Telford Tigers too loose as they crash to opening defeat

The Tigers were beaten 5-4 by Solway Sharks as they started their NIHL National League campaign at Telford Ice Rink on Sunday night.

Harry Ferguson, Vladimir Luka, Devon Skoleski and Scott McKenzie were all on target for Telford, but they faced more problems going the other way.

Head coach Tom Watkins said: “I don’t think we tilted the ice enough in our favour – we had moments, but didn’t sustain it or have enough quality on the puck throughout the game.

“We came in knowing we were short on the back end with only four defenseman available who I thought put a real solid shift in.

“We have 12 forwards, they have nine and I don’t think we outplayed the guys opposite or out skated them like I would hope. We can’t give up 40-plus shots at home and expect to win games.

“I thought the fans created a good atmosphere and really got behind the guys, which was very noticeable and helped us push hard to find an equaliser but couldn’t force it over the line at the end.”

During the build-up to the game, the club were advised that defenseman Ross Connolly would miss the opening five games of the season after being banned for a check to the head in the final warm-up against Peterborough.

Tigers called up Taylor Stanton and Josef Lauder to the squad to help fill the gap left by Connolly.

The first period saw both teams struggle to maintain possession of the puck and little in the way of chances.

But Tigers were gifted an opportunity in the sixth minute when an errant pass from the Solway defence saw Scott McKenzie intercept the pass and send a cross-ice pass to Ferguson, who swept the puck past Jordan Marr in the Solway goal to open the scoring.

Late in the period Tigers were left short handed when Deakan Fielder and Adam Harding were called for penalties in quick succession, but the Telford penalty kill could not prevent Solway from equalising early in the second period.

Brad Day made two terrific saves and Fielder blocked a goal-bound shot that would have gone in, but the puck broke loose for Solway’s Oliver Arseneau, who shot over Day into the open net.

Shortly after, the visitors were ahead when Mason Alderson skated in on goal and beat Day with a low shot.

Tigers hit back immediately with an equalising goal. Adam Harding’s pass sent Luka on a breakaway and he waited out Marr before beating him with a shot to the netminder’s right-hand side.

Telford restored their lead with a goal from a different import forward. Skoleski fought his way past the Solway defence towards the goal and forced a low shot through Marr and into the net.

At the buzzer to end the second period, a late hit by Solway’s Scott Henderson angered the Tigers players.

Jake Price went after Henderson and received a five-minute penalty and was ejected from the game, while the Solway player was lucky to escape with only a two-minute boarding call.

Tigers were down a defender and facing three minutes of penalty kill time at the start of the third period, during which Arseneau levelled again with a shot from the left circle.

Things got worse two minutes later as Alderson added his second goal of the game with a cool finish after skating past the Tigers’ defence with ease.

Solway then added a fifth goal when a poor defensive turnover led to Nolan Gardiner shooting in off the crossbar.

Tigers pulled a goal back with three minutes to go when a Rhodes Mitchell-King’s shot was tipped by McKenzie into the net.

Telford tried to get the equaliser and pulled Day from the goal for the final minute of the game to add an extra attacker, but could not score and fell to an opening-day defeat.