DJ Good and Cale Tanaka. Photo by IceHockeyMedia
Whitley Warriors endured their fourth consecutive league defeat with a 9-4 loss to Solway Sharks at Hillheads on Sunday.
Heading out onto the ice, the Warriors found themselves with eighteen skaters at their disposal, the side missing defencemen Ross Connolly and Craig Johnson further to forwards Anthony Wetherell, Ross Douglass and Martin Crammond. Meanwhile, the Sharks cut a strong outfit as they made the trip with new signings Richard Bentham, Lewis Baldwin, Cale Tanaka and Peter Gápa in their ranks, although blue liner Josh Grieveson and forward Connor Henderson were both absent through injury.
Hitting Solway with their fast pace, the Warriors sought to attack from the outset as forwards Ben Campbell, Shaun Kippin and Captain Dean Holland worked the puck quickly through the Sharks’ defence to test Kyle Johnston in the opening minutes of the first period. Taking back possession in an effort to bring shot stopper Richie Lawson into the game, the Sharks piled on the pressure and it began to show when Whitley’s Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes made way for high sticks on 3:11 to allow the visitors a power play. Forcing the Warriors back into their defensive zone, Solway tried to break the deadlock and, though unable to do so, the side were handed another power play just four seconds after the home team returned to full strength; Holland sidelined after tripping the Shark who intercepted the pass he was ready to receive. Though this power play was enhanced just over a minute later when defenceman Josh Maddock incurred a boarding penalty of 2+10 to allow Solway a 5-on-3 advantage, the Warriors absorbed Solway’s shots and impeded their visitors’ creativity to appear unbreakable on the penalty kill.
Encouraged by their work when shorthanded, Whitley’s return to full strength saw the side strive for a goal and the Warriors frequently burst into the Sharks’ defensive zone only to be met with resolute defending from the Dumfries outfit who played Captain Struan Tonnar on the blue line due to Grieveson’s absence. Seemingly drawn into a physical game, both teams put in some gruelling shifts and a convincing hit from Holland against ‘D’ man Stuart Kerr was just one example of forceful play in the first period. Taking control following some positive spells from the Warriors, Solway felt they had opened the scoring when the puck worked its way beyond Lawson but, deemed to have been kicked into the net, the goal was ruled out. Taking heart from this, Whitley turned on the trickery as Campbell outwitted his opponents with speed and skill and, though failing to make it count in this instance, his effort provided his team with enough belief to take the lead as Barnes scored his first goal of the season on 16:22 when he fired home a pass from Kippin; Player-Coach David Longstaff also picking up an assist in the process. Aiming to respond to this goal, the Sharks’ attempts at an equaliser were undone when Whitley doubled their lead with eleven seconds of the first period remaining, this time Campbell receiving a pass from Alternate Captain Sam Zajac before rushing down the left wing and zipping the puck goalwards to be turned in by long-serving forward DJ Good.
Returning to the ice with a two-goal deficit, the Sharks were presented with the perfect opportunity to get back into the game when Holland was sinbinned for a high sticks offence against Solway’s Alternate Captain Ross Murray on 21:04. Improving on earlier power plays, the visitors punished Holland’s misdemeanour just twenty seconds later when Bentham beat Lawson following quick play between Slovakian left winger Gápa and forward Joe Coulter. Disappointed by this turn of events, Kippin immediately sought to widen the margin to 3-1 and rocketed the puck beyond Johnston fifty four seconds later as Zajac assisted for a second time in the encounter. It was not long after this goal that the pivotal moment of the game arose when a hit from Tonnar against Warriors’ ‘D’ man Josh Maddock saw the captain evade punishment whilst Whitley’s forward Callum Watson was instead shown to the sin bin for interference, causing the Warriors to feel somewhat incensed by this decision. Twenty nine seconds later, the home team were reduced to three men as Longstaff served two minutes for charging. Initially unable to capitalise during their 5-on-3 advantage, Solway seized their second power play goal of the evening shortly after Whitley returned to four men, Bentham notching his second of the game, although assist Lewis Baldwin was credited with the goal.
