Swindon Wildcats vs Solway Sharks 08.02.25
The Dynamic property services Solway Sharks travelled South to face the Swindon Wildcats in their penultimate road game before returning back home, taking a bitter defeat on the wrong end of a narrow 6-5 score line.
Solway travelled with 16+2, unchanged from their previous game against the Romford Raiders, still missing all 2-way agreement players and injured forward #15 Kieran Hair from the line-up. Meanwhile, the Wildcats iced a squad of 18+2 as #41 Vanya Antonov made his first appearance against the Sharks in a Swindon jersey. Solway opted for #30 Calum Hepburn, giving regular starter #33 Jordan Marr a rest on the bench. However, his younger brother #30 Renny Marr guarded the pipes for Swindon.
1st period – (1-2)
Both sides began their attacks instantly from the initial puck drop, but the netminders reacted well to early pressure. However, Solway’s first line connected inside the opening 5 minutes, allowing #25 Connor Henderson to rifle the puck between Marr’s pad and catcher at 4:48, putting Sharks ahead. Swindon looked to answer back quickly, forcing #30 Calum Hepburn to make multiple saves after shots from #26 Jake Bricknell and #19 Aaron Nell.
The Sharks broke into the Swindon zone once more through #9 Mason Alderson’s solo effort, but his final shot was denied by Marr. Despite the initial block, #89 Scott Henderson picked up the loose change and fed the puck to #10 Liam Stenton who fired top corner at 8:55, taking Sharks 2 goals clear. The visitors maintained momentum and created chances through their third line, yet Marr matched their efforts.
Swindon were handed the first penalty of the evening at 14:29 as #71 Edgars Bebris sat for interference, but they denied Solway extending their lead further. Shortly after the hosts returned to full strength, newly signed #41 Vanya Antonov slotted the rebound of #26 Jake Bricknell’s strike past Hepburn at 17:03, halving the deficit. Player-coach #19 Aaron Nell came close with a wraparound attempt late in the period, but Hepburn made the pad save to retain a 1-2 scoreline after 20 minutes.
2nd period – (3-2)
Sharks landed themselves on their first penalty kill of the evening at 20:59 after #5 Olivier Arseneau was called for delaying the game, which gave Swindon the opportunity to equalise. Despite a strong start, #72 Glenn Billing tucked away the rebound following #73 Ed Bradley’s blue line shot at 22:44 to post the score at 2-2. The Sharks were eager to restore their lead, but Renny Marr closed down the firepower of #43 Nolan Gardiner and #22 John Dunbar with a number of stops.
Nevertheless, Sharks were relentless with their offensive threat and regained the lead thanks to a wraparound from #88 Kyle Carruth at 28:37, after the link-up with linemate #21 Torran Anderson. Just 10 seconds later, after winning the neutral zone face-off, #22 John Dunbar fired top shelf, deking through the Wildcats’ defence, to restore the 2 goal edge for Solway.
However, Solway’s lead was halved once more at 29:48 as player-coach #19 Aaron Nell responded quickly with a wrist shot, assisted by #72 Glenn Billing and #89 Tomasz Malasinski. Sharks were hit with further trouble at 31:27 as #9 Mason Alderson headed to the box for boarding. Solway’s netminder #30 Calum Hepburn made the difference during the player deficit for Solway as they returned to full strength, still ahead by a goal.
Swindon were determined to level the score heading into the final frame and did just so through #89 Tomasz Malasinski as he slotted the puck through the finest of margins at 39:36, tying the score 4-4 after 40 minutes of play.
3rd period – (2-1)
Tensions spilled briefly in the opening minute of the period after #41 Vanya Antonov crashed into Hepburn, looking for any loose change in the crease but quickly simmered once play resumed. Solway’s #9 Mason Alderson came agonisingly close with a solo attempt, forcing #71 Edgars Bebris to give away a hooking penalty at 48:52. However, the Sharks PP unit failed to connect, maintaining a tied scoreline.
