Junior Review: Bulldogs Under-18s open up against Kingston plus 16s, 14s and 10s round-up

GO-AL GETTERS: Tom Mardell (left), Daragh Spawforth and Danny Harrison all got on the scoresheet at the weekend.

BRADFORD BULLDOGS’ Under-18s got their 2023-24 Division One North campaign off to a thrilling start on home ice, producing a 13-goal thriller against Yorkshire rivals Kingston Sharks. 

In a game which ebbed and flowed and in which the lead swapped hands several times, it was the visitors who eventually prevailed, Kohen Taylor’s short-handed match-winner arriving with less than five minutes remaining to secure a 7-6 win for the visitors.

It was Kingston who opened the scoring inside 10 minutes when former Bulldogs’ forward Mackenzie Barker came back to haunt his old club when firing a rebound past Jack Mickevicius from close range.

But former team-mate Jess Wooding got the hosts back on level terms within two minutes when she forced the puck home with 11.18 on the clock. 

Barker ensured the Sharks went in ahead at the first break, however, when he fired a rocket from the top of the left circle for his second of the game at 14.19.

The one-goal advantage was again eradicated when Danny Harrison fed Daragh Spawforth in front of net, where he swivelled to fire home at 23.21.

The home team’s joy was short-lived, however, when they allowed Taylor to go coast-to-coast before beating Mickevicius from the bottom of the left circle at 25.07.

But, once again, the Bulldogs’ never-say-die approach came to the fore as they erased the deficit again just over two minutes later, Spawforth and Mardell combining well to set up Harrison who scored from close range at 27.16.

The home team then took the lead for the first time when Tom Mardell jumped on to a feed from Spawforth and sped clear to beat former Bulldogs’ goalie Gabe Lingard just after the halfway mark. 

But, in keeping with how the rest of the game had already gone, the lead didn’t last, Kingston levelling with 38.04 on the clock through Meeyah Forbes’s close-range effort to ensure the teams went into the second period all-square at 4-4.

It wasn’t long before the deadlock was broken, though, Spawforth breaking up play on the edge of the Bulldogs’ zone before skating clear down the left, cutting inside and firing over Lingaard’s left shoulder and into the roof of the net just 38 seconds in. 

But two goals in as many minutes - both from the stick of Ethan Daintith - saw Kingston wrestle control back with just over nine minutes remaining and although the Bulldogs conjured another comeback through a Mardell power play effort at 55.28, they had no reply to Taylor’s piledriver 22 seconds later, a strike which proved to be enough for both points.

BULLDOGS’ Under-16s continued their impressive start to the season by backing up their opening day 6-3 win at Kingston with a win by the same scoreline at home to Telford.

After falling behind to an early strike from Archie Hollyhead, the Bulldogs quickly restored parity when Charlie Farrow forced the puck over the line from in front of net with 3.09 on the clock. 

SHOW-STOPPER: Jacob Mardell produced another impressive display in net for the Under-16s, helping his team to a 6-3 win.

Just over two minutes later, Danny Harrison broke clear down the right boards and fired home to put the Bulldogs ahead, the lead doubling through the same player five minutes later.

A power play strike from captain Daragh Spawforth just over a minute into the second saw the Bulldogs extend their lead to 4-1, but they allowed Telford back into the game, the visitors reducing the deficit at 23.32 through Taylor Stanton and then making it a one-goal game early in the third thanks to a second goal from Hollyhead. 

But Jacob Mardell was again solid in-between the pipes for the hosts and any concerns for Andy Brown’s side were allayed when Harrison completed his hat-trick after beating on-rushing goalie Joshua Minns to the puck and firing in from a tight angle at 38.06, the points being made secure through a second for Spawforth just under two minutes later.

BULLDOGS Under-14s had a tough time of it down the M62 at Leeds, losing out 12-0 at Elland Road. 

Leeds established a 6-0 first period lead through strikes from Kieran Smith, Elan Berman, Zach Taylor and Evan Bradon plus a Christian Roth double. 

It was the same story after the break, Roth adding another two to his tally, Berman and Taylor both adding to their first-period efforts and Ben Elliot (2) completing a comfortable win. 

BULLDOGS Under-10s opened their campaign with a first cross-ice jamboree of the season at home against Sheffield, Nottingham and Sutton. 

There were no wins but it was another day where the development of the youngsters was clear to see. 

They went down 8-1 to Sheffield and Nottingham but produced a more competitive display against Sutton before being edged out 7-6, offering plenty of encouragement for their next outing. 

**This weekend (September 23-24) sees the Under-12s in action at Sheffield on Saturday(face-off 12.40pm) and the Under-18s at Widnes later the same day (face-off 6pm).