Visitors much too strong for academy U11 side
WILD ACADEMY U11S ...................... 0 MANCHESTER STORM U11S........... 9
WILD Academy Under 11 Team lost 9-0 to League leaders Manchester Storm in their latest home game at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
The highly experienced Manchester team had already comprehensively beaten all other opposition so far this season, so an away win always looked on the cards for this game.
The fledgling Wild team, many of whom are playing their first season of competitive ice hockey, and several of whom are Under nine’s players who are ‘playing up’ an age group, were up against it from the start and had trouble containing their lofty opponents.
Storm out-shot Widnes by 68 to 2 over the course of the game and were 5-0 up by the end of the first period. The Wild defence held together well at times but the visitors were much too strong and more goals followed as the league leaders consolidated their position at the top of the league table.
WILD ACADEMY U18S ...................... 5 NOTTINGHAM U18S .......................... 6
THE Wild Academy Under 18 Team came within a whisker of picking up their first ever competitive win but ended up losing 6-5 at home to Nottingham at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
The two teams had played out a
● very close game in the Lace City two weeks ago and this was another closely fought and highly entertaining encounter.
Nottingham took the lead after seven minutes but David Geroc equalised for the Wild just four minutes later.
Widnes took the lead on 13 minutes, with a goal from James
Perkins but that lead lasted only 20 seconds as the visitors scored again. The score remained at 2–2 at the first period break but
Nottingham edged into the lead with their third goal just 20 seconds from the re-start and then added a fourth just three minutes later.
The Wild’s Liam Eaton pulled a goal back on 27 minutes but Nottingham struck again at the half-way stage of the game and led 5-3 at the second break.
Two goals from Wild Captain Sam Anderson early in the third period levelled the score at 5–5.
The remainder of the period was all Widnes’ as they held siege to the Nottingham goal, hoping to score a late winner but they got caught out at the back and the visitors snatched the deciding goal with just 59 seconds left in the game.
The Wild Academy Under 13s are at home to Deeside Dragons Under 13s this Saturday – 6.15 pm face-off and the Under 15s are away to Solihull on Sunday,5.30 pm face-off.