The YKK sponsored Widnes Wild play their first league game of the new season this Sunday 11th September when they make the long journey to the North East to take on Whitley Warriors – 5pm face off.
The Warriors were runners up in the Moralee Division last season and, while Widnes finished in a highly creditable 3rd place, they were a distant 12 points behind them and 18 behind champions Solway Sharks.
Whitley won all 4 league encounters with the Wild last season, although the second home game did go to penalty shots, and they have an all time record of 6 wins from 6 meetings between the two teams.
But previous form can often count for nothing in ice hockey and both teams will have different line ups from last season – so anything could happen in this new season curtain raiser!
Wild player coach Richard Haggar has put together an exciting new look squad with a good blend of youth and experience.
Looking ahead to the new season as a whole, he said:
“The expectations don’t change for us. We want to continue to grow as a D1 team, we are no longer the new boys in the league and we’ve set the bar high after last season.”
“The aim has to be trophies, playoffs and the top of the league is what we aim to achieve and it’s what the fans expect of us too. The team know that and are more than capable of stepping up and delivering but we have to be more consistent this year, work even harder and deliver.”
The following Sunday (18th September), the Wild are away to Nottingham Lions (face off 7.15pm) and then play their first home league game of the season on Sunday 25th September when they take on Whitley at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.
For any Widnes fans who are not going to the Wild game away at Whitley on Sunday, there is still plenty of ice hockey action on show at Planet Ice Widnes over the weekend as the British Para Ice Hockey Play Off will be taking place at the venue.
The top 4 finishing teams in the league will meet in two semi-finals on the Saturday 10th September with league champions Cardiff Huskies playing the Sheffield Steelstings development side starting at 5.30pm and then the Widnes-based Mayhem taking on the league runners up Sheffield Steelkings.
On Sunday, the losers of the two semi finals will meet in the third place decider at 4pm, followed by the play off final between the two winners straight afterwards.
Admission is free for all 4 games.
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