The Swindon Wildcats defeated the Telford Tigers 6-1 on Saturday night and with other results elsewhere in the group, the Wildcats have booked their place in the NIHL Coventry finals weekend.
It was a poetic last home game for Stevie Whitfield as he scored a big goal early in the second period in front of a packed out Link Centre.
Russell Cowley also iced his last home game for the Wildcats before his retirement at the end of the season and had ‘a fantastic game’ said player coach Aaron Nell.
Reed Sayers was another star of the show scoring two well taken goals to march the Wildcats to victory.
Match report:
The Wildcats started strong with a lot of puck possession and got a powerplay opportunity where they made no mistake.
The puck bounced around the net and looped over the top of Brad Day and Into the back of the net with the final touch appearing to come off Lubwele.
The Wildcats then used this momentum and doubled their lead, Plews making a fantastic pass to Nell who made no mistake firing the puck top corner past Day to make it two.
Just a few minutes later the Wildcats got another powerplay opportunity and showed why they have the best powerplay in the league as Lubwele ripped the puck through Day to make it three.
End of the first period: Wildcats 3-0 Tigers
The Cats started the second just as they did in the first with the puck finding Whitfield who absolutely ripped it into the top corner and the Link Centre crowd and team bench showed him the love in celebration.
The Tigers fought their way back into the game and got rewarded with Howells backhanding it past Marr at 27:46.
However just five minutes later after some good work from Tower, he found Sayers who fired it past Day to get the four goal lead back.
Sayers then got his second of the night, again some hard work from Tower who flicked it over to Reed who made no mistake to give the Wildcats a five goal lead.
End of the second period: Wildcats 6-1 Tigers
The final period saw the Wildcats put a professional shut down performance on as they killed two penalties and stopped the Tigers generating any big chances.
With the Wildcats getting the two points and the Lightning beating the Raiders, this meant the Wildcats had mathematically qualified for the final four at Coventry.
End of the game: Wildcats 6-1 Tigers
Absolutely phenomenal support in a packed out final game of the 23/24 season at the Link Centre.
The Wildcats face the Tigers in their final game of the play off group in Telford where a win would see them finish top of the group.
