Picture by Richy Wiseman
Four double-headers made for another action-packed weekend in the Scottish National League, with plenty of goals and storylines across the country.
Kirkcaldy Kestrels collected maximum points with back-to-back wins. They opened with a 6–1 victory over Kilmarnock Thunder on Saturday, before defeating North Ayrshire Wild 6–2 on Sunday. The second game was closer than the scoreline suggests, with Wild showing determination despite the fatigue of a tough outing the previous night.
The Dundee Rockets underlined their strong start with a 14–1 win against Wild. After a tight opening period, they broke the game open in the second, scoring eight goals before adding four more in the third. Deniss Kontseus and Lewis Neave both registered hat-tricks as the Rockets made it three wins from three.
At Murrayfield, Edinburgh Capitals stayed unbeaten with their fourth straight win, a 4–1 success over Paisley Pirates. Sean Cochrane scored twice, while Chris Wilson replied for the visitors in the opening period. The Pirates bounced back the following evening with an emphatic 8–0 shutout of Kilmarnock Thunder, spreading the scoring throughout the line-up to secure their third win of the campaign.
In Aberdeen, Lynx maintained momentum with a 5–3 victory over Solway Sharks. Owen Michie, Daniel Topping and Joe Durkacz (2) put them 4–1 ahead, before Solway hit back through Ewan Duignan and 17-year-old Bailey Thomson, who marked his first-ever SNL goal on the power play. Brant Saretsky then struck short-handed to settle the contest. For Solway, pushing an experienced Lynx side deep into the game was another encouraging sign of progress as they continue to build through their first season in the league.
WEEK 5 FIXTURES
| Date | Game | Time/Results | League | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilmarnock Thunder vs Kirkcaldy Kestrels | 1 - 6 | SNL | Kilmarnock | |
| Edinburgh Capitals vs Paisley Pirates | 4 - 1 | SNL | Murrayfield | |
| Dundee Rockets vs North Ayrshire Wild | 14 - 1 | SNL | Dundee | |
| Aberdeen Lynx vs Solway Sharks | 5 - 3 | SNL | Aberdeen Linx Ice Arena | |
| Paisley Pirates vs Kilmarnock Thunder | 8 - 0 | SNL | Braehead Arena | |
| Kirkcaldy Kestrels vs North Ayrshire Wild | 6 - 2 | SNL | Fife |
League Standings Update
Whitley Warriors remain top, but the gap is now just two points with both the unbeaten Capitals and the Lynx on eight. The Kestrels’ double win lifts them into fourth place, while the Pirates drop a position despite recording their third victory of the season. The Rockets also remain unbeaten with three wins from three.
