Warriors¹ blinded by the North Stars
On Friday 13th February 2026 our Warriors 1 team travelled to Motorpoint Arena to take on the North Stars in a challenge game.
This game was the return fixture from the previous challenge game on Friday 19th December 2025 where the North Stars took a 3-6 win.
The Warriors were without quite a few players this time around but still felt they had enough ammunition to win the game.
Netminders Lewis Pickering and Joe Quinn would share goalkeeping duties 50/50.
Notable absentees: Adam Gibbons, Callum Greenhalgh, Chris Blaschko, Chris Norman, Chris Scampton, Corbyn Grace, Dzintars Jounss, Matthew Gatenby and Sam Cromack (A).
This was the third ever game between the two teams with the North Stars having won both of the previous meetings. With this fixture being played at the Motorpoint Arena, the team felt this would be a great time to get their first win.
Dressed players
Lewis Pickering (NM), Joe Quinn (NM), Chris Giles (C), Andy Giles (A), Ellen Gallimore, Andrew Hughes, Mitch White, Niks Kamaldins, Tyler Heming, Dylan Noonan, Will Gibbons, Jordan Batty, Simon Morrow, Harvey Galloway, Jake Wagner and Tom Mallon.
1st period
Early on in the game it became clear that the three officials were very pedantic and going to call every minor infringement (rather than let common sense prevail) and this led to a period littered with minor penalties, penalty killing and growing frustrations.
The Warriors were penalised at 2:23 and 5:18 for Tripping and Holding - both of which were highly debatable. But, with great effort, they killed both of these penalties.
These early penalties stalled the Warriors ability to find a rhythm in the game as they were consumed with defending and the major offensive threats that the North Stars posed.
But having reached a period of 5 v 5, the Warriors began to get a foothold in the game where they could become more offensive.
At 16:21, our joint player-coaches combined when Andy Giles stationed himself behind the North Stars net and threaded the puck to the stick of Dylan Noonan who duly buried it. 0-1 Warriors.
Whilst the period was drawing to close, there was still time for the officials to call a dubious minor penalty. At 19:31 Tyler Heming took a penalty for slashing.
Thankfully, the team managed to avoid conceding when the buzzer sounded for the first interval, but this meant the team would now start the second period on the penalty kill for the remaining 1 minute 29 seconds.
North Stars 0-1 Warriors
2nd period
The Warriors killed the remainder of the penalty which ended at 21:31, but sadly all the hard work was undone 28 seconds later when North Stars’ #18 equalised to make it 1-1.
And the North Stars’ #18 wasn’t done with making his presence known in this game, picking up an interference penalty at 25:09, a roughing penalty at 27:38 and also a slashing penalty at 27:38 - the latter penalties also relating to a fracas which involved Warriors’ Mitch White and Dylan Noonan - both of whom picked up roughing and hooking penalties in the same incident.
Only 10 seconds after the next puck-drop, the North Stars took the lead at 2-1 (clock timed at 27:48). This was a major blow for the Warriors after such a promising start.
The team now needed to pick themselves up and keep fighting. The hosts, on the other hand, had the momentum and were looking to capitalise.
Clearly, the next goal became crucial - would it become 3-1 or 2-2? Sadly, at 30:32 the North Stars extended their lead to 3-1.
The team had now conceded 3 goals in just over 10 minutes. But, whilst this was another set-back, half the period was still remaining and the Warriors just needed a settled period where they weren’t losing players to the penalty box.
Thankfully, they got their reward at 32:17 when Andy Giles passed to Mitch White who found Noonan in front of goal, where he made no mistake with his shot, scoring his second of the night. It was now 3-2 and the Warriors were right back in this game!
The remaining 8 minutes of the game were frantic, with lots of opportunities and desperate defending.
There was, however, still time for a soft minor penalty call by the officials. Niks Kamaldins having being adjudged to have tripped a North Stars player at 39:27.
Once again, this meant the Warriors would start the next period on the penalty-kill.
North Stars 3-2 Warriors
3rd period
The Warriors were able to kill off the penalty which saw them go back to 5 v 5 at 41:27.
And now the pendulum would swing the other way as the North Stars began to start dishing out hits in non-checking game. At 43:19 the hosts took a minor penalty for an illegal hit and no sooner had they killed that penalty, they took another minor penalty for an illegal hit at 45:25.
Whilst these penalties gave the Warriors power-play opportunities, they were unable to take advantage.
With the hosts having killed the penalties by 47:25 we were only 90 seconds from a game defining 29 seconds where the North Stars effectively killed the game with two quick goals.
At 49:19, after a stretch pass out of defence (which caught the Warriors defenders out), the North Stars converted on a breakaway opportunity. At 49:48, the hosts scored another good goal - managing to lift the puck high from a tight angle and over the shoulder of Warriors’ netminder Joe Quinn. Nothing our goalie could have done. Just good skill.
The score was now 5-2 to the hosts with only 10 minutes to go. Whilst the game wasn’t done and dusted, it was now a tall order. The Warriors wanted to avoid the flood-gates opening and reduce the deficit if they could.
But just a few minutes after the restart, at 52:16, the North Stars’ #18 was back on the scene with another roughing incident which pulled in another North Stars player and Warriors’ Mitch White.
Warriors’ netminder Joe Quinn approached the officials with a complaint and picked up a 2 minute minor penalty for leaving the crease.
With both teams now serving penalties it looked like the remainder of the game would be a stalemate. But, in the final minute, at 59:38, Warriors’ defenceman Tyler Heming joined up with the team’s attack and pounced on a loose puck, slotting it home to bring the score to 5-3.
With only a matter of seconds left in the game, the Warriors felt this score-line gave them respectability in defeat. So it was a shame when, with only 3 seconds left at 59:57, the North Stars converted a final time to make it 6-3.
This meant the game ended with the same score-line as the previous encounter in Leeds.
Final score:
North Stars 6-3 Warriors
Points scorers :
Dylan Noonan 2+1
Andy Giles 0+2
Tyler Heming 1+0
Mitch White 0+1
Jake Wagner
Player of the game
Andrew hughes
Captain’s POTG
The Player of the Game for the Warriors, as selected by the North Stars, went to Jake Wagner, who made a noticeable impact on the game. And the Captain’s helmet went to Andrew Hughes who played Centre for the first time and was brilliant. Well played lads!
Also, shout-outs to Dylan Noonan for his 2+1 haul and to defender Tyler Heming for his goal.
This was the third meeting between the two teams and once again the North Stars came out on top, but, it always feels like it could go either way.
The Warriors will keep on trying to get that win and one day it will come I’m sure.
Thanks to the North Stars for hosting the game at the arena. Hopefully we’ll get another challenge game arranged soon as we enjoy these close battles.
The next game for Warriors 1 is in the IHSC Cup (Ice Hockey Summer Classic). See the details below:
Saturday 28th February 2026
Warriors 1 v Grimsby Stormers
@ Planet Ice, Leeds
Face-off : 10pm
All Warriors 1 fixtures can be found here : Fixtures and Results
