Record breaking Barons lift Laidler Conference Cup

Motor Nation Solihull Barons : 10
Deeside Dragons : 3

30th March 2014

With the Motor Nation Solihull Barons stepping onto the ice for their final league game of the season and their first home tie since clinching the Laidler Conference, there was always going to be a bit of a party atmosphere at the Hobs Moat rink. If the Deeside Dragons thought they might be given some gifts however they were sadly mistaken in a game which would see the Barons break a British record for consecutive wins - 22 in a row.

The first period began with a spell of strong Barons pressure, which was converted just after the four minute mark by Joe Henry off a pass by Josh Bruce. While the Barons continued to hold the balance of play the Dragons showed they were not shy about taking their opportunities and on the eleventh minute Gavin Austin made the most of a slightly flat footed Barons who had just successfully killed off a power play to open the Dragons account for the evening. The Barons would however restore their lead by the period end. Given a power play themselves Josh Bruce executed a slick cross ice pass to Joe Henry who found the Dragons net for the second time of the evening.

The middle period has been a happy hunting ground for the Barons this season and tonight was no exception. No sooner had the period started before Joe Henry notched up his hat trick. While Samuel Krempasky would soon after break away for the Dragons to pull a goal back, this was as good as it got for the Welsh side.

The Barons fourth came as the Barons recovered from a Deeside break away successfully parried by net minder Sam Hewitt to see the puck carried up the ice before finding the net courtesy of Rich Slater. By now the Barons scoring was in free flow, Eddie Eaton making the most of a goal mouth scramble for number five, while captain Rob Eley waltzed down the left wing to loft his shot into the roof of the Deeside net for number six. The scoring was abated slightly while the Barons killed off a pair of penalties which saw them down to three men for two minutes. Once back to full strength however the free scoring continued, Andy Whitehouse making the most of panic around the Deeside net for number seven, followed by Rich Slater who got his second of the night thanks to a successful face-off in the Deeside end, while the period was rounded off with a Phil Lee special from the blue line to give the Barons a convincing 9-2 lead heading into the final period.

The final period saw the Barons continue to exert pressure however it was Deeside who were first to score with a Ben Simister effort on the 53rd minute. The Barons seven goal lead was restored with their final goal of the evening, Eddie Eaton passing out of the defensive zone to Joe Henry loitering on the Deeside blue line who calmly rounded off the scoring for the evening.

The Barons are now on course for a league and play-off double. They have three weeks without a game before returning to Solihull ice on the 19th April for the Laidler play-off first semi-final, with the final on Easter Monday the 21st.

Barons goals : Henry (4), R Slater (2), Eley, Eaton, Whitehouse, Lee
Barons assists : Hubbuck (3), Eaton (2), Larkin (2), Bruce (2), Janak (2), Doyle, R Slater, Whitehouse, Henry, Rogers
Barons MoM : Ryan Selwood

Next Home Game Laidler Conference Play-off Semi-final 1 With the league season over the Barons attention now turns to attempting the double by adding the Easter weekend Play-Off trophy to their haul of silverware. This innovation will see a pair of semi-finals and a final held at Solihull Ice Rink between the 19th-21st April. The Barons will play in the first semi-final on Easter Saturday, 19th April. Their opposition will be either the Hull Jets or Widnes Wild depending on the outcome of the clash of these two sides next weekend. Easter Sunday will see The Nottingham Lions and Coventry Blaze do battle in semi-final 2. Easter Monday, 21st April, will be the final. Saturday 19th April Laidler Conference Semi-Final 1 Face-off : 6:30pm Adults £10 : Concessions £5