SOLIHULL Vixens opened their Women’s National Ice Hockey League season with an entertaining 9-5 victory against Guildford Lightning.
The reigning league champions showed their class to overcome last season’s play-off winners despite travelling short on numbers.
And Vixens were dealt a further blow after just 26 seconds when alternate captain Katie Henry pulled up with a torn quad as young defender Faith Laverty played as a makeshift forward.
However, the Solihull club dug deep and took the lead after just four minutes when Jodie Alderson-Smith netted the opening goal of the game.
And Vixens doubled their lead just one minute later through Grace Garbett only for Guildford to strike back from the restart.
Solihull pulled clear of their opponents with two more goals in the first period and a further three in the second with Guildford managing just two goals of their own in reply.
This handed Vixens a healthy 7-3 lead heading into the final period and both teams struck twice more to ensure Solihull came away with a deserved 9-5 success.
Alderson-Smith bagged four goals whilst Garbett netted a hat-trick with Saffron Allen and Paige Dance also on target.
Vixens have a short break until their next fixture at home to Streatham Storm on Saturday, October 8 with the face-off at 6.15pm.
