The Jardine Motors sponsored Solway Sharks under 20s team travelled to Auchenharvie on Saturday night to take on their rivals from North Ayrshire.
Solway were first onto the scoreboard, Ben Coughtrie scoring from the blue line with a powerplay goal on 3:27, assists coming from Luke Houston and Liam Stenton. Despite dominating the game and making most of the play it took until 10:24 for Solway to find the net again – Houston the scorer this time with a powerful slapshot goal, the pass coming from Kieran Hair. Solway happily passed the puck around until the end of the period, and the score remained static at 2 – 0.
The Sharks control continued into the second period, with Liam Stenton next on the scoresheet, following some nice passing play from Hair and Lewis Houston. More end-to-end play continued, before another flurry of goalscoring ensued, starting with a fine unassisted goal from Stenton on 31:13. Lewis Houston was next, scoring with a forceful shot from the slot on 31:56, assisted by Hair and big brother Luke. Stenton followed shortly after, scooping up an Evan Chambers shot that was spilled by the keeper and sending it over the keeper on 33:44. 6 goals to nil ahead, the Sharks relaxed and saw the period through to the break.
The final period was taken at a slower pace, Solway happy to sit on their lead and let North Ayrshire bring the play to them. North Ayr scored past a hard-working Lewis Dolan in the Solway net on 47:48, taking advantage of Solway penalties on the powerplay, before Aidan Nicol wrapped up the Solway scoring with a fine strike straight to the back of the net from a Luke Houston pass. The final score was 7-1 Solway, with Aidan Nicol man of the match.
After the game coach Craig Jackson commented, “The game got off to a fast and physical start which suited us quite well, we took advantage of North Ayr’s ill discipline and went in at the end of the 1st 2 up through two power play goals. The second period saw us taking total control of the game, scoring 4 unanswered goals. The team’s movement, passing and team spirit during this period was excellent and just what we had spoken about during the break.
The third period saw North Ayr picking up their only goal of the game. Unfortunately during the third we stopped playing our game and let the ill discipline of North Ayr rub off on us, but a late goal from Aidan Nicol made sure we did not lose any period during this game.
We played well for 45 mins today and showed that there is still room for improvement, especially in seeing games out. We remain top of the Scottish u20’s league and hope to maintain the current run of form we are on.”
Anyone interested in playing ice hockey should contact Dumfries Ice Bowl on 01387 251300 for details of learn to play sessions. Come along and try the fastest team sport in the world!
