Home Sweet Home For Cardiff Fire At Viola Arena

Cardiff Fire have a big weekend at the Viola Arena, playing back-to-back National League ice hockey home matches against Guildford Phoenix and Oxford City Stars.

Fire are making a push for the Division Two South play-offs after their hugely competitive 4-3 win against Peterborough Phantoms away last time out.

Head coach Mark Smith had only 13 skaters available for the trip to Peterborough and they worked hard in a victory earned by goals courtesy of Stephen Deacon, Elis Sheppard, Jordan Powell and Morgan Evans.

While Cardiff Devils have Elite League fixtures at Nottingham Panthers and Fife Flyers on Saturday and Sunday, Fire take over the main weekend evening slots at the Viola Arena in Cardiff Bay.

They will have more skaters available this weekend when a win double would be a massive boost to captain Phil Manny’s Fire team and their play-off hopes. 

Sunday’s visitors, Oxford City Stars, include influential ex-Cardiff Devils forward Lee Richardson, who played for the Welsh club in 2006-07 when he skated in 58 matches.

Lee, the brother of Devils’ defenceman Mark Richardson, is a key player for Stars and provided three assists in their 4-2 win against Bristol Pitbulls.

The face-off for Saturday’s fixture against Guildford is 6pm, while the match against Oxford City Stars starts at 6.30pm.

Cardiff Fire’s former Devils player, captain Phil Manny. Pic: James Assinder.

National League results last weekend:

Saturday: Solent Devils 6, Swindon Wildcats 0; Oxford City Stars 4, Bristol Pitbulls 2; Romford Raiders 4, Chelmsford Chieftains 6; Lee Valley Lions 3, Guildford Phoenix 8; Slough Jets 3, Haringey Huskies 0; Peterborough Phantoms 3, Cardiff Fire 4.

Fixtures this weekend:

Saturday, January 26: Bristol Pitbulls v Swindon Wildcats (5pm), Romford Raiders v Slough Jets (5.15pm), Invicta v Chelmsford Chieftains (5.15pm), Bristol Hornets v Peterborough Phantoms (6pm), Cardiff Fire v Guildford Phoenix (6.30pm, Viola Arena).

Sunday, January 27: Haringey Huskies v Bracknell Hornets (5.30pm), Cardiff Fire v Oxford City Stars (6pm, Viola Arena), Swindon Wildcats v Lee Valley Lions (6.15pm), Basingstoke Buffalo v Solent Devils (6.15pm).

Cardiff Fire match tickets available on the door or buy online at http://bit.ly/cardiff-fire 

English Ice Hockey Association

NIHL South 2 (Wilkinson) 2018/19

			P	W	OW	OL	L	PIM	F	A	Pts
1		Chelmsford Chieftains	19	16	0	2	1	585	146	47	34
2		Slough Jets	18	14	2	0	2	275	123	56	32
3		Solent Devils	17	15	0	0	2	355	124	41	30
4		Oxford City Stars	15	13	0	0	2	300	113	36	26
5		Raiders Junior S2	17	9	1	1	6	517	89	69	21
6		Bracknell Hornets	15	8	1	1	5	440	94	61	19
7		Guildford	17	7	1	2	7	303	60	57	18
8		Cardiff Fire	15	8	1	0	6	589	71	73	18
9		Peterborough Phantoms	18	5	4	0	9	387	86	77	18
10		Bristol Pitbulls	18	6	1	2	9	284	73	80	16
11		Haringey Huskies	17	5	0	1	11	631	60	87	11
12		Invicta	17	4	0	1	12	338	54	94	9
13		Basingstoke Buffalo	13	4	0	0	9	261	42	76	8
14		Swindon Wildcats 2	17	0	0	1	16	268	22	126	1
15		Lee Valley Lions	17	0	0	0	17	325	33	210	0