Following last week’s four-point weekend in which the Sharks defeated the Raiders and Bees to earn the first points of the 23/24 season.
The Sharks travelled to Milton Keynes to face the MK Lightning at Planet Ice for the first time this season. After an early period of control for the Sharks, it was MK who opened the scoring and took the lead, but the Sharks created opportunities that they couldn’t convert on, and it was MK who scored another goal and another to take a 3-0 lead over the Sharks.
Liam Stenton scored the final goal of the first period for the Sharks. The Sharks held off rising MK pressure by fighting hard and quickly and created chances to get back into the game. The chances were not converted, and MK made them pay with goals 4 and 5 at the end of the second period.
The Sharks entered the final period trailing 5-1, but they battled for every puck and put their bodies on the line to demonstrate the grit and fortitude that this club is known for under Head Coach Martin Grubb. They were rewarded for their efforts when Liam Stenton scored his second goal of the evening.
Sharks Defenceman Kian Shelvin said after the weekend’s games “Disappointed is how we’re all feeling after the weekend. We know the work we need to do and what we need to get better at. We’ve got to put the weekend behind us and concentrate on Hull this weekend.
We know we’re a good team and we’re going to do well in the league; we’re just a bit confident, consistent, and lucky for it! Hopefully this weekend’s games are the turning point for us”.
It was a Sunday afternoon fixture at the Dumfries Ice Bowl as the Sharks welcomed Leeds Knights in league action. It was the Sharks who struck first with a goal from Craig Peacock after some good work from John Dunbar and Kell Beattie.
The Knights produced numerous chances and were rewarded when Gregor Mills
scored to tie the game at 1-1 in the last minutes of the first period. There was still time for a goal, as Josh Adkins scored for the Knights to make it 2-1
With an early powerplay, the Sharks attempted to put the Knights’ net and Sam Gospel under pressure, but Gospel held his own and maintained the lead for the team. Finn Bradon scored the goal to bring the score to 3-1 for the Knights.
The Sharks went on the penalty kill and stayed strong, putting bodies on the line, but it was the Knights who got the fourth goal, with Mac Howlett scoring on the power play.
With the Sharks trailing by three goals, a beautiful pass found Captain Struan Tonnar, whose shot was saved and he followed his shot and touched it in to get the second goal for the Sharks.
With just seconds remaining in the second period, Nolan Gardiner scored the third goal of the contest, with help from Craig Peacock and John Dunbar, to bring the score to one heading into the third.
The Sharks started brightly in the third period but couldn’t get that equaliser goal and it was Knights with Adkins, Barron and Brown to score the next three goals to make it 7-3.
Sharks Forward John Dunbar said after this weekend’s games “We were hoping to gain some momentum from our 4-point weekend but weren’t successful in doing that.
It seems we constantly take one step forward and three steps back. Consistency is a big issue for us at this point. Although there is plenty of hockey to be played this season, we need to have some urgency in correcting our mistakes”.
The Sharks will return to the Dumfries Ice Bowl this Saturday, October 28th, at 6pm, with doors opening at 4.30pm, so buy your tickets now as they face the Hull Seahawks. Tickets can be purchased online at http://sharksihc.com/tickets/.
