Warriors 1 game cut short due to ice problems
On Saturday 30th March, our Warriors 1 team welcomed the Halton Huskies of Widnes to Planet Ice, Leeds.
This was Warriors 1’s first game since exiting the ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ Cup and the first time the two teams had met.
In team news, the Warriors were without some key players - Wes Nixon (F), Dylan Noonan (F), Matt Gatenby (F), Nathan Clegg (D) and Ollie Gannon (D). The starting netminder was Ben Briggs with Lewis Pickering as back-up.
1st period
The Huskies started the game with high intensity. The Warriors did their best to match this and had some decent goal-scoring chances, but the visitors netminder was in fine form.
The fast paced Huskies forwards caused multiple 2 on 1 openings which lead to two goals for the visitors inside the first ten minutes.
0-2 Huskies
The Warriors needed to respond before the game ran away from them.
Fortunately for the home team, they got on the board after 15 minutes when Mitch White broke free on the left wing and fed a hard cross-ice pass to Simon Morrow who buried it on the one-timer.
1-2 Huskies
The Warriors were now back in the game. The team rallied and managed to get the equalising goal in the 18th minute, as White scored from a Niks Kamaldins assist. 2-2.
In the 20th minute, the Warriors took the lead for the first time when Kamaldins scored from an Ash Pryce assist.
3-2 Warriors.
But the Huskies continued to look dangerous and within a few seconds of the restart, the Warriors took a minor penalty and the Huskies converted the power-play to bring the game back to being even at 3-3.
What a period.
Warriors 3 Huskies 3
2nd period
Whilst the Warriors were happy to be going into the second period on level terms, they felt they had more to give and should be ahead in the game.
But the Huskies had other ideas. The second period was intense, but also edgy - as no-one wanted to make a mistake in such a tight game.
There were goal-scoring opportunities at both ends but it was a stalemate for a long period. That was until the 29th minute when the Huskies made the breakthrough. Their man of the match, #5 Hrvdovsky scoring the goal.
The Warriors were now chasing the game again. Despite pushing hard, they were unable to get past the Huskies netminder.
Warriors 3 Huskies 4
3rd period
During the interval, the teams retired to the changing rooms while the ice was cleaned.
Unfortunately, due to a technical issue with the Zamboni, the ice was damaged. As a result, the game was abandoned on safety grounds.
Game abandoned
Points scorers:
Niks Kamaldins 1+1
Mitch White 1+1
Simon Morrow 1+0
Ellen Gallimore 0+1
Ash Pryce 0+1
Chris Preston
Warriors’ player of the game
Adam Gibbons
Coach’s player of the game
The Player of the Game for the Warriors, as selected by the Huskies, went to Chris Preston, who worked tirelessly all night. And the Warriors’ helmet went to Adam Gibbons who was a rock in defence.
Thanks to Halton Huskies for an exciting and competitive game.
Hopefully we’ll get to complete all three periods next time we meet!
The next game for Warriors 1 is against Bradford Cannibals on Friday 12th April 2024.
Game details below:
