All the News from Weekend 2/9-4/9
The Planet Ice NIHL National Division is still a week away from starting but the teams involved spent last weekend getting their pre-season underway, looking to get that mix of confidence and chemistry they’ll all need if they want a good start. As teams were paired up for home and home series, we’ll look at each one.
Swindon and Bristol started off their weekend on Friday at the Link Centre with the hosts taking the lead through Edgars Bebris, newly moved to the Wildcats’ blueline for the season, before Ed Bradley got the Pitbulls on the board. Sam Bullas set up Reed Sayers to make it 2-1 before Reece Kelly levelled the scores at 2-2 by the end of the first. The Wildcats got the lead back early in the second through Aaron Nell before Loris Taylor scored against his old team to make it 4-2. Christian Mohr got one past Dean Skinns to make it 4-3 but a Chris Jones powerplay goal made it 5-3 early in the third which was enough to get the Cats the win.
The teams relocated to BS10 on Saturday evening for the Pitbulls’ first game at this level of hockey. However it didn’t start well for the hosts as Ben Nethersell and Sam Bullas had the visitors 2-0 ahead at the first break. Bristol would come back and tie the game through Christian Mohr and Reece Kelly but Balint Pakodzi restored the lead for Swindon as he tapped in a rebound off a Chris Jones shot. Jay Warren would beat Renny Marr to tie the score at 3-3 before Tomasz Malasinski found the top corner to make it 4-3 to the Wiltshire side. A Chris Jones powerplay goal in the third finished off the scoring as Swindon secured back to back 5-3 wins.
Peterborough and the Raiders converged for their two games, starting in Cambridgeshire on Saturday. Mikey Power got the Raiders off to a good start, netting twice before former Raider, Lukas Sladkovsky got the Phantoms on the board before Callum Buglass tied the scores early in the second. However the Raiders took the lead back, Power completing his hattrick before Jake Sylvester made it 4-2. Nathan Pollard would get one back before Brandon Ayliffe beat Jordan Marr to make it 5-3. The Phantoms would complete a wild second by tying the scores as Jasper Forster and Ralfs Circenis both netted. At 5-5 it was all to play for but the lone goal of the third came from Erik Piatak who beat Marr to make it 6-5. That ended the game but the teams had agreed to play OT to give each other some practice. The Phantoms would score the OT goal through Glenn Billing so maybe a case of last goal wins.
The next night in Romford it was the Raiders who started off the best. Aaron Connolly’s goal was cancelled out by Duncan Speirs but Erik Piatak’s goal made it 2-1 after twenty minutes. Lukas Sladkovsky would sting his former employers again to make it 2-2 and a Callum Buglass goal would give the Phantoms the lead. Brandon Ayliffe found the net to make it 3-3 but a second goal from Speirs made it 4-3 by the second buzzer. The teams went at it for another 20 minutes but it yielded no goals allowing the Phantoms to skate away with the 4-3 win.
The Yorkshire (Tea) Cup was started off last weekend between the three sides from the People’s Republic. Friday saw Sheffield Steeldogs host Leeds Knights and it was the Knights who started the better as Carter Hamill found the net for the visitors but an almost instant reply from Alex Graham tied the score at 1-1. It would be the Knights to get the lead back as Cole Shudra beat Dmitri Zimozdra to make it 2-1. The teams gave no quarter even with it being so early in the season. It would take till late in the third for the next goal to come and it would go to the visitors, Matt Haywood scored the decisive goal to finish the Dogs off, 3-1 the final score.
Saturday saw action shift to The Castle in Leeds as the Knights welcome the Hull Seahawks. A scoreless first period gave way to goals in the middle frame as Zach Brooks and Grant Cooper found the net against a Hull side lacking both imports and player/coach Matty Davies. The Seahawks would find the net in the third through Cameron Hamill but a late goal from Cole Shudra made it 3-1 to the hosts and left them with a perfect 2/2 record for the weekend.
Sunday saw the return of National Division level hockey to Hull for the first time since before the pandemic as the Hull Seahawks hosted the Sheffield Steeldogs. It would be bite and bark from the visitors as they raced to a 4-0 lead by the end of the first. Jason Hewitt, James Spurr, and two from Alex Graham doing the damage. The second period yielded much feistiness but no goals. The hosts finally got on the board in the third as Nathan Salem hit the net. Vlads Vulkanovs made it 5-1 before Hull staged a mini revival. Jordan Fisher and Cam Brownley scored to make it 5-3 with time to play. Sadly for the new boys there was no way back and Steeldogs took the spoils.
Weekend Results:
Friday Results:
Wildcats 5 – 3 Pitbulls
Steeldogs 1 – 3 Knights
Saturday Results:
Bison 5 – 4 Bees
Pitbulls 3 – 5 Wildcats
Phantoms 5 – 6 Raiders
Knights 3 – 1 Steeldogs
Sunday Results
Bees 2 – Bison 1 (AOT)
Raiders 3 – 4 Phantoms
Seahawks 3 – 5 Steeldogs
This weekend the Bison’s pre-season action continues with a weekend series against the leagues new Southern team the Bristol Pitbulls (Face Off 6.30pm on Saturday evening) tickets are available at the following link: https://iceaccount.co.uk/basingstoke-bison?Reference=Bison-Website
