For the third time this season (and the second and final time at home), Vipers encountered the Sheffield B team on the ice. After the last meeting (6-1 W to Vipers at Ice Sheffield), coach JS issued the pre-match warning they’ll be coming here with aggression and determination to revenge their defeat. This was not going to be an easy game. Vipers took this on board, and started the game well. They pressured the Sheffield defence from the first face-off, and some good heads-up passing initiated by Micky Johnson (first senior game for the Vipers) contributed to the opening goal scored by the in-form Hannah Worthington.

Julia, returning to the ice following her wrist injury, scored in her first shift. Anna (having lost the face-off) reacted quickly, recovered, and spotted Julia open for the pass, who put it away to double Viper’s early lead. The tone had been set. The look of determination was visible on all Vipers’ players faces. If Sheffield had come to prove a point, it was going to be a hard point to prove. Frenchie added a third, to give the Vipers’ a solid lead at the first interval.

The 3-0 first intermission scoreboard, turned into a 6-0 second break scoreboard. Some great team work, and visible work ethic meant that any lose pucks belonged to the home team. Helen, Julia and Hannah (second of the game) got the goals of this period as Vipers turned the screw, and Sheffield had switched their net minders late in the second period. The coach, again, demanded more goals but this time he wanted a shut-out.

Vipers had a few long shifts in the third that drew the wrath of Coach JS, as some tired legs meant that offensively we started to hold back and only managed to score one more goal. However, the girls continued to play a solid defensive game, and with Maya as ‘bricklike’ as usual in between the pipes, she saw out the remainder of the game and clocked up her third shut out of the season.

The 7-0 victory is the best that Vipers have had over the Sheffield team this season. Coach JS in the post-game press conference emphasized that this was probably the best performance of his young team so far this season. One cocky reporter then posed the question as to whether Vipers were competing for second place this season as the title was lost. JS spat out his coffee with such disgust, and followed it up by bellowing ‘The title is not lost.’ And just like that…he was gone. He left captain Coop to front the questions. When asked what team talk she had delivered, she quoted these words “Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Rise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” That girl must deliver some cracking team talks!