Solway Sharks vs Telford Tigers 28.09.24
The Solway Sharks faced Telford Tigers back in the Shark Tank following 2 road games, claiming a dominant 9-3 victory over the visitors after a goal-less opening period.
The Sharks lined up with the addition of #88 Kyle Carruth from the previous weekend, whilst #15 Kieran Hair, #16 Bailey Thomson and #55 Owen Rae remained on the injury list. Solway opted for #33 Jordan Marr between the pipes once more, meanwhile #30 Brad Day was given the start for Telford.
1st period –
The Sharks dominated from the opening face-off through the first line of Gardiner, Dunbar and Robertson, but failed to take advantage early. Telford’s #13 Harry Ferguson picked up the first penalty of the evening for holding at 6:10 however Day put in a defensive shift to deny the Sharks. Despite both sides battling for puck possession during the first period, neither team managed to break away and find the back of the net.
The Tigers were handed a further penalty at 15:16 as #6 Noah Kaariainen sat for delay of game, which was later matched by #12 Kell Beattie at 17:54 but neither team could capitalise, posting the score level at 0-0 after 20 minutes.
2nd period –
The Sharks were hungry to claim the opening goal and did so at 21:55 after #9 Mason Alderson fired the puck top-shelf between his legs, assisted by #14 Lewis Young. Solway maintained a strong offensive pressure and doubled their lead through a slapshot by #49 Liam Danskin on the blue line at 24:13.
Telford were then handed a chance at 26:17 as Sharks were called for too-many players after a mis-communication on the bench. Just 7 seconds later, #77 Scott McKenzie reduced the deficit to 1 for the Tigers on the power-play.
Solway applied pressure once again in the offensive zone, causing the Tigers to give away the possession to #22 John Dunbar who squeezed the puck between the near post and Day at 30:38 to post the score at 3-1.
The hosts then landed themselves with a 5 on 3 PK following slashing and interference calls on #10 Liam Stenton and #9 Mason Alderson respectively at 32:53. The hosts were clinical once more on the man advantage as #94 Vladimir Luka fired the puck past Marr assisted by #77 Scott McKenzie and #28 Devon Skoleski at 33:28.
However, the Sharks quickly answered back as #27 Callum Boyd claimed his first of the season at 35:20 through #9 Mason Alderson despite being short-handed. The Sharks remained on the PK on 36:00 as #88 Kyle Carruth was called for interference. Boyd claimed his 2nd point in as many minutes after he fed #12 Kell Beattie on the breakaway to fire wide of Day, giving the Sharks a 3 goal edge.
Solway were on fire as Captain #10 Liam Stenton led by example and fired top-shelf past Day, again on the penalty kill, giving the Sharks a 6-2 lead heading into the final period.
3rd period –
Telford failed to find a way to claw back the score early in the 3rd period which allowed Solway to control the tempo of the game. The Sharks added another to their total at 44:54 after Scott Henderson pinged the puck into the net. However, the Tigers clawed one back through #28 Devon Skoleski at 47:33 assisted by #8 Jake Price and #77 Scott McKenzie, leaving the score at 7-3 heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Sharks quickly turned the tide as #92 Caly Robertson found the back of the net at 48:49. The hosts dominated possession, causing #13 Harry Ferguson to pick up a tripping penalty at 55:15, handing the Sharks a final advantage. The final goal of the game came from Nolan Gardiner at 57:05, firing top shelf over Bloor, featuring an assist by netminder #33 Jordan Marr.
MVPs were awarded to opening goal scorer, #9 Mason Alderson for the Sharks. Meanwhile, #77 Scott McKenzie claimed the award for the Tigers after his 2 assists and goal for the Tigers.
Solway Sharks vs Milton Keynes Lightning
29.09.2024
The Dynamic Property Services sponsored Solway Sharks hit the road Sunday morning to face-off against the Milton Keynes Lighting in cup action. This match marked the first meeting between the two clubs this season.
The first period started off with both teams trading a handful chances as the Sharks shook off their bus legs. Both Caly Robertson and John Dunbar were denied by posts and were left unable to capitalise. Joe Coulter took advantage of a turnover and went one on one with MK netminder, Jordan Hedley but was denied. Despite the high-quality opportunities by the Sharks it was the Lightning that struck first in the final minute of the first period with a Ben Solder point shot finding the back of the net.
The lightning continued their momentum into the second period when Ross Venus was able to fire a shot into the top corner to extend their lead to 2-0. However, the Sharks would get on the board during a penalty kill when some good work from Nolan Gardiner and Torran Anderson helped Liam Stenton find himself in an ideal scoring opportunity, the Sharks captain fired home a shorthanded marker to cut the deficit to one goal. The period would end with the score line 2-1 in favour of the home side.
With it all to play for in the third, the Sharks were prepared for a big push from the lightning. MK delivered two quick goals early in the period through Tim Wallace and Toms Rutkis. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the game the Sharks were awarded a 5 on 3 power play. Nolan Gardiner and Olivier Arseneau exchanged passes before finding John Dunbar down low who made no mistake firing a shot over the blocker side of Hedley. Starting to gain some momentum, the Sharks would then score again after some nice work from Scott Henderson resulted in a great shot from Lewis Young that resulted in a goal. Despite the big push from the Sharks, a string of avoidable mistakes saw the MK Lightning score 3 quick goals in the final 4 minutes of action. Final score 7-3 in favour of the home side.
MVPs – Solway Sharks John Dunbar, MK Lightning Ross Venus.
The Sharks will return to home ice on Sunday October 13th when they welcome the Sheffield Steeldogs to the Shark Tank. Doors open at 3:30, and puck drop is at 5:00 pm. Don’t miss any of the action by securing your tickets today either via the clubs website, https://sharksihc.com/tickets/, or in person at the Dumfries Ice Bowl.
