Barons come out on top in A45 debut.

by Gareth Thomson

A 600 strong crowd saw the Sheldon Jewellery Centre Solihull Barons see off the challenge of Division 1's Coventry Blaze in a West Midlands ice hockey challenge cup game on Sunday evening.

It was a rather odd line-up for the Blaze who, having come off a dominant league fixture against the Telford Titans the previous night, showed up at the Hobs Moat rink with their top lines largely intact but lacking bodies elsewhere in the roster. The Coventry side were therefore bolstered for the evening by ex-Baron and current Nottingham Lions captain Luke Thomas, and current-Barons Andy Whitehouse, Rob Perks and netminder Dave Roxburgh playing on a forward line.

The Blaze's Josh Nicklin opened the scoring on nine minutes before his side were shortly after pegged back by the Barons Neil Adams who chipped a shot over the diving Coventry keeper and into the roof of the Blaze net. The Blaze however regained the lead just before the 1st period break. Dale Buckland, recently released by the Barons, firing a speculative shot from the blue line beyond Solihull's netminder Hayden Laverick and into the Barons net.

Into the second period and Neil Adams quickly got his second goal of the night, before Josh Nicklin restored the Blaze's lead just after the half hour mark via a powerplay. A few minutes later and Solihull found themselves again on the penalty kill. Despite this, Phil Lee, a month shy of his 47th birthday, but this season playing his best hockey for years, brought the Barons back into contention with a short handed goal, not from his characteristic slapshot  but from close in, a metre or so outside the Blaze crease.

A minute from the end of the period Neil Adams raced the puck up the right wing before a crisp pass gave Dave Rogers the chance to fire a one-timer shot between the Coventry posts allowing the Barons to take the lead for the first time in the evening.

With the result still in the balance it looked as though Rob Perks, playing for the Blaze, may have tied the scores midway through the final period. A sweet long range shot found the back of the Barons net only to be waved off due to a Blaze player being in the goalkeepers crease. To add to the drama, Coventry's feisty Adam Alfoldy and the Barons Eddie Slater saw themselves being invited to sit down for four minutes after some holding in the corner spilled over into a bit of rough stuff.

The Blaze looked to have earned a draw when Ryhs Gillat netted, only for the Barons first line to retaliate, passing the puck across the Blaze goalmouth several times before Rich Slater fired the winner into the Coventry twine.

Speaking after the game, Man of the Match, Neil Adams reflected on the problems with Coventry's makeshift squad. "It was a funny fixture but it was good that we were able to have a game at all. The crowd was big again and that always helps us out on the ice. Our offence did well and I think we probably have some of the strongest forward lines in the league. We have to look to the future though. There are some tough games over the next few weeks and we will need to be on it every time if we want to stay in the running for the league".

The Barons now have two weekends away against Fylde and Hull before returning to Solihull ice on the 9th December against current league leaders, the Nottingham Lions in a game crucial for both sides' promotion hopes.

Goals : Adams (2), R Slater, Lee, Rogers
Assists : Adams, R Slater, Andrews (2), Henry, Larkin, Bakalar, Knight
Man of the Match : Neil Adams

The Barons fans supported injured assistant captain Mike Rogers at the game by buying tickets for a series of raffle prizes. The winner of Mike Rodger's away Own and Loan shirt was Paul O'Rourke of Quinton, Birmingham.

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