Picture by Richard Wiseman
As the SNL regular season nears its conclusion, four league games were played over the weekend, with teams solidifying their positions in the standings ahead of the playoff quarter-finals.
Dundee Rockets 4-2 Paisley Pirates
Saturday saw the Dundee Rockets host the Paisley Pirates at Dundee Ice Arena. The Pirates got off to a flying start, scoring just one minute into the game through Gary Parker. Both teams put on a strong defensive display in a tight opening period.
The Rockets responded in the second period, with their top scorer John Dolan finding the net before Lewis McIntosh added another late in the period. However, the Pirates quickly equalised less than a minute before the buzzer, courtesy of 18-year-old Jay Herd.
With the game tied 2-2 going into the final period, the Rockets pressed on, and goals from Michel Beca and Charlie Scott sealed the victory. Despite the scoreline, the game was closely contested, setting up an exciting playoff quarter-final grouping, which will see the Rockets, Pirates, and Aberdeen Lynx battle it out.
Kilmarnock Thunder 3-15 Edinburgh Capitals
Edinburgh Capitals made the trip west to face Kilmarnock Thunder at the Galleon Centre, putting on a dominant display.
The Capitals wasted no time asserting their authority, racing to a six-goal lead in the opening period. In the second period, Sean Donaldson extended their lead before Alan Maitland pulled one back for Thunder. However, the Capitals quickly responded with two more goals. Thunder opted for a change in net, with Scott Beveridge replacing Matthew Reid, and Maitland managed to score his second of the night. But the Capitals’ top scorer Joe Lynch was on target again, taking the score to 11-2 by the end of the period.
Frustrations continued for Thunder in the third period, leading to penalties. The Capitals capitalised on power-play opportunities, adding two more goals, while Marc Fowley scored a shorthanded effort for Thunder. In the dying moments, Capitals’ Joel Gautschi sealed the emphatic 15-3 victory with another power-play goal.
Kirkcaldy Kestrels 8-0 North Ayrshire Wild
North Ayrshire Wild travelled to Fife for their first game of the weekend against the Kirkcaldy Kestrels, who delivered a commanding performance.
The opening period saw both teams create chances, but it was the Kestrels who broke the deadlock early through Finley King. The second period was a turning point, as the Kestrels found their rhythm, netting five goals, including a hat-trick from Conor Duncan.
The third period saw Wild make a goaltending switch, with Evan McTaggart replacing Caiden MacColl between the pipes. However, the Kestrels continued their relentless attack, scoring three more times to secure an 8-0 shutout victory.
Paisley Pirates 5-0 North Ayrshire Wild
Both teams were in action again on Sunday, as the Pirates hosted Wild in what was Wild’s final regular-season game before the playoffs.
Martyn Simpson opened the scoring early for the Pirates on a power play. Despite relentless pressure from the Pirates, Wild’s netminder Caiden MacColl made several key saves, limiting the damage to just one goal in the opening period.
However, the second period saw the Pirates ramp up their offensive efforts, scoring three times to take firm control of the game. The third period followed a similar pattern, with Wild primarily on the defensive. Pirates’ Alex Lane completed his hat-trick with the final goal of the game, securing a 5-0 victory.
With just one weekend left in the regular season, teams are finalising their playoff positions, setting the stage for an intense postseason battle in Scottish ice hockey.
