Youngsters play first ever home game
THE Wild Academy Under 11s team played their first ever home game on Saturday at Planet Ice Widnes, eventually losing out 8-2 to a very experienced Bradford side.
This is the first season that the Wild Academy have fielded an Under 11s team and for some players this was only their second ever competitive game. Other players have come from the Under 9s team – where they play short format “cross-ice” hockey – and several players have previously played for other teams, so it’s obvious that this new team will take time to gel.
The Bradford club has a phenomenal reputation for producing quality junior players that dates back decades and, despite being Under 11s, their team boasted several players who already had over 50 competitive games under their belts.
The game started badly for Widnes as they conceded the first goal with just 43 seconds on the clock but they rallied after this and, despite numerous chances for both sides, the first period continued otherwise goal-less.
To only be 1-0 down against such experienced opposition at the end of the first period was already a superb display by the Wild youngsters and, although they conceded two more goals in the second period, a 3-0 scoreline at the second break still reflected very well on the home side.
Bradford began to run away with things in the third period and scored four more goals before Widnes finally found the back of the net for themselves.
On 45 minutes, team captain Cai Vernett-Showers – who also plays up a level for the Wild Under 13s team – scored what was in fact the Wild Under 11s first ever goal, as they had been shut out away at Whitley Bay in their
● first game. Bradford scored again just 30 seconds afterwards but the scoring was rounded off for the evening with a debut goal from Evan Walker, an Under 9s player who was playing up a level, and only making his second ever competitive appearance on full-sized ice.
The Wild Under 11s team are at home again this Saturday, November 2, when they take on the Kingston Under 11 team at Planet Ice, Widnes – 6.15pm face off.
Kingston have lost all three of their league games this season so far, although they too have a very experienced roster and will provide stiff opposition for the fledgling Wild team.
The Wild Academy Under 13s team had been scheduled to play Billingham at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday evening as well, but that game has been postponed and will now take place at the end of April 2020.