Tough time on home ice for under 16s
JUNIOR ACADEMY
THE Wild Academy Under 16 team lost 4-16 at home to Sutton U18s at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
Widnes actually got off to a flying start with a goal from Jake Meehan after just 14 seconds but four straight goals for Sutton saw them leading 1-4 at the first period break.
Three more goals followed for the visitors giving them a 1-7 lead before
George Plevin fired in for the Wild on 26 minutes.
Things got a bit rough and a series of fights broke out which left Widnes shorthanded for long spells.
Sutton made the most of this by firing in five unanswered powerplay goals to lead 2-12 by the mid-point of the third period.
Two more goals followed for the Wild – from Ellis Mahar and Luke Mullarkey – but it did little to stem the flow and Sutton ended up 4-16 winners.
● The Wild Academy Under 16 team beat Grimsby U16s 11-2 at Planet Ice Widnes on Saturday.
Luke Alston fired the home side into the lead after just seven seconds and further goals from Jared Knowles (2), Cody Ogden and Thomas Warburton saw Widnes lead 5-0 at the first period break.
Porter Harrop edged the Wild further ahead 70 seconds from the restart but then two quick goals for Grimsby gave the visitors a faint light of hope.
A third goal for Knowles just 25 seconds later gave him his hat-trick and Warburton’s second on 23 minutes gave the Wild a healthy 8-2 lead after two periods.
Further goals in the third period from Ogden, Jaxon Kirk Jones and Liam Yarwood rounded off the scoring for the match and handed Widnes a comprehensive 11-2 victory.
● The Wild Academy Under 12 team drew 2-2 away to Kingston U12s in Hull on Saturday.
Team captain Evan Walker opened the scoring for Widnes on 12 minutes and the Wild led 0-1 at the first period break.
Two quick goals for Kingston early in the second period saw them edge into the lead but an equaliser from Jacob Foster with just 80 seconds left in the game salvaged a point for the Academy youngsters.
● The Wild Academy U14s are at home to Manchester Storm U14s this Saturday 19th March at Planet Ice Widnes - 3.20pm face off and straight after that, the Academy Under 18 team are at home to Sheffield U18s, 5pm start.
Admission is free to all Wild Academy home games at Planet Ice Widnes and spectators are encouraged to go along and support the stars of the future.
● The Widnes Wild club showed their support for the Ukraine at their home game against Solihull Barons on Sunday by illuminating the exterior of the Planet Ice rink in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag and by playing the Ukrainian national anthem before the game.
An ice hockey stick signed by all the players was raffled off and a total of £327 was raised to be donated to the Red Cross appeal for the embattled nation.
In a separate non- club related venture, former Wild team manager Jon Anderson is driving a one-man aid convoy with a van full of donated medical supplies, blankets and food across to the Polish / Ukrainian border where the goods will be distributed via local aid organisations.