The Dynamic Property Services-sponsored Solway Sharks welcomed the Romford Raiders to the Shark Tank for their first meeting of the season. This match coincided with the Sharks’ annual Halloween night, adding an exciting atmosphere as fans of all ages arrived in costume.

1st period

The Sharks capitalised on the home crowd’s energy just over two minutes into the game. Liam Danskin and Torran Anderson set up Kyle Carruth, who scored his first career national league goal, putting the Sharks ahead. The Raiders responded in the final five minutes of the first period with a goal from Zachary Yokoyama, and the teams went into the intermission tied 1-1.

2nd period

Less than a minute into the second period, the Sharks took advantage of a power play when Mason Alderson passed to Nolan Gardiner, who fired a one-timer past Raiders netminder Ethan James, making it 2-1. Just two minutes later, Gardiner and Dunbar connected with Caly Robertson, who rifled a shot into the top corner, extending the Sharks’ lead to 3-1. In response, the Raiders called a time-out to regroup, and it worked. Just nine seconds later, Canadian import Andrew Shewfelt found the back of the net, narrowing the gap to 3-2.

As the second period progressed, the Sharks faced penalty trouble that proved costly. The Raiders capitalised, scoring the game-tying goal through Shaun Miller and then taking a 4-3 lead with a goal from Brandon Ayliffe. Demonstrating resilience, the Sharks equalised with a goal from Mason Alderson, and right before the period ended, Joe Coulter and Liam Stenton set up Lewis Young, who scored to give the Sharks a 5-4 lead heading into the third.

3rd period

In the final period, the Sharks came out determined to secure a home victory. Scott Henderson made a beautiful pass to Torran Anderson, who displayed incredible skill, beating a defender and firing a perfect between the legs shot over the goalie – likely an early goal of the season contender. The rest of the period featured gritty play from both sides, culminating in a spirited fight between Caly Robertson and Zachary Yokoyama. The Sharks added another power play goal from Nolan Gardiner, concluding the match with a final score of 7-4 in their favour.

Torran Anderson was named man of the match for the Sharks, while Andrew Shewfelt received the honours for the Raiders.