Slough Jets are NIHL1 Britton Conference Winners

The final day of the regular season came down to a simple equation, the Jets needed just to win in regulation time to secure the league title while Streatham needed to win their game and hope the Jets lost.

The Hangar was packed to the rafters as the Slough Jets skated out for their final league game of the season, a sea of phone flashlights and a roar of voices and horns welcoming them to the ice.

To the casual observer, it seemed as if Cardiff came to Slough with a plan to just stop the Jets from scoring. Their goaltender Ben Scanlan faced 29 shots in the first period and turned them all away. The offensive pressure of the Jets kept the visitors pinned in their own defensive zone for the majority of the period.

Finally, over half way through the second period, the excited crowd got what they came for when Dylan Holicka scored the game’s first goal, a well taken shorthanded strike at 34.06 with Ben Ealey-Newman sitting out a slashing penalty. A margin of safety was added at 37.21 when Liam Clark scored his first home goal for the Jets with a pin-point shot from the point through traffic which beat Scanlan.

Nathan Gregory, after facing just four shots in the opening two periods, was replaced by Matt Smital in the Jets’ net for the third period. He too only faced two shots in his 20 minutes in net. At the other end, Scanlan was kept busy with another 18 shots reigning in on him. Despite coming close on several occasions, the Jets could make no further addition to their score but the two goals that were already on the board were enough to secure the shutout win and with it the 2024/25 National Ice Hockey League Britton Conference title.

After the game a delighted Steve English shared his thoughts. “Tonight was amazing, it was great to see just what the Slough Jets mean to so many people with the rink remaining packed well after the final whistle to see all the presentations. Congratulations to Lukas and the team, tonight was all about them. After 35 games it all came down to the final night of the regular season. The team knew what they needed to do and it may not have been the most emphatic victory of the season but it was arguably the most important. Everyone played their part, not letting the Cardiff tactics distract them from their roles. The building erupted when the first goal was scored and the excitement and expectation could be felt in the air. When the second goal went in the building erupted even louder and the cheer at the final hooter, after the entire support had counted down the final 10 seconds could probably be heard in neighbouring streets!

“I’m so proud of the team and their achievements this season. It’s been an amazing season, there’s been some tough wins, some easier wins and some hard to take defeats but the team has shown determination all season long. This win was not only a reflection of 36 games this year but also of development and planning over the last few years in addition to some key signings made both last summer and during the season. It’s been a great league to play in this year, made even more so by the fact it was decided on the very last day of the regular season.”

He concluded; “There will rightly be a celebration of the league win for the players and back room staff but not for long as the play-offs start on Saturday so it’ll be back to training ahead of what will be another tough weekend as we face Cardiff Fire home and away. As yet no dates are confirmed but check our website and social media as we’ll announce whether we are home or away Saturday or Sunday as soon as we get confirmation. Thank you to the fans for your immense support so far this season and we look forward to you roaring us on again this coming weekend as we start the play off campaign.”

Slough Jets will face Cardiff Fire in the opening play-off weekend over a home and away weekend, the winner on aggregate score will advance to the next round. The Jets will be at home either on Saturday (6.30 face-off) or Sunday (5.45 face-off) with dates to be confirmed.