NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 MORALEE CONFERENCE

Sunday 3rd January 2016

Billingham Stars vs. Solihull Barons

As the only fixture for our NIHL Northern Trio this weekend, all eyes will be on Billingham Stars for their first game of 2016 on Sunday in which they are set to take on Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Currently holding onto sixth position, with Solway Sharks just three points behind them and Sheffield Spartans only three points in front, Terry Ward’s men will look to take maximum points in a bid to pile the pressure onto the Yorkshire outfit who have played nineteen fixtures in comparison to Billingham’s sixteen. With games in hand, the Stars could move up the table in the next few weeks but, set to encounter the Barons again on the 10^th January, and Sutton Sting a week later, this will be no mean feat. 

Already, the Barons have proved their worth in Division One following their promotion last season, recently switching fourth position for third to get ahead of playoff rivals Telford Tigers in the NIHL league table. Led by experienced player-coach Doyle, Solihull have shown great quality and versatility from the first face off of the season, winning six consecutive fixtures over the course of October, and into the first week of November, to both impress and stun their Division One rivals. The goal scoring abilities of two-way player Thomas Soar, alternate captain Josh Bruce and forward Edward Eaton places the trio in the ‘NIHL’s top ten most valuable players’ bracket at present, having accumulated ninety three points between them.

Another standout feature of Barons’ play is the power displayed by the team on a weekly basis which is somewhat reflected in the four hundred and twelve penalty minutes that have been conceded by the side since September. However, as this style of play is combined with effective offensive work, the Barons demonstrate their balance of strength and skill, an equilibrium which has certainly paid off, the side winning ten games out of seventeen to earn an impressive twenty points.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Whilst Solihull are set to face Sutton Sting on Saturday prior to their clash with the Stars, Billingham go into this fixture on the back of a loss against league leaders Blackburn Hawks. As a result, Terry Ward’s team will be searching for a win over the Barons to ensure that they not only enhance their current position, but do not slip into further difficulties. On hand to aid Billingham through such challenges is sturdy shot stopper James Flavell who continues to show his fortitude between the pipes with a save percentage of 92.24%. Whilst it may seem that Billingham have so far fallen short of their objective to compete within the top four spots again this season, the team still has time to turn their fortune around, particularly as import Dennis Boström and versatile winger Chris Sykes continue to light the lamp for the Teesiders. However, injury woes have hampered the team’s efforts in recent games with Jack Davies, James Moss, Jamie Pattison and Matthew Campbell all missing out against Blackburn, whilst Paul Windridge and Michael Bowman also sustained injuries during Billingham’s encounter with the Hawks two weeks ago. Should these players be side-lined again on Sunday, their absence will have a significant impact on the outcome of the game, particularly as the loss of these crucial players caused disruption to Terry Ward’s lines in the side’s previous fixture. With the Barons having already triumphed over Billingham twice, both at Hobs Moat Road and The Forum, Billingham will surely be out for revenge against the outfit and can only hope that these key players will soon be back with the team as they look to fight for points in the coming months.

For fans hoping to attend this game, Billingham Stars face off against Solihull Barons at The Forum from 6:30pm.

For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.