Saturday 6th January
The YKK Widnes Wild travelled to Hull Ice Arena for the 1st game back after the festive break, taking a 6-3 defeat by the hosts. Widnes iced with a squad of 15+2, missing Kilmarnock Thunder 2-ways and Captain #84 Tom Jackson (injury), opting for #35 Luca Tessadri in net. Meanwhile, the Jets also lined up with 16+2, giving #41 Zack Brown the start in goal.
The Jets quickly made an impact on the game, scoring just 11 seconds in. #40 Kieran beach fired the puck past Tessadri, assisted by #19 Rich Haggar to give Hull the lead. Widnes were soon handed an opportunity when #14 Scott Morris headed to the box for hooking at 1:24. Wild capitalised on the PP at 3:01 as #11 Will Harper fired the puck into the top corner, assisted by #5 Rhys Edwards and #39 Matt Barlow to equalise. Both teams continued to push for the lead to take into the 2nd period, but both defence units performed to keep the score level.
Widnes applied the pressure early in the 2nd period but failed to find the net. Hull then took a breakaway chance and #24 Adam Jasecko made the tap-in off a shot from #14 Scott Morris to lead again. Tensions began to spill, seeing #39 Matt Barlow and #19 Rich Haggar sit 2 minutes for roughing at 27:30. Widnes were found a player short at 31:16 after #63 Joey Coulter was handed an interference penalty. Wild managed to kill the penalty and quickly turned to the attack. After serving his penalty, the player coach found the back of the net, following a pass across the crease from #5 Rhys Edwards and #11 Will Harper to equalise.
However, #71 Kieran Robinson claimed a goal after Luca misjudged the flight of the puck and it tipped over his catcher, assisted by #26 Alex Foreman at 36:16 to regain the lead for the Jets. Mikey Gilbert grabbed a late goal in the 2nd period for Widnes at 37:53 to level the score once more after a passage of play with #63 Joey Coulter and #39 Matt Barlow. The 3 late goals left the game at 3-3 with 20 minutes to play.
The Jets returned for the 3rd period and quickly fired the puck past Tessadri to lead again, on the power-play after #11 Will Harper sat for tripping. #40 Kieran Beach was the one to capitalise, assisted by #44 Kohen Taylor and #19 Rich Haggar at 40:50 to make the score 4-3. Tensions continued to rise for the next few minutes and eventually spilled at 47:21. Tom Brierley, Kieran Beach, Rhys Edwards and Will Harper all received 5 minute fighting penalties.
Robinson then extended the lead for Hull at 51:27 with a rebound, assisted by Jasecko on the PP as #21 Damarni James sat for slashing. Another punch-up followed after Tessadri covered the puck. Both Owen Rae and Kohen Taylor received 5 minutes for fighting and Ethan Daintith picked up an extra 2 minutes for roughing, leaving Hull on a penalty kill at 56:25. Widnes continued on the attack but failed to claw a goal back. The Wild called a timeout at 58:03 and opted to pull netminder Luca Tessadri for an extra attacker. However, the risk failed and #27 Ethan Daintith sealed the 6-3 home win for Hull.
MVPs were awarded to defenceman Owen Rae for the Widnes Wild and forward Rich Haggar for the Hull Jets.
Officials: Ormes, MacKinnon, Parker
STATS –
Widnes Wild: Will Harper 1+1, Joey Coulter 1+1, Mikey Gilbert 1+0, Rhys Edwards 0+2, Matt Barlow 0+2
Hull Jets: Kieran Beach 2+1, Kieran Robinson 2+0, Adam Jasecko 1+1, Rich Haggar 0+2, Kohen Taylor 0+1, Scott Morris 0+1, Alex Foreman 0+1, Ethan Daintith 0+1
Sunday 7th January
The YKK Widnes Wild were on the road for the 2nd night on the bounce, travelling South to face the Solihull Barons. The Wild left with a single point after forcing the Barons to a 6-5 win in overtime. Widnes lined up with 13+2, missing Kyle Carruth and Owen Rae from the previous evening and kept #35 Luca Tessadri in-between the pipes. Meanwhile, Solihull iced with a full roster of 20+2 and opted for #35 Graham Laverick in net.
