Milton Keynes Lightning beat Hull Seahawks 3-1 at Planet Ice Milton Keynes on 17 October, with Jarred White’s third-period breakaway separating the teams after a close NIHL National contest had reached the final interval level. Carter Hamill gave Lightning the first lead, but Cody Monds equalised on the power play for Hull. White put the home side back in front at 47:45, and Danny Weight settled the result with an empty-net goal 16 seconds from time.
With Jordan Hedley in goal for Milton Keynes Lightning and Aleksanteri Heiskanen in goal for Hull Seahawks, Carter Hamill opened the scoring at 11:31, with Liam Stewart providing the assist. Hamill had scored for the second successive competitive game, and his goal gave Lightning a lead to defend for the rest of the opening period. Hull put 10 shots on goal to MKL’s seven in those first 20 minutes, but could not find an equaliser before the break. The teams went into the first interval with Lightning 1-0 ahead.
The margin remained one goal through the early part of the second period. Lightning had their first power play when Hull’s Tommy Spraggon received two minutes for slashing at 27:40. The home side went close during that opportunity, but the Seahawks came through it without conceding. That left Hull within one goal as the game approached its halfway point, despite having trailed since Hamill’s opener.
Hull made their own power play count. Mack Stewart was given two minutes for slashing at 33:31, and Monds equalised at 34:17, with Finlay Ulrick and Bobby Chamberlain credited with the assists. The goal came 46 seconds after the penalty and brought the visitors level at 1-1. It was Hull’s only goal of the game, but it erased the advantage Lightning had held from midway through the first period.
Neither side found another goal before the second interval. Hull recorded nine shots on goal in the middle period to Lightning’s eight, and the teams began the third at 1-1. The game had stayed close despite chances at both ends: MKL’s opening-period goal had stood until Hull’s extra-skater reply, and the next goal would give one side a lead with fewer than 20 minutes left. Both teams’ work rate had contributed to a hard-fought, end-to-end contest.
White provided that goal at 47:45. Kell Beattie sent him through with a pass for a breakaway, and White scored to put Lightning 2-1 ahead; Ed Knaggs also received an assist. It was White’s first goal in three competitive games, following two goalless games. More importantly on the night, it restored a lead Hull could not overturn. Unlike Hamill’s opener, which the Seahawks had answered in the second period, White’s goal remained the difference well into the closing stages.
Hull still needed only one goal to draw level, and the score stayed 2-1 as the final minutes approached. The Seahawks called a timeout at 58:03. Lightning had recorded 18 shots on goal to Hull’s 10 in the third period, but the one-goal margin meant the result was not settled by the shot count. The visitors had kept the game within reach after White’s breakaway, while MKL had yet to add to the lead he had given them.
Weight ended that uncertainty at 59:44, scoring into the empty net from David Thomson and Knaggs to make it 3-1. It was Weight’s seventh goal of the season across competitive fixtures, while Knaggs had assisted on both of Lightning’s third-period goals. White’s breakaway had supplied the winning goal; Weight’s late finish ensured Hull had no time to find a reply. Lightning finished with 33 shots on goal to Hull’s 29 and took two NIHL National points from a game that had been level after 40 minutes.
Source: Official NIHL National gamesheet.
Scoring summary
MK Lightning: Danny Weight 1+0, Carter Hamill 1+0, Jarred White 1+0, Ed Knaggs 0+2, Kell Beattie 0+1, David Thomson 0+1, Liam Stewart 0+1.
Hull Seahawks: Cody Monds 1+0, Finlay Ulrick 0+1, Bobby Chamberlain 0+1.
First Published by Milton Keynes Lightning mk-lightning.co.uk
Photo credits: Tony Sargent
