Solway Sharks vs Berkshire Bees 14.12.24
The Dynamic property services Solway Sharks returned back to home ice after a weekend of road games, claiming an emphatic 9-3 goal-fest win over the Berkshire Bees, despite being 2 goals behind in the opening minutes of the game, thanks to a 5-goal performance from Canadian import #43 Nolan Gardiner.
The Sharks lined up with 17+2 as #9 Mason Alderson, #21 Torran Anderson and #68 Callum Boyd all returned back into the squad. Meanwhile, Kieran Hair remained on the injury list whilst #16 Bailey Thomson, #17 Joe Lynch and #55 Owen Rae all iced with their respective 2-way teams. Bees travelled with short numbers of 11+2 giving them an uphill battle from the offset. Netminder #33 Jordan Marr was given the start for Solway whilst #45 Dean Skinns guarded the pipes for Berkshire.
1st period –
Sharks won the initial face-off and controlled the tempo of play early but were pressurised by the Bees. Confusion on the blue line proved costly for Solway as #9 Vanya Antonov fired wide past Marr’s blocker on a breakaway to open the scoring at 5minutes. Sharks then handed Bees a chance to double their lead as #53 Kian Shevlin sat for tripping at 6:34. Seconds later, #19 Will Stead slotted the puck across the line to give Berkshire an early 2-goal advantage at 6:48.
However, Solway answered back quickly through #43 Nolan Gardiner who fired top corner to send the bears flying in Dumfries at 7:36. Nothing could stop Nolan Gardiner as he roofed a one-timer past Skinns just 28 seconds later to equalise after a feed from #5 Olivier Arseneau. Skipper #10 Liam Stenton carried the puck through the zone following the face-off and dragged the puck past the Bees defence to fire a 3rd for Solway at 8:22 – shifting the score in favour to Sharks in just 46 seconds.
The hosts continued to dominate the opening period as the Bees started to tire, but Skinns posted the stops to keep the Sharks at bay momentarily. Sharks doubled their lead over the Bees after #88 Kyle Carruth claimed his 1st goal of the regular season with a one-timer strike via #92 Caly Robertson at 15:04. Solway maintained possession, allowing #68 Callum Boyd to claim a breakaway goal at 17:02 on his return back into the squad, seeing the hosts carry a comfortable 5-2 lead into the middle frame.
2nd period –
Sharks returned for the 2nd period and immediately added a further marker to their tally at 20:46 as #25 Connor Henderson went 5-hole on Skinns to claim his first goal of the season, assisted by #22 John Dunbar. The constant offensive pressure from Solway forced #23 Dominik Gabaj to give up a hooking penalty at 26:43 but a strong PK unit denied Solway on the man advantage.
The hat-trick goal for #43 Nolan Gardiner came at 30:31, rifling a shot past Skinns after just breaking into the zone from the left wing, putting Solway 5 goals clear. However, #19 Will Stead claimed his 2nd of the evening after he slotted the puck into the bottom corner past Marr to reduce the deficit, assisted by #21 Marcel Balaz at 30:52.
Solway returned to the penalty kill at 36:06 as #88 Kyle Carruth was called for slashing, but this was cancelled out at 37:15 after the Bees bench received an unsportsmanlike conduct call. Both sides returned to full strength after defensive plays prevented any additions to the scoreline. The Bees were awarded a chance to add to their tally at 39:46 as #9 Vanya Antonov received a penalty shot, yet Marr made the blocker save to deny the visitors.
3rd period –
Sharks controlled the pace of play from the initial face-off in the final frame, resulting in Berkshire giving up a call at 42:43 on Marcel Balaz for tripping in an attempt to deny Alderson. Seconds later, #43 Nolan Gardiner claimed his 4th of the evening after dragging the puck wide of Skinns on 43 minutes. Sharks returned the favour as #9 Mason Alderson sat 2 minutes for roughing at 45:17, but Bees failed to punish the hosts. However, within the same minute, #9 Alderson returned to the box for boarding, but Solway again killed the infraction.
As the game approached the final 10 minutes of play, #43 Nolan Gardiner fired his 5th goal bar-down past Skinns at 50:55, assisted by #22 John Dunbar and #6 Stuart Kerr to claim his 50th point this season and additionally a natural hat-trick. Bees were given a prolonged powerplay opportunity at 51:30 after #88 Kyle Carruth was called for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct. Another strong defensive performance for the Sharks saw off the double-minor penalties allowing Solway to round off a dominating display with a 9-3 win.
MVPs were awarded to Solway’s #43 after his 5 goals, seeing him return to the top of the NIHL leader board. Meanwhile, #19 Will Stead received the title for Berkshire following his brace.
STATS –
Solway Sharks: Nolan Gardiner 5+0, Connor Henderson 1+1, Liam Stenton 1+0, Kyle Carruth 1+0, Callum Boyd 1+0, John Dunbar 0+4, Liam Danskin 0+2, Olivier Arseneau 0+2, Joey Coulter 0+1, Caly Robertson 0+1, Jordan Marr 0+1, Stuart Kerr 0+1
Berkshire Bees: Will Stead 2+0, Vanya Antonov 1+0, Marcel Baláž 0+2, Dominik Gabaj 0+2
Solway Sharks vs Berkshire Bees 15.12.24
The Dynamic property services Solway Sharks completed their double header weekend in the Shark Tank against the Berkshire Bees with a 6-3 win to secure a 4-point weekend, pushing them 4 points clear of Telford Tigers.
