Telford Tigers top play-off group

The Tigers head into the NIHL Final Four Weekend having topped their group in the play-offs.

They secured that position thanks to goals from Scott McKenzie (two), Vladimir Luka, Fin Howells, Danny Rose and Austin Mitchell-King in a 6-4 triumph over Milton Keynes Lightning.

“It was a good end to our last home game of the season,” said Watkins, who is also general manager of the Tigers. “For us it was important we won so we can go into next week with a positive performance and good habits.

“We seemed to have a lot of offensive zone time but we weren’t creating a lot of quality chances, not getting many pucks through in the first and second periods but I felt in the third period, with some adjustments, we did create the quality and took our chances well.

“I’d like to say a huge thank-you to all our club volunteers who work tirelessly for the club. There are probably around 50 people or more that support the club in different capacities and, as general manager, I know they do a tremendous job. The club simply couldn’t function without that support.”

Telford now face Sheffield Steeldogs in the first semi-final in Coventry on Saturday, while Milton Keynes will play Peterborough Phantoms. The winners of those two matches clash in the final 24 hours later.

But signing off from action in Shropshire for the season, the Tigers faced Milton Keynes without Jack Hopkins, Jonathan Weaver and long term absentee Ross Connolly. The game had an end-of-season feel about it from the start with neither team over committing.

MK opened the scoring when Callum Field tipped the puck past Brad Day, but Tigers turned it around late in the first period courtesy of a double from McKenzie.

The match swung back in the visitors’ favour, only for Luka and Howells to turn it right back for Telford. And they would not concede that advantage as Rose and Mitchell-King netted either side of an MK consolation.