Milton Keynes Lightning moved up into third spot in the National Ice Hockey League with a well-earned 4-2 victory at Basingstoke Bison on Saturday – leapfrogging Telford Tigers who lost at Bees Goalie Matt Smital posted a 95 per cent save rate to take the man of the match award in a game with a delayed face off while the ice was recut. Nevertheless, once the game got underway it was Lightning who notched up a two goal lead before Bison got on the scoresheet. MKL successfully defended a third minute penalty on Sean Norris for hooking and then were [...]

Two late Sam Talbot goals earned Milton Keynes Lightning maximum National League points at the Sapphire Centre on Sunday after the team came back from 3-2 down to win 4-3 against Raiders. There was never more than a goal separating the two combatants with the visitors unable to make anything of a seventh minute penalty on Tommy Huggett for tripping. Lightning then slipped behind while short-handed as Tyler Nixon, on loan from Sheffield Scimitars, was in the sin for hooking. A one timer from Jake Sylvester gave goalie Brandon Stones no chance with 3mins 14secs left of the first [...]

An excellent performance by guest netminder Jordan Hedley together with well-organised defensive play steered Milton Keynes Lightning to a deserved 4-3 victory over Telford Tigers at Planet Ice on Saturday. Coventry Blaze player, Hedley, formerly of Lightning and Milton Keynes trained, blocked all but three of 37 Tigers efforts to earn the man of the match award. MK were without James Griffin, Matt Smital, Sam Russell and Lewis Christie, but were able to add Sheffield Scimitars’ Tyler Nixon and Milique Martelly to the squad for what was a tough encounter. Experienced Leigh Jamieson bagged what proved to be the game-winning [...]

Bobby Chamberlain inspired Milton Keynes Lightning to a weekend double over Bees at Slough on Sunday – but Lewis Clifford’s men had to come back from two nil down to win 5-3. Lightning who were without the injured James Griffin were able, again, to call on the services of promising Sheffield Scimitars defenceman, Tyler Nixon, to help breach the gap at the back. Chamberlain, involved in two fights at Planet Ice on Saturday, made a more positive contribution to the game with a straight hat trick to put his side back on track after Edward Bradley had opened the [...]

Adam Laishram bagged a hat-trick and another well-deserved man of the match award as Milton Keynes Lightning saw off Bees in a7-5 win which was not as close as the scoreline suggested at Planet Ice on Saturday. It was not until the third period that Bees posed much of a threat and indeed the Slough-based outfit only narrowed the tallies to a respectable score in the final 10 minutes with Lightning dominating the first session to lead 3-1. Liam Stewart fired MK off to a brilliant start, scoring after 45 seconds during the home side’s first meaningful offensive move with [...]

Coid 19 and injury hit Milton Keynes Lightning were beaten but not disgraced as they suffered a second defeat of the weekend in a 3-1 loss at Sheffield Steeldogs on Sunday. As on the previous evening MK were missing nine regular players but were able to draft in five from lower league Sheffield Scimitars – ironically they were facing a couple of teammates as Steeldogs added Thomas Palmer and Michael Danecko to the line-up. Ross Miller, on loan from Oxford City Stars, earned a man of the match performance in between the pipes – leading to some supporters calling for [...]

Heavily depleted Milton Keynes Lightning put up a brave battle but ultimately went down 6-1 to Swindon Wildcats in a National League clash at Planet Ice on Saturday. With nine players missing through Covid 19 or injury coach Lewis Clifford called on players from lower league teams Oxford City Stars and Haringey Huskies to go some way to filling the gaps. In addition Clifford was able to call on the services of Streatham two-way defenceman, Milique Martelly, who put in assured performance to earn the man of the match award. It was always going to be a damage limitation exercise [...]

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 [...]