ICE HOCKEY: SOLIHULL Barons came out with a share of the points following a double header weekend against Midlands rivals Telford.
There was just one goal in it on Saturday evening as the Barons ran out 6-5 winners in what was an 11-goal thriller, but Telford got their revenge the following evening by recording a 6-2 win.
On Saturday the Barons travelled the short distance to the Shropshire rink to take on the Tigers in what was a closely fought game.
The visitors took the lead in the first period and from then on they let the home side play catch-up and while they came close the Barons would notch up their first win of 2017.
On Sunday it was the turn of the Tigers to visit Solihull and an entertaining first period promised much but the Barons’ fitness began to tell as the match progressed, with injuries and absentees taking their toll.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring as ex-Baron Karol Jets made the most of a busy crease to slot in from close range on eight minutes.
The Barons continued to press and on 15 minutes Ryan Selwood flicked a pass through the neutral zone to Tom Soar, steaming up the ice to collect the pass cleanly and shoot through from just over the blue line for the equaliser.
The scoring remained level heading to the dressing rooms despite a number of further chances for both sides.
The second again saw the visitors find the net first when Daniel Harrison deflected in a powerplay shot from Callum Bowley.
Three minutes later Tom Soar returned to the scoresheet for the Barons, this time with a close in effort for Solihull’s equaliser.
The remainder of the period was not so good for the Barons as the visitors gradually began to wrest back the puck possession and offensive zone time from the home side.
By the 40 minute mark the score was 4-2 in their favour with Callum Griffin and Simon Harrison getting on the scoresheet.
The final period would have the ice tilt further in favour of the visitors with goals first by Connor Gordon and then a penalty shot was converted by Karol Jets to give Barons a deficit of four goals with ten minutes to go.
The period would end early and messily with a series of scuffles which did nothing to address the destiny of the points.
The Barons are back on home ice this Sunday when they face the challenge of the league’s second placed side, the Billingham Stars for the first meeting of the teams this season.
