Wild Women's title joy after rivals slip

THE Widnes Wild Women's team secured the Division 2 North league title after a fascinating weekend of ice hockey saw their rivals for the crown knock each other out of contention.

- BY PAUL BREEZE

Widnes actually lost their own game 13-3 away to Telford on Saturday but that was a cup game and had no bearing on the outcome of the league, which as it turned out, was decided by results elsewhere.

The Wild Women went into the weekend leading the D2N table with 17 points from their 11 league games and one match still to play, away to Leeds Roses on 10th May.

Sheffield Shadows were in second with 14 points from 10 games and could still snatch the title if they won their remaining games and Widnes lost away at Leeds. Leeds themselves were also still in the running with 11 points from 9 games, knowing that 3 wins in their last 3 games could possibly see them overtake Widnes on the last day of the season

Somewhat fortuitously for the Wild Women, the fixture list pitched Leeds and Sheffield up against each other in Leeds on Saturday night, with the Roses winning 5-2. That result meant that Sheffield could no longer overtake the Wild Women at the top of the league table, even if they won their last remaining game.

Leeds, however, could still snatch the title if they won their two remaining matches and could beat Widnes in the last game of the season on 10th May.