick goal and a goal from Brady Doxey made it 5-2 at the end of the second period. Sam Watkins made it 5-3 with 8 and a bit minutes to go but a goal from Jon Kirk put the game to bed at 6-3 for the Steeldogs.
Saturday
The Steeldogs had to get back to business the following night as they travelled down to Swindon. The visitors lead at the end of the first thanks to Lee Haywood but Aaron Nell struck back early in the second to have the game tied at the second buzzer. In the third though, it was the bite of the Dogs that did the damage. Charlie Thompson made it 2-1 with 9.25 to play before empty net goals from Jason Hewitt and Jordan Buesa made it 4-1 and the points headed north to Yorkshire.
At The Hanger, the Bees welcomed Hull for the first of a home and home of the sides battling to avoid the wooden spoon. Nathan Salem got the Seahawks ahead first and whilst Stuart Mogg tied the game at 1-1, a goal from Chris Wilcox made it 2-1 to the visitors at the end of the first. The score would be all square at the end of the second thanks to a goal from Brendan Walkom. However Hull raced into a lead in the third thanks to two goals from Emil Svec and a second of the night from Nathan Salem. The Bees would stage a comeback as first Aam Rosbottom then a second from Mogg made it 5-4 with 3.38 to go but a late powerplay goal from Svec to complete his hattrick ended the game at 6-4 and meant more points headed to Yorkshire, albeit a different bit.
Milton Keynes and the Raiders took the ice in the Thunderdome and it took just 48 seconds for the Lightning to be ahead thanks to Milique Martelly. The GB u20 defender would make it 2-0 later in the frame and Sam Talbot made it 3-0 to end the first. The 3-0 lead lasted into the third period where Tjay Anderson got the Raiders on the board before Liam Stewart and James Griffin pushed the Lightning over the line for a 5-1 win.
Bristol had the unenviable task of playing Leeds at home on Saturday and despite falling down 2-0 thanks to a double from Jake Witkowski, Jay Warren’s goal made it nicely poised at 2-1 after 20 minutes. There were then 10 goals left in the game. Archie Hazeldine and Cole Shudra made it 4-1 but goals from Caly Robertson and Ben Solder pegged the Knights back and made it 4-3. Witkowski completed his hattrick for 5-3 and then the teams traded goals for a bit. Coric then Shudra then Kelly then Howlett all found the net to make it 7-5 in the dying stages. The Pitbulls pulled the goalie but Howlett found the net again late for 8-5 and the win.
Sunday
The Knights returned the favour and played hosts to the Pitbulls the following night. Matt Haywood and Dylan Hehir had the score at 2-0 after the first and the Knights pulled further away in the second as Adam Barnes, Zack Brooks and Jake Witkowski made it 5-0 after 40 minutes. In the third, Cole Shudra and Mac Howlett made it 7-0 before Witkowski’s second of the night made it 8-0. Elliot Lewis got one for the Pitbulls but at 8-1, the goal was scant consolation for the Pitbulls.
Telford and Swindon looked to put their recent losses behind them in Shropshire. Tom Carlon scored first for the Tigers but goals from Aaron Nell and Edgars Bebris made it 2-1 to the Wildcats at the first break. Rory Herrman tied the score at 2-2 early in the second and from there it was a trade off in goals. Balint Pakodzi, a second from Carlon, a second from Nell and a goal from Vladimir Luke made it 4-4 after 40 minutes. Sam Watkins pushed the Tigers ahead but Nell’s hattrick goal just 6 seconds from time got Swindon to overtime. Whilst both sides got a point, there could only be one winner and Rory Herrman sent the home fans happy, beating Dean Skinns to secure the extra point.
The Raiders and Lightning met up again in Romford. Bobby Chamberlain scored the lone goal of the first. In the second Jake Sylvester and Alex Roberts put the Raiders ahead and whilst a shorthanded goal from Liam Stewart made it 2-2, a goal from Jack Cooper made it 3-2. In the third, the Raiders broke out as Sylvester scored twice to complete his hattrick and Matthieu Gomercic scored to make it 6-2. The Lightning staged a late flurry as Stewart scored and a goal from Tim Wallace made it 6-4 with less than 3 minutes to go but it wasn’t enough and the sides split the points across the weekend.
The Seahawks and Bees reconvened in Hull and the score was tied at 1-1 after the first as Dan Rose’s goal was cancelled out by Jordan Fisher. Ryan Webb put the Bees ahead but goals from Owen Bruton and Emil Svec made it 3-2 at the end of the second. In the third, a shorthanded goal from Harvey Stead made it 3-3 but the Seahawks sent the Bees home empty handed as Andrej Themar, Nathan Salem and Sam Towner all found the net to made it a 6-3 win for Matty Davies’ side and a 4 point weekend for Hull.
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
