The 2023 Nottingham Varsity series kicked off in style as a hard-fought ice hockey meeting once again provided incredible drama at the Motorpoint Arena, reports Will Hugall.
Though both sides had an unbelievable number of chances in the game, a low-scoring affair was edged by the University of Nottingham, for whom James Shaw stole the show with two late goals to seal a 2-1 win.
Until that final five minutes, Nottingham Trent University had been the better side and truly only had themselves to blame for not being more clinical with the openings presented to them.
Nonetheless, it was an electric start to the Varsity series, which returns in an earlier pre-Easter window in 2023 after its placement across April and May last year.
Having been announced in late November 2022, this event was always bound to have a big build-up.
That paid off superbly with all tickets selling out for the first time since 2017, and an electric atmosphere could be felt upon entering the arena.
Looking to capitalise on their 5-2 win in the 2022 contest, NTU named a squad that contained a handful of those present back then, including George Gell, Bryan Lim, Michael Berehowskyj and Matthew Lowden.
They also boasted a couple of those who had represented UoN in 2022, in the form of captain James Cox and assistant captain David Astill.
UoN, meanwhile, added strength to a largely recognisable squad by bringing in Nottingham Mavericks senior figures, Dan Atkinson and Ashley Johnson.
The opening exchanges proved to be cagey, much as in the previous year, with the teams feeling each other out in the middle of the rink.
Gradually, the contest found its flow and both goaltenders were tested, with NTU’s Lowden and UoN’s Luke Thornton producing solid stops.
It was fair to say the boys in pink were edging the first period through the sheer quality of chances, with their pressure more sustained through the agility of Lim and the tireless play of Cox and Berehowskyj.
This eventually paid off in the opening score of the game, with the clock just ticking over the 17-minute mark.
In a swift counter-attacking move, Gell set up Lim from close range, and with Lim flattened by the recovering UoN defenceman, Marks Kanins steamed in to clean up with a penetrating finish.
That was exactly what the doctor ordered for NTU before the first interval, which they went into looking like they would kick on and carry forward last year’s momentum.
To their credit, UoN played with just as much physicality and commitment as Trent throughout the match, which certainly held them keep parity when the sides returned.
Even more than this, though, the performance of Thornton was one for the ages, with the goaltender equal to everything NTU threw at him, whether it was left, right or centre, up high or down low.
The best of the bunch were stops to deny Petros Barlas from close range and Lim with a forceful shot from distance, which were crucial considering their timing early in the second period.
As the big hits came in and penalties flowed, NTU’s tempo stuttered a little towards the end of the second period and Atkinson and Cheng both had good opportunities well saved by Lowden, who was equal to whatever his counterpart could manage.
Cox saw two threatening shots in quick successive stopped by Thornton too as the period came to an end, with the consensus being that even better would be required to breach two fine defences.
As is tradition, the second interval saw the Sports Executive Officer shoot-out and cheer performances, making for excellent entertainment to engage the capacity crowd.
Sadly for NTU, VP Sport Jodi Stephens’ best efforts were in vain in a 1-0 defeat to Sean Nolan of UoN, which it was hoped wouldn’t forebode the main match itself.
With the players re-energised and refocused for the final period, a real treat of a conclusion was in store.
Nerves were shredded from the off considering how NTU blew UoN away with four final-period goals back in 2022, with the knowledge that either side could just as easily do this again considering their quality.
The players were throwing themselves around the rink for their causes, and early chances for NTU’s Lim and UoN’s Harry Harrison were well denied.
Thornton kept his cat-like reflexes very much alive to keep out Sam Peters and John Revell as UoN were a man down, which again ensured the contest would go right to the wire.
Shaw was well denied as he looked to be firing up, while Hadden Bolstridge struck the post for NTU in an agonising chance.
With time very much running out, it was time for heroes.
Shaw proved to be just this for the green and gold, as with just five minutes remaining he hit NTU on a one-man counter-attack and skated around a couple of challenges to get close, and finally fire UoN’s much-needed goal past Lowden.
This sparked wild UoN celebrations and seemed to turn the game on its head, with NTU never able to establish the same level of control afterwards.
Instead, UoN were woken from their slumber and sought another goal, which with even more individual brilliance from Shaw, they would soon get.
With the clock ticking under two remaining minutes, Shaw went on another mazy move across the ice and jammed a shot at Lowden which seemed to trickle over the line under pressure from other UoN forwards.
There it was, though, and UoN led 2-1.
Time was simply insufficient for an NTU comeback, and despite their best commitments, those in pink were left to rue the missed chances that saw their crown taken straight back by UoN.
It means that UoN have now won six of the last ten ice hockey contests between the universities, but more importantly of course it puts them 1-0 up in this year’s Varsity series.
The action returns in late March when a number of events are packed into one week across both campuses.
Make sure to follow all the coverage of the events on the Platform website, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook throughout, as it promises to be a thrilling Varsity series!
All photos courtesy of Reagan Yip.