The Oakbank Services sponsored Solway Sharks Juniors under 16s team continued their league campaign last Sunday, welcoming their counterparts from Ayr Bruins to Dumfries Ice Bowl.
Confident on their home ice the young sharks started off strongly, and didn’t have to wait long for their first score, Liam Stenton sending Joe Little goalwards, the latter striking the net with a celebratory birthday goal just after 4 minutes. Their second came 5 minutes later, a tidy Mekhi Caven pass across the d-zone finding Jack Little, who sent the puck straight to the back of the net. The scoring continued as Solway maintained their dominance, a powerplay seeing Caven passing to Stenton, who fired straight at the keeper, before an alert Scott Rae caught the rebound and sent it past the keeper for their third. Ayr managed to scrape a goal back a minute before the buzzer, and the period finished with Solway 3 goals to 1 ahead.
Solway’s control continued into the next period, with a neat Rae pass to Stenton who opened the scoring after 12 seconds, before Ayr replied a minute later with a goal of their own. A spell of more even play ensued, before Rae and Stenton combined again with an attack on Ayr’s net, the latter scoring on 23 minutes, taking the score to 5 goals to 2. Solway scored again a minute later, a clever move from Andy Craik to newbie Luke Bertram sending the puck towards goal, where Niall Duignan sent it on its way for his first U16s goal. Mere seconds later the young Sharks hit the net again, Rae and Joe Little making the play before Stenton hit the finishing shot – 3 goals for the team in 2 minutes.
Joshua Leuvennink, who had been unwavering in goal, made way for Jonathan Spence between the pipes. Just after the 28-minute mark the forward line of Craik and Bertram combined in attack again, Stenton again delivering the final shot for the goal. The score of 8 – 2 remained until the end of the second period.
With both teams tiring the pace dropped in the third period, and with a comfortable lead coach Kerr gave new players Jake Gordon and Liam Fergusson a lot more ice than they anticipated for their first competitive outing, and saw them work hard to bed in to the team. Ayr scored first in the period, after almost 4 minutes, before Andy Craik sent the puck towards goal 2 minutes later, and Luke Bertram made sure it found the back of the net. The 9 – 3 scoreline remained until the end of the game, and Luke Bertram was man of the match for Solway.
After the game coach Jamie Kerr observed, “This was a game where we knew that if we did most things right we should get a result. The players had to be reminded not to take things for granted when going through the motions after being 3-1 up after the first period. They had a positive second period which saw them hit five, and then similar to last week, when sitting on a comfortable 8-2 lead the team stumbled through the last period with a goal each.
Although a few regulars short today, it was nice to get the 2 or 3 new and less experienced guys on the team a chunk of playing time and have them rolling, as well as two guys scoring their first goals at this level. Hopefully the playing in spurts gets nullified and we get back to the consistent high level which we have achieved against the stronger teams already this season.”
Anyone interested in playing ice hockey should contact Dumfries Ice Bowl on 01387 251300 for details of Learn to Play sessions.
