Solway Sharks Junior Ice Hockey Club welcomed near neighbours Kilmarnock, who battled through flood water and high winds, to the shark tank last Sunday.
First on the ice were the Solway U14s, back to game-playing after a long break. The short-benched youngsters were rapidly overcome by a more fluid and hungry Kilmarnock team, and despite Liam Stenton scoring twice, from Joe Little then Donald McCuaig, Solway really had no reply. They were soon swamped, and despite heroic efforts from Joshua Leuvennink in nets, they found themselves on the end of a comprehensive 15 – 2 defeat. Coach Martyn Mitchell said after the game, “We were rusty and lacking game time going up against an on-form Kilmarnock team that are impressing against most teams in the league. Again, a few players controlled the game against us and we had no answer. We have two weeks of hard training ahead, and a different look team will take to the ice in the next game.”
Megan Gourlay, playing her first game ever, was deservedly named player of the game for her sterling effort and several credible attempts on goal.
Next up were the U16s, keen to bounce back after their recent close defeat against Kirkcaldy. Solway were quick off the mark at the first face-off, Lewis Chalmers once again opening the scoring after a mere 9 seconds from Kain Briggs. Kilmarnock were quick to reply, with the equaliser following seconds later, before Lewis Houston put the Sharks back in lead with another, from Charles Leuvennink and Andrew Robb – the crowd eager for more after three goals in the first minute. Young Houston opened the gap further four minutes later, assists coming from Ruairi Lockerbie and Chalmers. Dominating most of the play, Solway stretched their lead to 4-1 when Charles Leuvennink scored just before the period break, assists this time from Houston and Lockerbie.
Solway started the second period rather flat, and struggled to find their rhythm. Kilmarnock took advantage and pulled one back, which roused the Sharks back into action, Aidan Nicol making it 5-2 from a Chalmers pass, quickly followed by Liam Stenton from Chalmers and Briggs. The period ended with Solway 6-2 ahead.
The third period saw more goals, Kilmarnock pulling one back after 3 minutes, making the score 6-3 Solway. Rebekah Scott, who had made numerous saves in goal, made way for Josh Leuvennink, and he found himself under pressure as Kilmarnock decided to test him. Solway soon took the play to the other end of the rink, with Houston completing his hat-trick from a Robb pass, followed by Chalmers scoring his second and Solway’s eighth from Houston and Jack Little. With Leuvennink keeping Kilmarnock at bay the game finished 8-3 to Solway, Andrew Robb justly being named man of the match.
After the game coach Jamie Kerr commented, “It was a frustrating game. The win was nice and credit to Kilmarnock for making it a close scrappy game and preventing us from flowing as well as we can.
I was looking for our guys to outplay them and use our momentum to dominate like we can. We did outplay them but Kilmarnock’s hard work limited our ability to move the puck and play like we can, and had our talented guys knocked well off their stride. The quality got us through though and it’s testament to the lads that we won even when we couldn’t really get going.”
