HARINGEY Greyhounds net-minder Laura Saunders was stretchered off the ice by paramedics at Alexandra Palace on Sunday after suffering suspected spinal cord injuries. The 21-year-old Great Britain international was injured when she attempted to block...

HARINGEY Greyhounds net-minder Laura Saunders was stretchered off the ice by paramedics at Alexandra Palace on Sunday after suffering suspected spinal cord injuries.

The 21-year-old Great Britain international was injured when she attempted to block a shot and landed awkwardly, and both coaches immediately agreed to halt the match with Haringey 8-0 down in the final period. The scoreline will stand.

"It was initially thought it may have been a vertebrae or another form of more serious neck injury," said Greyhounds owner Nick Rothwell.

"Laura was very distressed at the time of the injury and and paramedics came and took her to hospital.

"She had tried to block a shot on her right and twisted her body awkwardly, and you can't just take a player off the ice who has a potential serious injury like that as they must be moved safely.

"It has ended up being soft tissue injuries after going in for x-rays and she has been given the all clear. I have no idea how long she will be off for, it is much more important she has time to recover from her injury." James Tipper is expected to take over as net-minder.

Saunders' injury capped a horrific weekend for Haringey, who were already 8-0 down to the visitors after Ross Brears' brace and a goal apiece from Danny Hammond, Sean Easton, Blaho Novak, Rich Whiting, Alex Green and Jerry Pavlus.

That was preceded by another 8-0 drubbing the previous day against Streatham Redskins, with former Greyhound Perry Richardson netting a hat-trick against his old club just two months after his switch in November.

Streatham had the upper hand from the outset and already led the penalty count 5-1 before Richardson put them ahead on 15 minutes.

Louis Lockwood made it 2-0 at the end of the first period, and he then extended the lead even further after the break. Hounds rallied but couldn't benefit from a brace of penalties, and their misery was compounded when Peter Molnar and Richardson added to the deficit.

Trailing 5-0 as the third period commenced, Hounds looked down and out, and so it proved as Kent Johnson and Jacob Siegeris netted, before Richardson got his third two minutes from time.