Bulldogs start on the road in 2024-25 before hosting Coventry at ‘The Pound’
BACK IN THE GAME: The Bulldogs will return to competitive action on Saturday, September 8 at NIHL North Two newcomers, Deeside Ducks, the first home game coming two weeks later against Coventry. Picture: Andy Bourke.
THE BULLDOGS will begin their quest for NIHL North Two honours in 2024-25 on the road with a trip to league newcomers Deeside Ducks on Sunday, September 8.
Head coach Andy Brown’s team hit the tarmac again the following week when they head in the opposite direction towards the east coast where they will take on Billingham Buccaneers, no doubt still on a high from their stunning North Two play-off triumph at Ice Sheffield in April.
The Bulldogs then close out the first month of the campaign on home ice, with tough encounters scheduled against Coventry NIHL Blaze (Sunday, Sep 22), who finished third last time out, and regular season champions Telford Tigers (Sun, Sep 29).
In all, the Bulldogs will have 13 regular season home games, three less than last season due to the adjustments made to the structure of the division and the decision to effectively split North Two into two ‘conferences’.
The Bulldogs find themselves playing two home games and two away games against Telford, Coventry, Altrincham Aces and Desside. They will play Sutton Stong, Kingston Sharks, Nottingham Lions, Sheffield Titans and Billingham once each home and away.
At the end of the campaign, the top four teams from each ‘conference’ will have the opportunity to play in front of their home fans three more times as the play-offs converts into a group format with four teams in each group, playing each other once each home and away.
The Bulldogs are currently staging open trials throughout July at which players hoping to make the switch to west Yorkshire for the 2024-25 campaign are being put through their paces, alongside those players expected to return from 2023-24.
“It’s great to finally get the fixtures out and know where we’re going to be each week,” said Brown. “It’s great that our first game takes us to a new rink in the shape of the Deeside Ducks.
“That will taking a bit of a step into the unkown, much like it was last season when Kingston and Billingham both entered this division.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from players at the open trials so far and, if it works out, I think we’ll have a good team this season. We’ve got one more trial this Wednesday (July 24) and then I’ll be making my decisions on who we want to offer roster spots too for next season.
“Obviously, we’re going to be missing three of our longest-serving players in Josh Stockton, Dean Boothroyd and Connor Medley, who all retired last year, but that means there is an opportunity for other people to step up and fill the gaps at both ends of the ice.”
