Renegades are beaten by Islanders

JUNIOR ICE HOCKEY

WHITLEY Renegades faced one of the Hillheads recreational team Whitley Bay Islanders and were narrowly beaten 5-3.

It was a keenly-fought contest and the Islanders thought they had the game easily won after they had taken a 3-0 first-period lead.

Bobby Bradley, Graeme Leslie and and Adam Perrie had given them a comfortable start.

Just after the game’s midway point it was 4-0 as Perrie added his second.

Howevewr, two powerplay goals from Ross Douglass (pictured right) and Joseph McDonald cut the deficit to 4-2.

The lead could have been wiped out in the middle period as under-20 side the Renegades stepped up to the mark and caused the Islanders some problems - only for netminder Brett Hope to make fine saves to protect the three-goal cushion.

On the 35-minute mark, the three-goal lead was restored when Perrie recorded his hattrick marker to hand Islanders a 5-2 lead going ito the final period.

For the final session the Renegades brought on Thomas Brown between the pipes to replace Ben Gill.

The period was only 51 seconds old when Kieron Downs struck to reduce the deficit.

That was the end of the scoring, though, as the Islanders held on for the victory.

It was the Renegades’ first match since November 26 when they had faced Kingston Sharks in the English Under 20 League.

After the resignation of Blackburn in October it had been hoped to give the remaining six clubs extra games.

However, that has proved a little difficult to fulfil.

The Renegades are next in action on Sunday when Nottingham Leopards are the visitors to Hillheads (face-off 5.15) before a challenge match against a Northern Conference under-17 squad next week.