WILD LADIES TEAM
The Widnes Wild Ladies team play their second home game of the new WNIHL Div 2 North season this Sunday 30th October when they take on the Sheffield Shadows at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.15pm face off.
The Wild women have 1 win from their two games so far and sit in 3rd place in the league table at this early stage of the season. Their opponents on Sunday from Sheffield are a new team at this level and, as such, are a bit of unknown quantity. They have 1 point from their 2 games to date – from a 3-3 draw with fellow newcomers Leeds Roses, after losing their league opener 0-11 to Telford.
Widnes beat last season’s league champions Whitley Bay 9-0 in their last game, although the visitors did have rather a short bench. The Wild themselves were league champions the last time that they played at this level in 2019/20 so hopes are high for another successful season.
WILD NIHL TEAM
The YKK sponsored Widnes Wild will be keen to get back to winning ways after last weekend’s back to back defeats when they travel to iceSheffield this Saturday 29th October to take on the Sheffield Scimitars, 7.30pm face off.
Games in Sheffield are always highly competitive affairs and the Steel City club has an enviable reputation for developing home-grown players.
Last season, Widnes beat the Scimitars 4 times out of 6 in league and cup games but 2 of those victories came in Over Time, and over the years, Sheffield have been very worthy opponents.
The Wild have played the Scimitars – and their previous incarnation the Senators – 38 times overall, 36 times in the league and twice in play off finals. While Widnes have won both the finals – clinching the Laidler title in 2017 and then the Division 1 National Championship in 2021 – the playing record between the two teams in the league is almost identical.
The cross-Pennine rivals have met 18 times at home and 18 times away and have each won 9 of those games home and away. In fact, the goals scored in league meetings is 152 to 159, narrowly in Sheffield’s favour.
While Widnes have had a slump in results of late, having lost their last three games in a row, Sheffield have had a terrible start to the season. They currently sit bottom of the Moralee Division table with just 1 single point – from a home Over Time Loss to Deeside Dragons – from their 7 games to date.
The game in Sheffield faces off at 7.30pm and anybody who is not able to attend can follow the action via the Wild’s Twitter feed at Twitter.com/WildMatchNight.
The Wild are next at home on Sunday 6th November when they take on Deeside Dragons at Planet Ice Widnes, 5.30pm face off.
The M56 Cup game away to Deeside Dragons – which was originally scheduled for Saturday 5th November - has had to be postponed as the Dragons’ home venue is not available due to a firework display being held on the same day.
WILD JUNIOR ACADEMY
The Wild Academy Junior teams have three matches at the weekend. The Academy Under 14 and Under 18 teams are both at home to Manchester on Saturday 29th October at Planet Ice Widnes – 4.20 and 6pm face off respectively – while the Under 16 team are away to Leeds on Sunday – 5.35pm start.
Admission to all Academy home games at Planet Ice Widnes is free and spectators are encouraged to come along and cheer on the stars of the future.
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