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Tigers suffer back to back defeats
When the league table records back-to-back defeats to Milton Keynes, it would be easy to overlook some outstanding performances for Telford Tigers this weekend.
Despite going down 7-1 and 3-1, the team and their fans can take pride in preventing the mighty Lightning from scoring for over 85 minutes, that they have two goalies capable of pulling off strings of seemingly impossible saves and that they never give up, no matter how tough the challenge they face.
Saturday's road game was - to all intents and purposes - settled in the first period, with Lightning banging in four unanswered goals and Telford's top forward Scott McKenzie injured out of the game.
But such is the determination of this year's Tigers that man of the match goalie Declan Ryan kept them out through the second period and, even when Milton Keynes had added three more goals, battling Telford replied with a shorthanded goal from Andy McKinney at 57:58.
The gutsy guys demonstrated their determination on the smaller ice at home with a powerplay goal at 4:14 from Josh Bruce, assisted by Andrejs Maslovskis and Tom Watkins, to ensure Sunday's return fixture would not be such a walkover.
And Tigers kept Lightning at bay until 53:13, when the visitors finally managed to beat an on-form Martin Clarkson. They added a powerplay goal at 56:04 to go into the lead for the first time and wrapped it up with a shorthanded strike from new import Blaz Emersic while Telford were pushing for a late equaliser.
Afterwards, player-coach Tom Watkins expressed the whole team's disappointment saying: "Hockey is a cruel game. Did we deserve a point? I think we battled hard and showed a lot of character, especially after last night's result.
"Clarkson was outstanding in goal and I can't fault the effort of the guys. We are there or thereabouts, so it is frustrating to not quite manage a point.
"Last night we never really got going and their quick goals killed us off. But I think we made it frustrating for them tonight and made them work for the points."
Sunday saw Scott McKenzie back on the ice after a frightening injury to his neck the night before.
McKenzie said: "I was going hard to the net and went forwards and hit head first into the back of one of the MK players. I felt my neck crack and it was sore, so I didn't finish the game. But it's OK today so luckily nothing serious.
"Milton Keynes have bundles of talent and tonight the penalties we took in the third period killed us off. But the effort is there and as long as there is a chance to win we will keep trying."
Watkins added: "It is always hard to stay motivated when you don't win, and the season is only going to get harder. We are disappointed not to get any points this weekend, especially as the other teams we are competing with have had better results.
"But we will continue to compete as hard as we can, aiming to get that last play-off place."
Next weekend sees Tigers on the road to Slough on Saturday, with Basingstoke Bison the visitors on Sunday (5.30pm).
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
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5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
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- Tigers make back room changes
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- Watkins signs with Tigers for third season
- Tigers lose influential player
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