All smiles from Man of the Match Thomas Fraser on his first senior goal
Whitley Warriors worked hard for an 11-4 NIHL North Cup win over Dundee Comets at Hillheads on Sunday evening.
Though missing defencemen Harry Harley and Dan Pye, first choice netminder Richie Lawson and forward Ross Murray, Whitley had a nineteen-man team at their disposal, with Player-Coach David Longstaff fulfilling his role from the bench, as they headed out to face the Comets who had made the trip with thirteen skaters and seventeen-year-old shot stopper Dale Shearer.
The game barely underway, Latvian defenceman Rolands Gritāns picked up a clipping penalty forty two seconds into the first period after uprooting his opponent but the Warriors were not shorthanded for long as Dundee’s Player-Coach John Dolan was sidelined in the second minute for a late hit. Left winger Ben Campbell tried his luck without success, testing Shearer with some long range shots whilst Gritāns also set his sights on goal from the outset, bearing down on Dundee’s net in an effort to cause the visitors some problems. Both teams got the measure of each other in the early stages and when Dolan was sinbinned for a high sticks offence against forward Callum Queenan on 5:29, Whitley were able to get the upper hand; Captain Dean Holland sweeping the puck towards Shearer’s net which was helped on its way by forward Ben Richards before Kyle Ross managed to tap home eighteen seconds into his team’s advantage. Taking heart from their opening goal, the Warriors doubled their lead less than two minutes later as Canadian Phil Edgar picked out fellow forward Jamie Ord who fired past Shearer on 7:46. Thirty three seconds later, Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes thundered a shot at Shearer which trickled under the netminder to give Whitley a three-goal lead. This goal spurred the Comets into action and, after some further attacking play from the Warriors, Dundee broke clear through skilled Player-Coach Dolan who buried his unassisted shot over netminder Jordan Boyle’s left shoulder on 11:39. This gave the visitors the encouragement they required to test Longstaff’s men on a more regular basis which began to take its toll on Whitley, forward Ross Douglass crosschecking Alternate Captain Adam McNicoll who was consequently awarded a penalty shot on 17:58. McNicoll stepped up but his effort was prevented by Boyle’s pad. Relieved, the Warriors headed in with their 3-1 lead intact.
Whitley started the second period in a positive fashion, bagging a fourth goal through stand-in Alternate Captain Callum Watson who flicked the puck over Shearer on 22:26 after Campbell and Queenan fought to scramble their efforts home. The Comets then gained possession in an attempt to trouble Boyle but Whitley scrapped to reclaim the puck in the corners. Ice time was granted to youngster Thomas Fraser, defenceman Gary Walker and forward Niall Ryder who worked hard to maintain possession for the home team. A hooking penalty for McNicoll on 28:42 handed the Warriors a power play and just twelve seconds later, Whitley made it 5-1 as Richards tapped the puck past Shearer with support from Barnes and Gritāns. Despite their four-goal deficit, the Comets showed no signs of giving up and continued to battle for offensive opportunities, Dolan, McNicoll and Czech forward David Pokorný amongst those with the best chances. Eventually, the Comets’ attacking play began to perplex the Warriors as the home team struggled to clear the puck from their defensive zone, allowing McNicoll to take charge to set up fellow forward Garry Simpson on 39:24. Dismayed at conceding in this manner, Whitley were further stunned when Dolan picked out centre Aaron Robertson who tapped the puck past Boyle twenty five seconds later to make it 5-3, giving the Warriors just a two-goal cushion as they filed from the ice at the second interval.
Striving to extend the margin between themselves and their visitors, Whitley sought a goal through Holland who struck the puck at Shearer only to be punished for a tripping offence in the build-up to his attempt on 41:53. Shorthanded, the Warriors conceded sixty one seconds later as left winger Sean Beattie made it 5-4 courtesy of McNicoll and Dolan to add to the fragility of Whitley’s lead. However, just under three minutes later, the tide turned as Beattie boarded ‘D’ man Josh Maddock to pick up a penalty of 2+10. Sixty seconds later, Campbell achieved his first goal of the evening to restore his team’s two-goal lead, the hard work of Edgar and Gritāns paying off in this instance. Moments later, Edgar skilfully steered the puck through Dundee’s defensive zone before unleashing a shot which leapt over Shearer and into the net to make it 7-4, Ord and Holland linking up to find the Canadian. Campbell continued to challenge the Comets’ defence and attempted a slap shot which was prevented by the bar. As Whitley became relentless in the final period, the Warriors switched Boyle for netminder Sam Elsom and Dundee were forced to throw everything into defence which showed as forward Robertson caught Holland in the face to incur a minor for high sticks on 51:01. Just eight seconds before this penalty terminated, Richards made his team’s advantage count, finding time and space to beat Shearer for Whitley’s fourth power play goal of the evening and his second of the night; Ross picking up an assist alongside netminder Elsom who had only been on the ice for one hundred and twelve seconds. Less than two minutes later, Barnes fired to the left of Shearer, making it 9-4 with his second of the game on 54:34 after hard work from Ross and Richards. Thirty two seconds later, Campbell also bagged his second goal of the evening, negotiating a path around Shearer’s net with the Comets in pursuit only to lose his footing but this did not prevent his wraparound which was assisted by Watson and Queenan. With sixteen-year-old forward Fraser still working hard for a goal in the final minutes of the game, Ross took control of the puck and raced down the right wing, easing past Dundee’s defence to cut in front of Shearer’s net before passing to the youngster who achieved a tap-in to collect his first senior goal, sealing Whitley’s 11-4 victory with one second remaining in the game.
Stats
Shots on goal
Warriors: 53
Comets: 33
Points
Warriors:
Ben Richards (2+3), Jordan Barnes (2+1), Ben Campbell (2+1), Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross (1+3), Phil Edgar (1+2), Callum Watson (1+1), Jamie Ord (1+1), Thomas Fraser (1+0), Dean Holland (0+3), Rolands Gritāns (0+3), Callum Queenan (0+2), Sam Elsom (0+1)
Comets:
John Dolan (1+2), Garry Simpson (1+0), Sean Beattie (1+0), Aaron Robertson (1+0), Adam McNicoll (0+2)
Penalty minutes
Warriors: 6
Comets: 20
Man of the Match
Warriors: Thomas Fraser
Comets: Dale Shearer