Solway lined up with a squad of 18+2, as #55 Owen Rae iced his first game after injury for the Sharks, alongside fellow 2-way forward #16 Bailey Thomson. Meanwhile, #53 Kian Shevlin and #17 Joe Lynch were unavailable, and #15 Kieran Hair still remained out through injury. Bees retained the same depleted squad from the previous evening and opted for netminder #45 Dean Skinns once again, whilst #30 Calum Hepburn started his 3rd game of the season for Solway.
1st period –
Solway immediately looked to continue their dominating performance over the Bees from the previous evening after the initial puck drop through the first line of Dunbar, Gardiner and Henderson. However, it was #92 Caly Robertson who opened the scoring at 6:50 with a tight angled shot, assisted by #63 Joe Coulter. The Bees searched for a way to quickly answer back but were denied after a series of stops by #30 Calum Hepburn.
Sharks doubled their lead at 12:43 after #88 Kyle Carruth claimed his 2nd goal of the weekend with a one-timer from point, following the feed from #9 Mason Alderson. The hosts maintained momentum, allowing #43 Nolan Gardiner to extend the lead at 15:28 with a tip from #49 Liam Danskin’s blue line strike.
Berkshire worked their chances well following the 3rd goal, allowing #19 Will Stead to tip the puck high over Hepburn after #15 Ty Cathcart’s initial shot. Solway put their PK unit to use first after #12 Kell Beattie was called for holding at 19:03, but the score remained 3-1 in favour to Solway after the opening 20 minutes.
2nd period –
Sharks successfully killed off the remainder of Beattie’s penalty and quickly looked to add to their tally, but the Bees defence kept the offence at bay momentarily. A pressurising play from the 2nd line resulted in #14 Lewis Young firing a one-timer over Skinns following the set-up by #9 Mason Alderson at 26:23. Bees then gave away an opportunity for Sharks to claim a 2nd goal in quick succession as #19 Will Stead sat for slashing at 27:21 but Skinns made the stops.
The hosts continued to dominate puck possession, but Berkshire held strong to deny Solway’s efforts. A shift in momentum saw #19 Will Stead fire from point to reduce the deficit back to 2 at 38:42, assisted by fellow import #9 Vanya Antonov which posted the score at 4-2 after 40 minutes of play.
3rd period –
Solway returned for the final frame with a point to prove, seeing #43 Nolan Gardiner slot home the rebound for Sharks, following the initial strike from #22 Dunbar just 12 seconds into the period to reclaim a 3-goal lead. Berkshire created multiple chances of their own, but Hepburn matched their efforts to retain Solway’s current lead. Canadian import #43 Nolan Gardiner claimed his 2nd hat-trick of the weekend after volleying his initial rebound past Skinns from close range at 48:02, assisted by #12 Kell Beattie.
Berkshire’s sole scorer #19 Will Stead was called for hooking at 50:42 which the visitors managed to kill off and were then returned the favour as #16 Bailey Thomson received a tripping call at 54:59. Bees punished the Sharks for their slip in discipline as Stead slotted his hat-trick goal past Hepburn on the PP at 55:36. Solway were eager to cancel out the late marker from Berkshire yet the final buzzer sounded a 6-3 victory for the hosts, resulting in a 4 point weekend for the Sharks.
MVPs were awarded to the same players as the evening prior – #43 Nolan Gardiner and #19 Will Stead after they both contributed hat-tricks to their respective sides.
STATS –
Solway Sharks: Nolan Gardiner 3+0, Caly Robertson 1+0, Kyle Carruth 1+0, Lewis Young 1+0, John Dunbar 0+3, Mason Alderson 0+2, Kell Beattie 0+2, Joe Coulter 0+1, Liam Danskin 0+1, Olivier Arseneau 0+1
Berkshire Bees: Will Stead 3+0, Vanya Antonov 0+2, Ty Cathcart 0+1, Marcel Balaz 0+1, Dominik Gabaj 0+1
Canadian import forward, Nolan Gardiner had this to say regarding the weekends results,
“It was great to get a four-point weekend. The fans and atmosphere were great at the Shark Tank. We will look to carry this momentum into next weekend and continue climbing up the table.”
The Dynamic Property Services-sponsored Solway Sharks return to home ice on Saturday, December 21st, as they take on the Hull Seahawks. This exciting match will see the Sharks sporting their special Christmas jerseys, adding a festive touch to the action.
After the game, fans will have the opportunity to take home one of these unique jerseys during a live auction in Sharky’s Bar. Bidding is already open—simply email the club at [email protected] to place your bid. In a meaningful gesture, all proceeds from #49 Liam Danskin’s jersey will be donated to Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland, so don’t miss the chance to contribute to this important cause. Doors open at 5:30 PM, with face-off set for 7:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased online at sharksihc.com/tickets or in person at the Dumfries Ice Bowl. We can’t wait to see you there—come out, cheer on the Sharks, and enjoy a fantastic evening of hockey and holiday fun!
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