Whitley head into the weekend with a strong roster of players for player/coach David Longstaff to choose from. Warriors travel to Shropshire to face the Telford NIHL Tigers on Saturday evening before a home match up against the Solihull Barons on Sunday night at Hillheads.
The only senior player missing from the Warriors line up this weekend is the experienced forward Dean Holland who is unfortunately out of action with a long term injury. Whitley will be looking to keep their unbeaten start to the season going as David Longstaff’s side look to add to the 4 victories they have already picked up in all games this term.
Warriors last trip to Telford saw Whitley draw 5-5 with the Telford Titans the previous NIHL side from the town back in the 2013/14 campaign. Since then Telford have rebranded themselves as the Telford NIHL Tigers effectively the junior team of the senior Telford Tigers outfit owned by the wealthy businessman Wayne Scholes who operate in the English Premier League.
This move has led to the NIHL Tigers being able to acquire a number of promising young players who are hoping to break into the senior Tigers side including teenage forward Macaulay Heywood who picked up 3 points on his first game in NIHL North Division 1 last weekend when Telford took on the Blackburn Hawks. Warriors defence will have to keep a close eye on Haywood and his linemates Adam Taylor and Karol Jets on Saturday evening if Whitley are to come away from their lengthy away trip with a positive result.
Following the match up with Telford Warriors return to the north east to take on the Solihull Barons on Sunday evening on home ice. Whitley got the better of the Barons by 6 goals to 2 last weekend in a fixturein the Midlands however Solihull look to be a side who can certainly make their presence felt in NIHL North Division 1 this season as their squad has a number of experienced and talented players who have the necessary skills to succeed to NIHL North Division 1.
Fans are reminded that Sunday’s game gets underway at 5pm with doors opening half an hour earlier at 4.30pm, tickets are priced at £8.50 for adults and £6.50 for juniors while a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) is available for £24. Sunday’s match night programme includes an interview with long serving Warriors DJ Good, hockey quiz, news round ups, statistics and all the usual features you find i Warrriors match night publication. All fans who purchase the programme will also have the opportunity to go out onto the ice and win Sega’s Eastside Hockey Manager if their programme has been signed by one of the Warriors players.