The game was fast-paced from the initial face-off and both netminders were tested early. Solihull were the first to convert a passage of play at 10:28. Finnish import #20 Filip Byfält sent the puck past Tessadri following a pass from behind the net from #55 Bailey Challans. Wild pushed for an equaliser, but Laverick kept the Widnes offence at bay. #10 Jacob Smith was handed the first penalty of the game at 17:04 after his high stick hit Damarni James, leaving the Barons on a penalty kill. Solihull returned to full strength and quickly extended their lead to 2-0 through #23 Dan Mulcahy.
Widnes returned for the 2nd period with attacking intent and soon reduced the deficit. #11 Will Harper carried the puck and rifled a shot past Laverick at 22:18, assisted by #63 Joey Coulter. However, the Barons regained their lead at 25:34, with a 2nd goal from Dan Mulcahy, assisted by #6 Richard Crowe to make it 3-1. Widnes then reclaimed the puck and #39 Matt Barlow skated in on Laverick, slotting the biscuit into the bottom corner, assisted by #16 Mikey Gilbert. As Wild looked to equalise, Bez Hughes was taken down at the boards, causing his teammates to step in. Damarni James and Matt Maurice were both sent to the box with co-incidental fighting penalties at 30:16.
A disagreement infront of the Wild crease after Tessadri covered the puck, ended in a roughing penalty at 34:26 for Barlow. Just 30 seconds later, Solihull capitalised on the power-play through #77 Andrew Hayward to give the Barons a 2-goal cushion. With Widnes returning to 5 skaters, they immediately found the back of the net at 37:07, clawing back a goal. #17 Andrew Hopkins fired the initial shot and #5 Rhys Edwards grabbed the rebound to post the score at 4-3. A late breakaway goal from the Mulcahy brothers allowed Solihull to clench a 2-goal lead heading into the final period.
The Wild were handed an opportunity at 41:15 after Challans received a cross-checking penalty but Laverick prevented Widnes from scoring. Pressure amounted on the Solihull defence as Widnes searched for a way back into a close-fought game. 2 goals in 46 seconds for the Wild levelled the score with 10 minutes left to play. Firstly, Matt Barlow punished the Barons on the breakaway at 47:35, assisted by #18 Johnathon Williamson and #10 Nathan Britton. A second goal for Rhys Edwards then tied the score to 5-5, assisted by Will Harper at 48:21. Both sides were unable to find a way past the netminders in the final minutes, despite being handed power-play chances, which forced the game into overtime.
A no-look shot on the backhand by #11 Brandon Anderton, assisted by #5 Jordan Stokes and #91 Niklas Ottosson snuck past Tessadri’s leg pad to give the Barons the 6-5 win in overtime.
MVPs were awarded to both number #11s: defenceman #11 Will Harper received it for Widnes after his point-scoring performance. Brandon Anderton claimed the award for Solihull following his game winning goal.
Officials: Hands, Clark, Woodward
STATS –
Widnes Wild: Matt Barlow 2+0, Rhys Edwards 2+0, Will Harper 1+1, Joey Coulter 0+1, Mikey Gilbert 0+1, Andrew Hopkins 0+1, Johnathon Williamson 0+1, Nathan Britton 0+1
Solihull Barons: Filip Byfält 1+0, Phil Mulcahy 2+0, Dan Mulcahy 1+1, Andrew Hayward 1+0, Brandon Anderton 1+0, Bailey Challans 0+1, Richard Crowe 0+1, Jordan Stokes 0+1, Niklas Ottosson 0+1
Articles written by Fleur Tobin