(Image permission: IceHockeyMedia)
ENGLAND, UK – Just one point separates the top three sides in Moralee D1 following the latest round of games.
Leaders Telford Tigers lost 10-7 at home to Hull Pirates, but bounced back to record a 5-4 overtime success in the reverse fixture.
Sheffield Steeldogs kept themselves in the mix with a comfortable 9-1 victory at Nottingham Lions.
Solway Sharks picked up four points from their weekend double-header against Billingham Stars, winning 9-4 at home and 9-5 on the road.
DJ Good (3) topped the scoring for Whitley Warriors as they ran out 7-2 winners at Blackburn Hawks.
Widnes Wild remain top of Laidler D2 despite slipping to a disappointing 5-2 defeat at home to Telford Tigers 2 – Filip Supa weighed in with a couple of goals for the visitors.
Hull Jets romped to an 18-1 home victory over Blackburn Hawks 2 and followed up with an 8-5 success at Altrincham Aces.
Bradford Bulldogs are still in the running for a top four finish after securing a 9-3 home win against Deeside Dragons.
PHN’s top two talking points
Warriors building momentum for probable Sharks showdown
Whitley’s 7-2 victory at Blackburn on Sunday was their eighth win in their last 10 matches – impressive stuff by anyone’s standards.
The Warriors have lost just one of their last four games on the road – a big improvement for a side who have traditionally struggled away from home in recent seasons.
The North East outfit are almost guaranteed to face Solway in the quarter-finals of the regional play-offs – those two games should be superb to watch.
Final Four Weekend snub highlights divide
If anyone needed proof that many fans are unhappy with the current structure in UK ice hockey, they need only look at ticket sales for the Final Four Weekend at Coventry.
At the time of writing less than 200 tickets have been purchased in the blocks allocated to the original NIHL clubs.
There are numerous teams with sizeable fanbases amongst that group, yet the majority of their supporters appear apathetic to the concept of enjoying an end-of-season party with fellow ice hockey fans if their own club is not involved.
It’s unlikely that mindset will change anytime soon, particularly if the former EPL clubs continue to dominate the NIHL, highlighting why a revised league structure is needed sooner rather than later.
WEEKEND RESULTS
Moralee D1
Billingham Stars 5-9 Solway Sharks
Blackburn Hawks 2-7 Whitley Warriors
Hull Pirates 4-5 Telford Tigers (OT)
Nottingham Lions 1-9 Sheffield Steeldogs
Solway Sharks 9-4 Billingham Stars
Telford Tigers 7-10 Hull Pirates
Laidler D2
Altrincham Aces 5-8 Hull Jets
Bradford Bulldogs 9-3 Deeside Dragons
Hull Jets 18-1 Blackburn Hawks 2
Widnes Wild 2-5 Telford Tigers 2
THE WEEKEND AHEAD
Three games in four days this week could determine whether Hull remain in the running for the D1 title.
The Pirates host title rivals Sheffield on Thursday, before facing Solway Sharks in a weekend double-header.
There has been little to choose between Hull and Sheffield in their previous league and cup meetings this term, although the Steeldogs have come out on top in the key games.
Hull still have further matches to come against Telford and Sheffield this season, but they can ill-afford any slip-ups during this week’s trio of fixtures.
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