Mohawks settle for a draw after real rollercoaster ride

WHITLEY Mohawks earned their first point of the season on Saturday from an 8-8 draw at Deeside Dragons in an English Under-13 North Division Two encounter.

The lead changed hands several times and an exciting match.

Mohawks hadn’t had much time to settle when they found themselves a goal down with only 18 seconds gone in the first period.

Worse to follow as the home side went into a 2-0 lead two minutes later.

Mohawks began to gain possession and got to grips with the opposition and pulled a goal back at 09.24 when Owen Yarrow was on hand to reduce the deficit with his seventh goal of the season.

A little over a minute later the visitors found themselves shorthanded as both Dylan Macklow and James Toby and Dragons’ Daniel Gleave sat out minor roughing penalties.

Deeside failed to take advantage, but a powerplay came Whitley’s way following the end of Deeside’s when Toby converted at 13.06 to level the scores, with Tye Addison getting an assist.

Mohawks went ahead for the first time seconds later when Toby netted his second of the game, with Jayden White picking up an assist for his first point of the season.

There was only one second left on the clock in the first period when Addison, a close-season signing from Billingham Stars, scored his first goal of the season. This gave Whitley a 4-2 lead after the opening period.

Deeside took the game to Whitley at the start of the second period, and the scores were level at 4-4 after strikes from them at 17.33 and 20.37.

The score did not remain that way for long as Yarrow restored the lead only 16 seconds later and completed his hat-trick 43 seconds after that to put Mohawks into a 6-4 lead.

Dragons captain George Plevin reduced the deficit at 23.30.

Yarrow was sitting out his second minor penalty of the match which had the visitors short-handed as they went into a 7-5 lead when White was on hand for his first goal of the season at 26.04.

Plevin netted his fourth four minutes after the restart, but less than a minute had gone by when Toby became the third player to complete a hat-trick at 35.26.

But Dragons’ Adam Case scored two goals in as many minutes to level the match at 8-8.

This weekend sees Whitley Arrows travel to Hull to meet Kingston Sharks on Saturday in an English Under 11 North League encounter (face-off 12.45pm).

On Sunday there is a double dose of junior ice hockey at Hillheads when firstly Whitley Braves play host to Deeside Dragons in English Under18 North Division Two (12.15pm) and Whitley Tomahawks entertain Solihull Barons in English Under 15 North Division Two (5.15pm).