A second half recovery from going four goals behind was not enough to turn the game around as Milton Keynes Lightning went down 7-4 at Telford Tigers on Sunday. Tigers fired in three goals in the opening 11 minutes or so to leave Lightning with a mountain to climb. And it was not until the 32nd minute that Sam Talbot was able to cut what was by then a four goal deficit – only for the experienced Jason Silverthorn to restore the hosts’ margin almost straight from face-off. Nick Oliver was handed a two minute penalty for tripping plus a [...]

Milton Keynes Lightning squandered a three goal lead as Swindon Wildcats fought back to win 7-4 at the Link Centre on Saturday. Two powerplay goals put Wildcats back in the game following a dream start by Lightning which saw them leading 3-0 at half way point of this National Ice Hockey League encounter. Coach Lewis Clifford retained the line of Sam Talbot, Sean Norris and Bobby Chamberlain to start the clash and it soon paid dividends when all three players were involved as Talbot gave the visitors a one goal lead after 3mins 13secs. Second later Edgars Landsbergs was sent [...]

Man of the match Sam Talbot’s superb hat-trick steered Milton Keynes Lightning to a 6-3 NIHL Autumn Cup victory over Basingstoke Bison at Planet Ice on Wednesday. The game, postponed from September 26, was an academic affair with neither side able to progress further in the competition – the semi final line-up already decided. But that did not stop either side from seeking to establish bragging rights ahead of the series of league encounters. With netminding duties handed to Brandon Stones it was not long before he was picking the puck out of the goal as Liam Morris’ blast on [...]

A change of line combinations provided the spark to fire Milton Keynes Lightning to a 5-4 win over old rivals Peterborough Phantoms at Planet Ice on Saturday. After beginning with the usual lines coach Lewis Clifford switched Adam Laishram to partner Liam Stewart and Russ Cowley on the first line later in the game while Bobby Chamberlain joined Sean Norris and Sam Talbot on the second line. The change bore fruit with a marked increase in the intensity of the offensive raids in the third period that saw three goals shared between the two lines. It all looked so different [...]

Milton Keynes Lightning saw off a last gasp Bees rally at Slough Arena on Sunday to complete a successful opening weekend to their National League campaign. Bees scored twice in the final minute but it was not enough to stop MK notching a 3-2 victory to follow Saturday’s 3-1 win over Raiders. Lewis Clifford’s men raced to a 3-0 lead by the halfway mark and looked to be on course for their first shutout of the season until the hosts’ late strikes. Lightning who were still without defencemen Ross Green and Lewis Christie saw forwards Liam Stewart and Sean Norris [...]

Teenager Milique Martelly stole the show with a man of the match performance as Milton Keynes Lightning edged out Raiders 3-1 in their first National League game of the season at Planet Ice on Saturday. The 17-year-old defenceman, drafted in from National League One side Streatham where former MK hero Michael Farn is now player-coach, put in a display that belied his years. Martelly stepped onto the ice to fill the void due to Ross Green’s continued injury while fellow defenceman Lewis Christie was also unavailable. Lightning also welcomed back former netminder Jordan Hedley who is back up goalie at [...]

Liam Stewart finally made his season debut for Milton Keynes Lightning as they travelled to Sheffield Steeldogs for their final away National League Autumn Cup game on Sunday. However, that was almost the only bright spot on a difficult night for Lightning who were missing captain Russ Cowley as well as injured defenceman Ross Green. Bobby Chamberlain netted MK’s only goal when Steeldogs outclassed them in an 8-1 defeat. Sheffield snapped up Hull Pirates coach Jason Hewitt when the Humberside outfit decided they would not be competing this year. And it has proved to be a wise move – Hewitt [...]

Two Leeds Knights goals in 90 seconds turned the tide of a National League Autumn Cup game in which Milton Keynes Lightning were in with a chance of winning at Planet Ice on Saturday. With less than nine minutes remaining, the encounter was evenly poised at two goals apiece. However, a penalty on Hallden Barnes-Garner for instigation of a fight, which followed an accidental collision between Adam Laishram and his Leeds marker, gave the visitors a powerplay from which they edged in front through Jordan Griffin on 51mins 19secs. Former Lightning player Cole Shudra – son of ex-Sheffield Steelers defenceman, [...]

A goal from Leigh Jamieson 16.9 seconds from the end of overtime sealed an incredible fightback by Milton Keynes Lightning when they overcame Swindon Wildcats 5-4 to take the National League Autumn Cup points at Planet Ice on Thursday. It was a sweet win for home fans who expected to see the return of Liam Stewart after suspension. But inspection of the rules showed his ban still had two games to run. Trailing 4-1 at the half way mark, the hosts looked to be in for a heavy defeat before Wildcats conspired to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory [...]

Practice-starved Milton Keynes Lightning slipped to a 3-1 NIHL Autumn Cup defeat at Slough on Sunday – sunk by two second period Bees goals before being struck by a third blow early in the final session. Lightning, whose training schedule was disrupted by ice problems at Planet Ice, were unable to make anything of an early advantage when Bees’ forward Joshua Smith was sin binned for four minutes on a high sticking call. The hosts were reduced to three skaters during Smith’s penalty as teenager Bayley Harewood joined him in the cooler on a tripping penalty. Having survived that Bees [...]