The power beginning to shift in this period, the Sharks showed themselves to be an increasing threat whilst the hardworking Warriors struggled to convert their chances. As such, it was a great disappointment to the home team when the Sharks levelled the scoring on 30:59, Murray playing the puck out to sixteen-year-old blue liner Liam Stenton who unleashed a long range shot which trickled beneath Lawson to make it 3-3. Enjoying much possession on the back of this goal, Solway continued to find themselves with enough space to carve their way through Whitley’s defence and it proved effective, forward Iain Bowie guiding the puck into the net less than two minutes later before Bentham went bar down to achieve his hat trick with assistance from young forward Lewis Houston. The score line 5-3 in favour of the Sharks, the Warriors were pleased to see Murray sinbinned for high sticks on 34:14 which was quickly followed up with a tripping penalty for Gápa. Placed on a 5-on-3 power play, Whitley sought to recover lost ground but just five seconds after Murray’s return to the ice, Martin Grubb’s men snatched a shorthanded goal when Baldwin’s unassisted shot beat Lawson on 36:19. This goal prompting a change of netminder for the Warriors, backup shot stopper Mark Turnbull took Lawson’s place between the pipes and he watched on as winger Adam Perrie slipped past Solway’s defence on the power play to hurtle the puck into the net unassisted, taking the tally to 6-4. Peppering Whitley’s net in the aftermath, the Sharks inspired a heroic defensive effort from Zajac which saw the experienced blue liner forced off the ice through injury. Digging in before the break, the Warriors made it to the second interval without conceding further but it was becoming clear that the game was now Solway’s to lose.
Attempting rapid play as they faced off in the final stanza, the Warriors’ speed diminished when Watson was sidelined for slashing to allow Solway the additional skater. Increasing his team’s lead to 7-4, Bentham netted his fourth of the evening when he was helped onto the scoresheet by Gápa with just four seconds of Whitley’s penalty kill remaining. Struggling to increase their intensity levels to combat the Sharks’ offensive prowess, the Warriors found that their opposition dominated the final period and an eighth goal knocked past Turnbull on 46:05 showed that Solway were very much in control. Striving to cut a path through the Sharks’ defensive zone, Campbell repeatedly set his sights on Johnston’s net but Solway were quick to put a stop to any chances which fell to the left winger. Rounding off the scoring seven seconds before the halfway point of the period, Bentham tallied his fifth goal to make it 9-4, this time Sharks’ blue liner Kyle Horne playing the puck to fellow defenceman Ben Coughtrie who also bagged an assist. This goal brought about the return of netminder Lawson who took the place of his predecessor shortly before Solway’s experienced defenceman James Hutchinson picked up a minor penalty for interference. Although Whitley could not make their extra man count, the side were handed another advantage just ten seconds after Hutchinson’s return when ‘D’ man Baldwin was punished for roughing. Despite this opportunity, the five-goal margin appeared to weigh heavy on the Warriors’ shoulders and their pace was notably slower in the third period to remove any possibility of a comeback. Defeated, Whitley waited for the final buzzer to bring an end to another incredibly challenging contest whilst Solway were able to celebrate their conclusive 9-4 victory at Hillheads.
Stats
Shots on goal
Warriors: 32
Sharks: 54
Points
Warriors:
Shaun Kippin (1+1), DJ Good (1+0), Adam Perrie (1+0), Jordan Barnes (1+0), Sam Zajac (0+2), David Longstaff (0+1), Ben Campbell (0+1)
Sharks:
Richard Bentham (5+2), Peter Gápa (1+2), Iain Bowie (1+1), Liam Stenton (1+0), Lewis Baldwin (1+0), Ben Coughtrie (0+1), Lewis Houston (0+1), Joe Coulter (0+1), Kyle Horne (0+1), Struan Tonnar (0+1), Ross Murray (0+1)
Penalty minutes
Warriors: 24
Sharks: 8
Man of the Match
Warriors: Adam Perrie
Sharks: Richard Bentham
Officials
Referee: Robin Elliot
Linesman: Stuart Steele
Linesman: Lewis Dolan