At 10:42 of the first period, the Sharks broke the stalemate. Following a clean face-off win, Liam Danskin expertly controlled the puck, finding Scott Henderson in the corner. Henderson fed it to Mason Alderson, who skilfully found the top corner, putting Solway up 1-0.
In the second period, the Wildcats came out strong. Just over a minute in, Chris Jones capitalised on a precise passing sequence to tie the game.
Swindon then took advantage of a Sharks’ miscue, as Aaron Nell set up Jones on a two-on-one, allowing him to bury his second goal of the night and give Swindon a 2-1 lead heading into the second intermission.
Entering the final period down by a goal, the Sharks displayed resilience, relentlessly pressing for the equaliser.
Swindon’s Renny Marr stood tall amid mounting Sharks pressure, but Solway’s persistence eventually paid off. In a brilliant end-to-end effort, Mason Alderson slid home his second goal, tying the game 2-2 with under seven minutes remaining. Energised by the equaliser, the Sharks pressed on. With only 31 seconds left in regulation, Torran Anderson set up a play that saw Nolan Gardiner’s shot deflect into the air.
John Dunbar was in perfect position to bat it out of mid-air and into the net, securing the Sharks’ 3-2 victory.
On Sunday evening Swindon pushed back to secure a 5-3 win at Dumfries Ice Bowl.
The Wildcats started with high energy, testing Sharks goal tender Jordan Marr with several tough shots.
Sharks opened the scoring when Callum Boyd broke through at 14:25 with a brilliant individual effort.
However, a lapse in Solway’s focus in the final minutes allowed Canadian forward Jake Bricknell to equalise just before the first intermission, tying the game at 1-1.
In the second period, Swindon’s Aaron Nell exploited a power play, ripping a shot past Marr to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead.
Mason Alderson fired a pinpoint shot into the top corner to tie the game at 2-2 early in the final frame.
Despite the boost from the tying goal, the Sharks found themselves scrambling defensively and Glenn Billing put Swindon ahead.
Solway responded quickly through Scott Henderson.
But Aaron Nell restored Swindon’s lead and Tomasz Malasinski extended the lead to 5-3.
Sharks’ Canadian forward John Dunbar said: “It was fantastic to get the win on Saturday night in front of a packed Shark Tank.
“Sunday presented a big challenge, and I felt we played well – likely well enough to come out with the win.
“Unfortunately, some key calls didn’t go our way at critical moments. Both goal tenders put on an outstanding performance, and overall, it was a solid weekend of hockey.”
The Sharks hit the road this weekend for their first match-up of the season against the Bristol Pitbulls.
There will be a watch party at the Dumfries Ice Bowl to cheer on the team from afar. Doors open at 5.30 pm, with puck drop at 7 pm.