Momentum swung in the favour of Swindon after their brief PK stint, resulting in top-points scorer #26 Jake Bricknell adding to his tally at 51:51 to give Swindon the lead for the first time. The Wildcats then doubled their lead through #12 Ryan Wells at 53:43 after firing under Hepburn’s glove. Solway were eager to answer back, leaving their top line out on the ice yet Marr answered all the visitors’ attempts.
Solway fired their 5th goal of the evening at the death after #12 Kell Beattie fired a rocket of a shot past Marr following the backhand feed from #9 Mason Alderson at 59:41 to give Sharks a fighting chance. The visitors threw everything they had at the Swindon net, but Marr held strong in the closing moments to ensure a 6-5 win to the Wildcats.
MVPs were awarded to #9 Mason Alderson after his relentless playmaking pressure. Meanwhile, #12 Ryan Wells claimed the title for Swindon following his game-winning goal.
Bristol Pitbulls vs Solway Sharks 09.02.25
The Dynamic Property Services-sponsored Solway Sharks wrapped up their five-game road trip Sunday evening in Bristol. After a narrow defeat to the Swindon Wildcats, the Sharks were determined to finish their demanding two-week stretch on a high note.
The Sharks struck first just over five minutes in, as Connor Henderson displayed great composure entering the offensive zone before threading a perfect pass to Callum Boyd, who beat Bristol netminder Tommy Nappier cleanly. However, the lead was short-lived as Bari McKenzie capitalised on space in the Sharks’ zone, placing his shot past Jordan Marr to level the score. With under five minutes remaining, the Sharks reclaimed the lead when Kyle Carruth set up Joey Coulter on a 2-on-1, and Coulter made no mistake finishing the play. Tensions flared in the final minute as Lewis Young and Reece Cochrane dropped the gloves in a spirited fight.
Bristol found themselves in penalty trouble early in the second, but despite multiple power plays, the Sharks were unable to capitalise on the Pitbulls’ lack of discipline. Midway through the period, Bristol equalised through a brilliant individual effort from Bayley Harewood. The momentum then shifted as the Pitbulls took the lead on a power-play goal from import forward Mitch Walinski. In the dying moments of the period, Rhys Smetham extended Bristol’s lead to 4-2, giving the home side a two-goal cushion heading into the intermission.
The final frame saw both teams exchanging opportunities, but it was Bristol who struck first, as Walinski netted his second of the night to make it 5-2.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, the Sharks’ persistence paid off. Lewis Young found the back of the net after a slick passing play between Boyd and Mason Alderson. Energized by the goal, the Sharks closed the gap further when Alderson converted on a power play. With under five minutes left, Alderson continued his standout performance, scoring another hard-working goal to tie the game at 5-5. The Sharks’ resilience forced overtime, completing an impressive comeback.
Solway dominated the extra frame, generating high-quality chances through John Dunbar, Nolan Gardiner, and Boyd, but Nappier stood firm in the Pitbulls’ net. In the dying seconds, Stenton and Dunbar had one final 2-on-1 opportunity, but Dunbar couldn’t convert, sending the game to a shootout.
In the penalty shootout, both goaltenders put on a stellar display. Dunbar struck first for the Sharks, but Harewood quickly answered for Bristol. Mason Lipsey then gave the Pitbulls the advantage, only for Dunbar to respond again. Walinski edged Bristol ahead with a precise low glove-side shot, leaving Gardiner in a must-score situation. However, Nappier made the decisive save, securing a thrilling 6-5 victory for the Pitbulls.
John Dunbar earned Man of the Match honours for the Sharks, thanks to his overtime efforts and shootout heroics, while Cam Hamill took the award for Bristol for his relentless, high-energy play.
The Sharks now return to home ice this weekend, hosting the Hull Seahawks on Saturday, February 15th. Doors open at 5:30 pm for a 7:00 pm face-off. The game will be extra special as the Sharks take the ice in their Valentine’s Day-themed jerseys. After the match, fans are invited to Sharky’s Bar for a live auction to bid on their favourite player’s specialty jersey.
