Phil Edgar & Dean Holland celebrate. Photo by IceHockeyMedia.
Whitley Warriors got back to winning ways with a four point weekend. A 10-2 victory at Deeside on Saturday was followed up with a 6-1 success at home to Widnes as the side’s offense exploded for sixteen goals across the two games.
The team travelled to Queensferry without forwards Jamie Ord, Shaun Kippin, Ross Douglass, Kyle Ross and Thomas Fraser while injured defenceman Liam Smedley also missed out. Dean Bowater got the start in goal with Josh Crane returning to back him up.
Phil Edgar recorded a double hat-trick as part of an eight-point night while Dean Holland claimed eight assists. They were joined on the top line by defenceman Connor Lewis who also scored twice as part of his four points in the game. In all, five separate players recorded a multiple point night.
Warriors were quickly ahead when Dean Holland found Phil Edgar for the opening goal just 23 seconds in. But having given up that early strike Deeside restricted their opponents from adding to their lead until late in the period, Anth Wetherell eventually doubling his team’s tally when scoring at 17:57 from Harry Harley and Lewis Crisp.
Whitley gave themselves a commanding lead late in the second period though, Phil Edgar scoring his second of the night just before the mid-point in the game after combining with both Dean Holland and Connor Lewis on his forward line. Then, less than two minutes later, that same trio linked up well again, this time the youngster Lewis, who was switched from his usual position on the blue line to that of right wing, found the net.
Late in the period the Whitley top line made it 5-0 when Edgar notched his hat trick marker from Holland’s pass before a minute later all three combined again for the Canadian’s fourth of the night.
Whitley were very much in control as they entered the third period. Rihards Grigors made it 7-0 from a Lewis Crisp pass, then eight seconds later Connor Lewis got his second of the night after Edgar and Holland combined to set him up.
With the score now 8-0 and with twelve minutes remaining, Deeside called a timeout. While Matt Croyle was chased from the game, having conceded eight goals off 29 shots, Phillip Pearson came in as relief.
The change in goaltender certainly proved to be the catalyst in Deeside grabbing a couple of goals back shortly after, Ross Kennedy and James Parsons assisting on each other’s efforts ten seconds apart to cut the lead back to a six goal margin.
Adam Wood was called for interference at 52:02 giving the Dragons an opportunity to get another one back. However it presented an opportunity for Edgar to claim a shorthanded goal off Holland’s pass then with three and a half minutes remaining the Kitchener, Ontario native claimed his second hat trick of the night from Harry Harley and Holland again.
Stats
Shots
Warriors: 42
Dragons: 20
Scorers
Warriors: Phil Edgar 6+2, Connor Lewis 2+2, Anthony Wetherell 1+0, Rihards Grigors 1+0, Dean Holland 0+8, Lewis Crisp 0+2, Harry Harley 0+2.
Dragons: James Parsons 1+1, Ross Kennedy 1+1, Christopher Jones 0+1.
PIMs
Warriors: 8
Dragons: 8
Man of the Match
Warriors: Connor Lewis
Dragons: Chris Jones
The following night Whitley Warriors returned to home ice with Ross Douglass and Kyle Ross added to their line-up. They took on a tough Widnes Wild team that changed coach during the week, Richard Haggar having left the club to link up with Hull Jets in NIHL North 2 and former Solway Sharks forward, Joey Coulter taking on the dual role of player-coach.
With the additional players, Whitley were able to ice four forward lines with Phil Edgar having Dean Holland and Connor Lewis on his wings once again. The trio combined for twenty points the night before and would have another productive game against the Wild. The second line saw Kyle Ross with Callum Queenan and Adam Finlinson, while Anth Wetherell had Ross Douglass and Jay Lucas alongside him. Lewis Crisp found him self in a new role, playing at centre on the fourth line with Owen Yarrow and Matthew Betham.
Whitley played with five defencemen: Harry Harley, Adam Wood, Rihard Grigors, Matty McDonald and Lennon Thomas, who all rotated. Dean Bowater started in goal once more.
Warriors picked up where they left off the night before with their top forward line doing the damage once again, and pretty much having the game won by the end of the first period. Widnes ran into early penalty trouble with Callum Ruddick and Rhys Edwards both taking trips to the box, the latter’s hooking call presenting Phil Edgar with the opportunity to open the scoring on the powerplay at 9:16. It was the Canadian’s 34th goal of the season and his 60th point after he turned home Harry Harley’s pass.
Whitley would soon go on a scoring burst when they found the net three times in just 2 minutes 47 seconds of game time. Whitley captain Dean Holland doubled his side’s advantage at 10:58 when converting Harry Harley’s pass for his 50th point of the season. Sixteen seconds later and Connor Lewis made it 3-0, scoring his third goal of the weekend and his fourth in as many games, Edgar and Holland getting the assists.
Holland then completed the scoring burst at 13:45 when he finished Edgar’s pass to make it 4-0. Phil Edgar and Dean Holland now have 114 points between them this season as the duo continue their outstanding form.
Widnes called a time out and that seemed to work with no further goals in the first period.
Things would then get better for the visiting side when they cut the arrears to just three goals, 21 seconds into the middle session. Youngster Rhys Edwards, who scored his first senior goal at Hillheads earlier in the season, scored against Whitley again to make it 4-1.
But Whitley soon bounced back and were making use of all four lines, giving ice time to everyone and keeping fresh legs out on the ice. Their second line in particular were playing some excellent hockey with Kyle Ross, Adam Finlinson and Callum Queenan linking up well.
Despite holding the advantage 12-5 in shots, it wouldn’t be until 37:45 that they would score again, Harry Harley’s long range effort wrong-footing Miles Finney in the Widnes net. Finney, screened by the traffic in front, was powerless to stop the spectacular strike.
The third period would see some great puck possession from Whitley with the side preventing Widnes from leaving their defensive zone. Kyle Ross completed the scoring at 55:12 when he deked past two Wild defencemen to score a great individual strike.
Whilst there were only two further goals added after that explosive opening period, the Warriors put in one of their best performances of the season. They went the whole contest without a single penalty called against them and managed the game well late on to secure another win that keeps their title hopes alive.
Stats
Shots
Warriors: 46
Wild: 19
Scorers
Warriors: Dean Holland 2+2, Phil Edgar 1+2, Harry Harley 1+2, Connor Lewis 1+0, Kyle Ross 1+0, Adam Finlinson 0+1, Callum Queenan 0+1, Lennon Thomas 0+1.
Wild: Rhys Edwards 1+0, Joey Coulter 0+1, Matthew Barlow 0+1.
PIMs
Warriors: 0
Wild: 4
Man of the Match
Warriors: Adam Wood
Wild: Miles Finney