The Oakbank Services sponsored Solway Sharks Juniors U16s team took to their home ice on Sunday against their rivals from Dundee. Having had a big gap in fixtures recently the U16s are now facing a steady stream of upcoming games.
The young Sharks hit the ice at a fair pelt, and went straight into a fast-tempo game with captain Lewis Houston opening the scoring after 3 minutes with a fine solo effort. Solway were constantly on the attack, with shot after shot being saved by Dundee netminder Dale Shearer, who proved to be on his usual blistering form – his skill between the pipes was the only thing that saw the score stay static until the end of the first period. After a quick drink it was straight back into the game at the former rapid pace, and Houston combined with Liam Stenton to score Solway’s second straight from the face-off. More ferocious play followed, again Solway making the most chances and having almost all of the shots, but still they were thwarted by Shearer in the Dundee net at every turn. Towards the end of the period Solway legs started to tire, and Dundee took maximum advantage, scoring 2 goals in quick succession in the last 3 minutes of the period.
The frantic tempo didn’t diminish in the third period, and as Solway tired Dundee struck again, putting them a goal ahead. The Sharks dug deep, and despite numerous attacks and ever more shots they couldn’t find a way past the tireless Shearer to reply. With time running out coach Kerr pulled Solway netminder Leuvennink in favour of an extra skater, only for Dundee to win possession and score into the empty net. The game finished 4 – 2 in Dundee’s favour. Scott McCutcheon was justly awarded man of the match for his efforts.
After the game Solway coach Jamie Kerr commented, “Despite the loss, we came up against a spectacular display of goal-tending from young Dale Shearer in the Dundee goal. He will single-handedly win that team valuable points, and he was the one Dundee player that dismissed our dominance in possession and shots on goal superiority. I can’t really complain about our performance as a team – for our size of squad, you can only play better than your opponent for the most part of the match.”
The youngest Sharks, the SK Joinery sponsored under 12s, had an exciting and busy weekend, starting with a trip to Belfast on Saturday to play the Junior Giants. The Under 12s are a young team, and every game is a learning experience for the players, including the journey across the Irish Sea. Despite leaving the Ice Bowl at an ungodly hour, the youngsters found the energy to put on a faultless display, with a great team performance that saw them end up 13-8 victors in a tightly contested game. There were 3 goals from captain Lewis Gibson, 3 from Cameron Stevenson, 2 each from Niall Duignan, Bailey Thomson, and Scott Kirkpatrick, and one from Ewan Duignan. There were assists from Gibson, Kirkpatrick, Niall Duignan, and Finlay Smeaton. Young Braiden Howat delivered his now-usual stalwart performance in goal.
Sunday evening saw a change in pace as league-leaders Kilmarnock came to Dumfries ice bowl. The young sharks battled hard against bigger and more numerous opponents, doing their best to fight
against a fast attacking force and a barrage of shots. There were Solway goals from Niall Duignan, Lewis Gibson, and Scott Kirkpatrick, and assists from Ewan Duignan and Tomas Vyrostek, but despite the best efforts of everyone on the ice, the team were defeated.
Coach Craig Jackson said, “It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for us. We travelled to Belfast on Saturday for what we hoped would be a valuable two points, the team didn’t disappoint and took control of a tight first two periods to run out eventual winners. The team showed great spirit and determination to pick up the points. Sunday saw us play Kilmarnock back in Dumfries. Current league leaders Kilmarnock took control of the game early on and made it very difficult for us to get into the game. As the match progressed we were gradually able to get into the game and started creating chances and picking up a few goals. The man of the match awards over the weekend were picked up by Jackson Collett in Belfast and Lewis Gibson back in Dumfries.”
Want to try the fasted team sport in the world? Solway Sharks Junior Ice Hockey Club in recent years have produced (per head) the highest percentage of national team players in the country. In order to maintain or even enhance this quality, the Sharks are seeking new potential talents. In order to try the fastest team sport in the planet, kids should attend Dumfries Ice Bowl (Tel: 01387 251300) and gain a basic grasp of ice skating at either public skating sessions or SkateUK lessons. This should take very little time before you can then come and try ice hockey at our Learn to Play sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4-5pm. Once hockey fundamentals are developed, you will be invited to join your age appropriate squad (u10, u12, u14, u16, u20) to progress your game further and push for a place in the team. Becoming a junior Shark offers many benefits so come give it a go!
