Frustrating Defeat For Mayhem As Cardiff Prove To Strong

MANCHESTER MAYHEM 2 - 6 CARDIFF HUSKIES

Manchester Mayhem slipped to a frustrating second league defeat of the season, as the Cardiff Huskies recorded a league double over the side from Widnes, with the South Wales side hitting the Mayhem for six again. With the Huskies winning 6-2 against a Mayhem team that struggled to create hardly anything in the way of offence all game. The previous encounter between the two finished in a thrilling 6-4 game down in Cardiff back in May, where the Mayhem felt unlucky not to grab a point in that contest.

It saw less than ideal conditions for either team going into the fixture, as due to the heatwave the UK has currently been experiencing, the ice plant was suffering and saw the ice having puddles on the surface which made conditions for both teams difficult. Cardiff handed conditions better early on, with Josh Davies testing Daniel Hartshorn early in the game and brought a good save by him.

Manchester would begin to find their footing so to speak, as the Mayhem began to look the better side and saw them shading the play and netting the game’s opening goal through Karl Nicolson, as the GB International made himself room before spinning and firing from an angle to lift it over the head of Jodi Hill for 1-0.

It was a horror show for Manchester in the second, as following a poor power play, it saw Karl Nicholson being caught in possession in his own zone and needed Daniel Hartshorn in the Mayhem goal to come to his rescue. Cardiff then went on to score three unanswered goals in the period, as a brace from Tyler Christopher sandwiched a Josh Davies effort for 3-1. Karl Nicholson then pulled one back for the hosts to make it 2-3, before Josh Davies scored his second to make it 4-2 and seemed to kill off the game.

Cardiff continued to dominate the game moving to the third and final period, as Manchester couldn't generate any offence for the majority of the game, which allowed the visitors to add to their tally, with Tyler Christopher completing his hat trick and Jon Le Galloudec rounding off the scoring for the away side later on.

Manchester were then gifted a chance in the closing minutes, after a heavy pass between Huskies players on their own blue line saw Dean Lahan coming away with the puck and clean through on goal, but his shot was a comfortable one for Jodi Hill in the Cardiff goals. The visitors were convincing winners in the end, while the home side were left frustrated at their struggles on both offence and defence, as it was a bad day at the office for Manchester.

It now sees Pete Hagan's side facing a tough set of fixtures alternating between home and away games against two title-chasing sides in the Sheffield Steelkings, and the Peterborough Phantoms. Starting with a trip back to Ice Sheffield in a couple of weeks time before meeting the Phantoms at home on the 19th July back in Widnes.