Autocraft Telford Tigers took the long road trip up to Scotland to take on the Solway Sharks seeking their first league win of the season. After three consecutive defeats the team were desperate to get on the board in the league standings.
Telford had Lucas Price and Ross Connolly unavailable but added Noah Kaariainen to the line up.
A goalless first period saw the teams head to the break level but two minutes into the second period the home side took the lead through Mason Alderson.Two minutes later they doubled the lead when Liam Danskin scored.
Telford were gifted a power play when Solway were caught with too many men on the ice. Tigers took full advantage of the extra attacker when Devon Skoleski found the unmarked Scott McKenzie who fired home. But Solway regained a two goal lead shortly after when John Dunbar beat Brad Day.
Telford hit back with another power play goal. Vladimir Luka smashing home to reduce the deficit. Unfortunately for the traveling fans from Shropshire this was about as good as it got. Solway added a fourth goal from Callum Boyd and then scored a fifth goal whilst shorthanded. Kyle Carruth was sitting an interference penalty but Kell Beattie broke away to score. Things got even worse for the visitors as whilst still on the same power play, Tigers conceded a further short handed goal when Liam Stenton beat Brad Day to give the home side a sixth goal.
At this point Telford changed net minder with Day being replaced by Matty Bloor.
Things didn’t improve in the third period either as Scott Henderson added a seventh goal for the Sharks.
Skoleski pulled a consolation goal back for Telford but the hosts turned the screw in the final minutes with Nolan Gardiner scoring twice to give Solway a thumping victory and send Tigers on the long journey home having lost all four league games so far this season.
Final Score: Solway Sharks 9 Autocraft Telford Tigers 3.
Scorers: Scott McKenzie, Vladimir Luka and Devon Skoleski.
Man of the match: Scott McKenzie.
After the game Head Coach Tom Watkins, commented, “We started the game well and killed two penalties in the first period and then had a foothold in the game. We ended the first period 0-0 and the message I gave to the team during the break was to win your battles, win your races and that it was the one on one situations we had to focus on during the rest of the game.
From that point on I don’t think we won our individual head to heads, we didn’t out play the player opposite us, we played soft, gave no push back at all and had no aggression or physicality. Whatever the situation, first and foremost you have to compete, we have to show more desire to do the ugly things and play harder than the opposition to make a real difference.”
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