Penalty shoot-outs decided both of Sunderland Scorpions' games in the women's premier league championship play-offs at Hull Ice Arena at the weekend.
League winners Cardiff Comets and runners-up Sunderland met in the final and Comets went ahead at 04.12 but within two minutes Teresa Lewis had equalised for Scorpions. Cardiff led 3-1 at the first interval and increased their advantage further at 20.49 on the powerplay.
Two goals in a minute from Lewis and Helen Stowe cut the deficit to one after 26 minutes. The match was all-square with three minutes remaining from a Jayne McClelland strike. The match went into five minutes sudden death overtime which failed to provide a winner. It then came down to penalty shots. Scorpions failed to convert two of theirs which Cardiff did not and gave them the title for the very first time.
Guildford Lightning were beaten by Scorpions in their semi by a penalty shoot-out. Lynsey Emmerson and Jayne McClelland sent Scorpions through to the final after scoring in the penalty shoot-out. Jane Price gave Sunderland a tenth minute lead. Two goals in four minutes for Guildford saw them go 2-1 ahead in the 31st minute. Emmerson's strike three minutes later made the score 2-2 and all to play for. No further goals in the remaining 11 minutes of regulation as well as overtime, so it went to penalties to decide the winner.
Scorpions (v Guildford): Lynsey Emmerson 2+-0, Jane Price, Jayne McClelland 1+0, Nikki Pattinson, Heather McDermott, Ben Hutchinson 0+1. (v Cardiff): Teresa Lewis 2+0, Helen Stowe, McClelland 1+0, Emmerson 0+2, Claire Oldfield 0+1.
Sunderland Tomahawks finished second in the English Under-19 North promotion/relegation play-offs and will possibly keep their North A League status for next season. They completed their play-offs with a win and a loss over the weekend.
On Saturday Tomahawks were 8-5 winners at Solihull Knights and Michael Allinson put them ahead at 12.59. Knights drew level, but Sunderland hit three goals in four minutes from Allinson, Jon Heslop and Darren Shanks to go 4-1 ahead at 29.42. Before the end of the middle session Solihull came back to tie the scores at 4-4. Heslop restored Sunderland's lead three minutes into the restart. Solihull replied four minutes later only for Allinson to score his hat-trick marker on the powerplay at 48.49. Tomahawks made certain of victory with late goals from Allinson and Heslop to complete his hat-trick.
The win assured Tomahawks of second place and possibly the A League slot. A victory at Telford Trojans would guarantee top slot the next day. However, Telford were 9-3 winners. Trojans went ahead at 01.17 and Allinson equalised two minutes later. Telford scored twice before Richard Westgarth pulled a goal back at 13.40. It was 6-2 in Telford's favour when Allinson scored Tomahawks third at 27.59. By the end of the second period Trojans were 8-3 ahead and they rounded off the scoring with three minutes to go.
Tomahawks (v Solihull): Michael Allinson 4+1, Jon Heslop 3+1, Darren Shanks 1+2, Dean Holland 0+2. (v Telford): Allinson 2+0, Richard Westgarth 1+0, John Westgarth, Heslop, Shanks 0+1.
Sunderland Commanches came away from Edinburgh with the Murrayfield Under-14 Capital Cup on Saturday. They defeated hosts Murrayfield Rapiers 3-2 in an entertaining final. Aidan Parker put Commanches ahead on 06-15 and Jimmy Moutrey doubled the lead a minute later. Rapiers struck either side of the interval to level the match. Parker gave Commanches victory when he slotted home the winner on the powerplay with five minutes left. In the round robin matches Commanches began with a 1-1 draw against Paisley Warriors. Daniel Murdy on target in the fifth minute after Paisley had taken a second minute lead.
Northern Ireland Under-14s were next opponents and they lost 5-0 to Commanches. Murdy opened the scoring in only 18 seconds and completed a hat-trick with goals at 01.55 and 03.01. Parker and Martin Thrumble rounded off the scoring.
Sunderland's final round robin tie brought them up against Murrayfield which they won 2-0. Karl Nelson opened the scoring after three minutes and Thrumble the second in the 15th minute.
Whitley Bay Arrows were at Murrayfield for the Under-12 Capital Cup and reached the final closing 7-2 to Murrayfield Rascals. Murrayfield went 2-0 up before Callum Watson opened Arrows' account. Rascals led 7-1 when Watson scored Whitley's second with two minutes to go. Arrows began the tournament with a 4-2 win over Aberdeen Atoms with all goals coming in the first 14 minutes. Watson grabbed a hat-trick and Bobby Mole the other. Northern Ireland Under-12s were next opponents and they took a fifth minute lead. A Watson brace came to give Whitley a 2-1 win.
Murrayfield, in a dress rehearsal for the final, won 3-0 over Arrows in their mini-league encounter. Guesting for Murrayfield in the tournament was Sunderland's Nathan Salem who scored a hat-trick in the final and one in the mini-league match. Salem was Rascals' top scored with 6+4.
Whitley's Jack Goddard was named top defenceman of the U12 tournament. In the Under-14 event Sunderland's Daniel Murdy was named top forward and his brother Thomas top netminder.
Commanches: Daniel Murdy 4+1, Aidan Parker 3+2, Martin Thrumble 2+2, Karl Nelson 1+1, Jimmy Moutrey 1+0, Mark Robson, James Horkan, Callum Parrison 0+1.
Arrows: Callum Watson 7+1, Bobby Mole 1+2, Liam Brown 0+1.
U12 results: Murrayfield 1, Northern Ireland 0; Aberdeen 2, Whitley Bay 4; Murrayfield 3, Aberdeen 0; Northern Ireland 1, Whitley Bay 2; Murrayfield 3, Whitley Bay 0; Northern Ireland 0, Aberdeen 4.
Third/fourth play-off: Aberdeen 10, Northern Ireland 3. Final: Murrayfield 7, Whitley Bay 2.
Top points scorer Jordan Leyden (Aberdeen). Top forward, Lewis Gold (Murrayfield). Top defenceman, Jack Goddard (Whitley). Top netminder, Mark McGill (Murrayfield).
U14 results: Murrayfield 5, Northern Ireland 1; Paisley 1, Sunderland 1; Murrayfield 1, Paisley 0; Northern Ireland 0, Sunderland 5; Murrayfield 0, Sunderland 2; Northern Ireland 0, Paisley 6. Third/fourth play-off: Paisley 20, Northern Ireland 0. Final: Sunderland 3, Murrayfield 2. Top point scorer, Mark Garside (Paisley). Top forward, Daniel Murdy (Sunderland). Top defenceman, Lewis Christie (Murrayfield). Top netminder, Thomas Murdy (Sunderland.
* Billingham Ice Hockey Club held their annual presentation night at Smith Jacques Dance Studio. Bombers' netminder, Michael Snook, received two awards picking up Bombers' Player of the Year and Wolves Players' Player of the Year.
This weekend Sunderland Arrows and Billingham Bears travel to Peterborough for an Under-16 tournament on Saturday and Sunday. They are joined in the eight-team event by hosts Peterborough, who are entering two teams as well as Guildford, Telford, Ayr and Paisley. Whitley Bay Arrows entertain Telford Terrahawks at Hillheads in the English Under-12 North Promotion/Relegation play-offs on Sunday (face off 12.30pm).
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