A winning weekend to remember for Wild
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THE YKK-sponsored Widnes Wild moved up to second place in the Laidler Division after a four-point weekend that saw them win away at Sheffield on Saturday before beating league leaders Bradford Bulldogs in the most dramatic of fashions at Planet Ice Widnes on Sunday.
The trip to Sheffield was the return fixture to the first game of the season that saw a very close encounter in Widnes with the Wild only just managing a 4-3 win.
This game was also very closely matched with the shots on goal coming out at 40-45 overall but this time the Wild made more of their chances in front of the target.
They led 3-2 at the end of the first period but then hit three unanswered goals to lead 6-3 before the home team managed to fire their third goal of the game at 51.24.
A seventh goal for Widnes – a first for new signing Ross Jordan – scored with just 80 seconds left on the clock, rounded off the scoring for the night and gave the Wild their second win in two starts.
Jakub Hajek top-scored with three goals and one assist, Mikey Gilbert contributed 1+3, Michal Novak 1+1, player-coach Ollie Barron 0+3 and another new signing, Daniel Fay, also scored his first goal for the club.
On Sunday evening, the Wild welcomed league leaders Bradford Bulldogs to Planet Ice Widnes. The Bulldogs have enjoyed a really impressive start to the season and they had beaten Altrincham Aces 5-1 24 hours earlier so a tough game was anticipated.
Bradford actually opened the scoring on 11 minutes but the lead did not last long as Chris Gee equalised for the Wild just 60 seconds later.
The scored remained 1-1 at the first break but then a 3-1 second period – with goals from Jakub Hajek, Danny Bullock and Tom Jackson looked to have put the Wild in control of the game.
However, two goals early in the third period put Bradford right back in the mix and, for the last 10 minutes, the result really could have gone either way.
Mikey Gilbert edged the Wild back in front with a goal at 50.09. Bradford levelled just two minutes later and then went ahead again 60 seconds after that.
The game was played on a knife edge for the next five minutes as another Bradford goal would have probably handed them the win while the Wild were desperately trying to force another equaliser.
The decisive goal came with just 1.44 left on the clock as Gilbert’s strike levelled the score and sent the game into sudden death overtime.
The atmosphere around the rink was electric and there was still a sense of ‘anything could happen’ as the extra five minute period commenced.
Luckily, the Wild faithful were spared some four minutes and 30 seconds of potential nervejangling agony as Czech import Jakub Hajek made a great breakaway and scored the golden goal with just 25 seconds played in the period.
The crowd erupted, Widnes took the win and Bradford had to settle for a single point for the overtime loss.
After the game, player-coach Ollie Barron said: “A great weekend for the Wild, gaining four points.
“On Saturday we faced a hard working Sheffield side. We started OK, but allowed Sheffield back in twice after going ahead.
“In the second and third periods, I felt we were much more composed and controlled most of the game. All three lines played their part in a good road performance to pick up the win.
“On Sunday we welcomed the Bradford Bulldogs, who are always a hard-working aggressive team.
“The Bulldogs have a great roster this year and I expect them to challenging at the top of the league.
“It was a close, hard-fought game and at 4-2 up maybe we could have took more of our chances and killed of the game.
“But credit to Bradford – they worked hard and got back in front but what pleased me the most was the determination and hard team work to grab a late equaliser and to win it in overtime.
“This was a great advert for our league in front of a packed crowd.
“We travel to Telford this Saturday, to face a Tigers team who had two impressive wins this weekend. I hope to see as many Wild Ones making the trip to cheer on the team.”
The YKK-sponsored Widnes Wild travel to play Telford Tigers this Saturday and then are away to the Hull Jets the following Saturday, October 6. The next home game is on Sunday, October 7 when they take on the Blackburn Hawks development team at Planet Ice Widnes – 5.30pm face-off. ● There is sledge hockey to be seen in Widnes this weekend as the British Para Ice Hockey Association hold their end of season playoffs at the Planet Ice Rink.
The top four teams in the league will meet in two semifinals on Saturday and there is a third-place playoff game and final on Sunday.
The two semi-finals see league champions Kingston Kestrels, from Hull, take on fourth-placed Peterborough Phantoms (11.15am face-off) and league runners-up Manchester Mayhem play thirdplace Cardiff Huskies (7.15pm face-off).
The third-place playoff will feature the two losing semifinalists (11.15 face-off) and the final to decide the 2018 playoff champions will face off on Sunday at 5.15pm. Admission to all games is free.