This weekend the Solway Sharks, sponsored by Building Craftsmen (Dumfries) Ltd, begin their competitive season with two games in the inaugural English Challenge Cup. This new cup competition features four EPL sides, Manchester Phoenix, Peterborough Phantoms, Sheffield Steeldogs and Telford Tigers and will provide the Sharks with their stiffest ever test. However, this weekend the Sharks will be looking to get the cup competition off to a flying start with fixtures against old rivals Billingham Stars and the Blackburn Hawks. Face-off at Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday evening against Billingham is at the usual time of 7pm and admission charges have been held at last seasons prices. There are limited spaces available for any supporters who would like to travel on the team bus to Blackburn on Sunday and they are advised that the coach will leave the Ice Bowl at 1:30pm sharp and the fare is £10 not including rink entry.
Last Saturday the long summer came to a close for Dumfries ice hockey fans as their favourites, the Solway Sharks, sponsored by Building Craftsmen (Dumfries) Ltd, took to the ice for a pre-season challenge match against a young and eager North Ayrshire Wild. Sprinkled amongst the visiting youngsters were a number of well-known faces from the Scottish National League and Sharks “old boy” Alan Gibson. While the Sharks eventually ran out seven-one victors the visitors acquitted themselves well and gave the local side a good work-out.
Solway took the opportunity of introducing a number of junior and SNL players to their ranks for this match together with their summer signings and they all turned in some good performances. However, it was one of the older heads and new club captain, Alan Crane, who opened the scoring in the third minute when he pounced on a loose puck and drilled home his shot from the high slot. While they were often on the back foot the visitors showed a willingness to move forward when the opportunity arose and both Richard Thorp and Alan Gibson forced Sharks keeper Gary Russell into action. Indeed it took Solway until the sixteenth minute to add to their lead when “new boy” Richard Bentham collected an Alan Crane pass and shot low past the visiting netminder.
After the first interval the Sharks returned to the ice in attack mode and within three minutes they had their reward when Struan Tonnar and Aidan Fulton combined to send another “new boy”, Marc Fowley, down the right wing and he duly shot home from the face-off spot. Four minutes later the Speirs boys combined to add to Solway’s tally when Duncan set up younger brother Connor to fire home goal number four. If the supporters expected this to signal an avalanche of goals they were to be disappointed as the Wild regrouped and again held the Dumfries side at bay until the second intermission.
Five minutes into the final period Solway extended their lead once more when Stevie Moore and Aidan Fulton combined to allow Ross Murray to shoot home through a packed Wild rearguard. Two minutes later a Bentham pass allowed Struan Tonnar to cut in from the right and score with an excellent wrist shot from the face-off circle. Again the visitors refused to crumble and duly scored the consolation goal that their efforts deserved when Ian Clark and Chris Underwood combined to allow Alan Gibson to score with a shot from close range that deflected into the net from Kyle Johnston’s pads. Johnston had replaced Russell in the Sharks goal at the second interval and, while he was unlucky to concede this goal, had shown enough to suggest that he is one to watch develop in the juniors. The final word, however, was to be with the Sharks and two minutes from time Iain Bowie netted their seventh and final counter with a strong shot from the slot after good work from Craig Mitchell and Joe Coulter.
This was a good work out for the Sharks but they will know that far stiffer tests lie ahead starting with their final challenge match against Elite League Braehead Clan on Wednesday and in their forthcoming league and cup campaign.
Scoring statistics for the Sharks were as follows: Alan Crane, Struan Tonnar and Richard Bentham all one goal and one assist, Iain Bowie, Marc Fowley, Ross Murray and Connor Speirs all 1+0, Aidan Fulton 0+2, Joe Coulter, Duncan Speirs, Stevie Moore and Craig Mitchell all 0+1. Gary Russell in the Sharks goal saved all thirteen shots that he faced (save percentage 100%) before being replaced for the last twenty minutes by Kyle Johnson who saved seven of the eight shots that he faced (save percentage 87.50%).
