Memorial Cup a big success
Widnes Wildcats 8 Riverside Raiders 2 THERE was an excellent turnout for the first ice hockey date of the New Year at Silver Blades Widnes where the Widnes Wildcats and Riverside Raiders played a charity match for the annual Antony Morris Memorial Cup on Sunday afternoon.
The Cup was contested for the first time last year as a tribute to Widnesbased recreational ice hockey player Antony Morris who died in tragic circumstances in November 2015 and was played this year in aid of two local charities – the Ronald McDonald House at Alder Hey Hospital and the Cathie Stankievitch Foundation.
The game was played at a tremendous pace throughout and really was an excellent advert for recreational ice hockey.
The Wildcats scored first with just 1.33 on the clock with a fine unassisted strike from Dalibor Rakoczy.
That was the only goal until Adam Jenkins equalised for the Raiders with one minute left to play in the period.
The second period was just as close, although strikes from Jake Berry and Andrejs Tenborgs put the Wildcats two goals ahead by the midway stage before a goal from the Raiders’ Geraint Lewis halved the deficit.
The Raiders began the third period pushing hard for an equaliser but it was the Wildcats who scored next with Berry’s second strike of the night on 44 minutes.
Then, three goals in the space of three minutes – from Russell Herring, Stephen Hay and Berry again – effectively put the contest out of the Raiders’ reach.
The scoring was rounded off in the 56th minute with a goal from Ben Derbyshire to make the final score 8-2 to the Wildcats.
Antony Morris’s parents Jane and Stephen were special guests at the game and they were invited onto the ice at the end to present the Memorial Cup to the winning Wildcats team.
Antony’s Dad, Stephen, said: “We would like to thank Barry Sparkes and everyone involved in the ice hockey at the rink.
“It was a great turnout.” ●
TNIHL NORTH TWO LAIDLER CONFERENCE HE RTL-sponsored Widnes Wild got 2017 off to a winning start with a clinical 3-0 win at bottom club Coventry Blaze.
The Wild dominated throughout and outshot their hosts by more than three to one over the duration of the game.
The first goal came from the Wild’s Stuart Brittle in the 11th minute and, while the Widnes side peppered the Coventry goal with shots, the score remained 1-0 at the end of the first period.
The second period also saw only one goal – this time from Wild’s Joe Gilbert, his first of the season – which doubled the Widnes lead in the dying seconds of the staza.
Widnes player/coach Ollie Barron rounded off the scoring in the 45th minute and the Wild defence held out to secure a second shutout in as many matches.
The three assists for the goals were supplied by Pavel Vales, Tom Jackson and Shaun Dippnall.
Widnes registered 47 shots on goal with the Blaze recording 14.
Despite the win, Widnes actually dropped down to third place in the English Ice Hockey Association NIHL North Two Laidler Conference table after fellow title contenders Sheffield Senators picked up two wins over the weekend and overtook them by virtue of a superior playing record between the two teams.
Both Widnes and Sheffield now have 23 points from 16 games and are due to meet in the Wild’s next home game at Silver Blades Widnes on Sunday, January 22.
Before that, however, Widnes face a tricky trip down the M56 to Altrincham where they take on the fifth place Aces this Saturday. The contest has a 6.15pm face-off.