Juniors Review: Contrasting fortunes for Bulldogs 16s and 18s

GOOD DAY: BUlldogs’ Under-16s celebrate one of their goals in the win over Whitley Bay on Saturday. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography

IT proved a weekend of two halves for Bradford Bulldogs’ older age group teams, the Under-16s and Under-18s enjoying contrasting fortunes.

On Saturday, the Under-16s produced an impressive display to beat visitors Whitley Bay 12-0, but it proved tough going 24 hours later when an Under-18s side missing several key players hosted Sheffield Ice Hockey Academy at ‘The Pound’, going down 12-0.

The Under-16s got off to a perfect start with just 25 seconds on the clock against Whitley Bay when Charlie Farrow fired home a rebound after Danny Harrison’s initial effort had been saved by Orson Groot. 

It was Farrow who was in the right place again just over two minutes later, reacting quickest to a rebound to poke the puck home for a 2-0 lead.

Harrison got on the board with an effort from the right circle at 5.22 before Farrow made it 4-0 with his hat-trick strike with just under eight minutes gone. 

GET IN: Thomas Lee (left) fires home for his first goal at Under-16s level. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography

Harrison doubled his tally off a feed from Daragh Spawforth at 9.29 before the Bulldogs’ captain - out in Gangwon, South Korea this week with Great Britain Under-16s at the Winter Youth Olympics - got on the board to make it 6-0 in the 13th minute, doubling his own tally with a shorthanded marker before the first intermission.

Thomas Lee then showed great skill to make it 8-0 just over two minutes into the second with his first Under-16s goal.

Spawforth completed his hat-trick with a breakaway effort in the 23rd minute, with Harrison also reaching his treble when he fired through traffic from the right boards shortly after. 

WONDER MOMENT: Bulldogs’ Dan Johns, on his way to scoring a superb individual goal for the Under-16s. Picture: Alien Aerial Photography

Just over a minute had passed before defenceman Dan Johns scored a spectacular solo effort - also his first as an Under-16 - to make it 11-0 at 24.32, Spawforth grabbing a fourth to conclude the scoring in an impressive performance by the home team in the 27th minute.

On Sunday, a depleted Under-18s team - with Spawforth, Jess Wooding and Lydia Lutwyche all away on GB duty - worked hard against a talented Sheffield team. 

Harry Roebuck led the scoring for the visitors with a hat-trick, with other goals coming from Eddie Harper (2), Euan Williams (2), Sam Keeling, Will Weaver, Oliver Wagg, Sam Burrows and Lewis Swaffield.

Jack Mickevicius produced a fantastic performance in net for the Bulldogs, deservedly taking the Spirit of the Game award after making 42 saves.