Bulldogs’ Junior Review: Under-14s and Under-18s in action

FAMOUS FIVE: Captain Daragh Spawforth scored five goals in a losing cause against Manchester Storm Under-18s. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography

IT proved to be a tough weekend for Bradford Bulldogs’ junior teams, as the Under-14s and Under-18s took to the ice.

It was the younger age group who were in action first, travelling down to Ice Sheffield on Saturday for a lunchtime face-off looking to repeat the win they enjoyed on home ice against Sheffield IHA the previous weekend. 

Like the encounter at Bradford Ice Arena  - when the Bulldogs prevailed 3-2 - the first period was another tight, cagey affair with neither goalie being beaten.

But the home side were eventually able to break the deadlock when Rory Hill beat Jacob Mardell just 35 seconds into the second period, the home side doubling the lead seven minutes later through Jake Hepworth before going into the second break 3-0 ahead after Zach Fairweather’s effort at 29.45.

Two goals inside within 61 seconds of the start of the third settled the game, however, with Ollie Brown and Arthur Rozentals both getting on the scoresheet before Tyler Softley rounded off the scoring for the home side at 40.42 for a deserved 6-0 win. 

The Under-18s hosted Manchester Storm Academy the following day and, following an entertaining clash, came out on the wrong side of a 13-7 scoreline. 

It was all-square after the first 20 minutes, with strikes from Oliver Massey and Danny Harrison cancelling out efforts from Thomas Milnes and Bailey Thomas. 

The visitors managed to pull themselves 5-2 clear by the halfway point through further goals from Liam Hine, Kane Morin and a second for Milnes on the powerplay.

The Bulldogs got themselves back in the game through a goal on the man advantage by captain Daragh Spawforth at 33.12 but, within 90 seconds, the game was effectively lost when the hosts conceded three shorthanded goals - from Theo Malone, Josh Milnes and Deaglan Jarvis - to trail 8-3. 

Another shorthanded strike, a hat-trick marker for Milnes, heaped further misery on the hosts going into the second break.

But a promising start to the third period gave them hope of an unlikely comeback when two goals in the space of seven seconds from Spawforth inside the first minute made it 9-5, the deficit reduced further when he scored his fourth of the game - this time on the power play - in the 48th minute.

But a swift response from Storm, a second strike for Malone, settled the away team’s nerves, their lead being further increased by goals from Seb Mifek and Leo Cooper to make it 12-6. 

Spawforth grabbed himself a fifth at 55.01 - the Bulldogs’ getting their own shorthanded marker - but it was Manchester who had the last word when Raff Smyth struck 42 seconds later to secure a deserved 13-7 win for the visitors. Netminder Jack Mickevicius received the Bulldogs’ Spirit of the Game award.