NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks net double points to squash Sting

Solway Sharks   9

Sutton Sting       3

Hoping to conclude their NIHL league campaign with one final victory in front of a home crowd, Solway Sharks took to the ice with twelve skaters and two netminders in the hope that it was enough to defeat Matt Darlow’s equally short benched side.

Taking to centre ice for the initial faceoff of the game, the Sharks boasted young talent in the form of forwards Luke Houston, Scott Henderson and defenceman Stuart Kerr, whilst the Sting included sixteen year old Jack Bloor in their line-up for the first time this season, also opting for second choice netminder Zack Brown in place of Dmitri Zimozdra who did not make the trip to Dumfries.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Though battling for possession from the very beginning of the game, it was Solway who made the most of their chances to put Brown under some early pressure before securing the lead on 14:49, Juraj Senko playing the puck to winger Steven Moore who cleared Sutton’s defence to find the back of the net. Managing only three shots to Solway’s sixteen, the Sting found it difficult to find a rapid response and went in at the break requiring a goal to get back on level terms. 

Returning to the ice with a view to build on their opening first period, the Sharks had doubled their lead just two minutes into the middle section through Henderson, following some neat work from captain Struan Tonnar and forward Marc Fowley. Increasing their attempts on Kieran Hobbins’ net, Sutton began to see more of the puck but it was not enough to prevent Martin Grubb’s men from scoring with a over twenty six minutes of the game played, this time Senko and Fowley on hand to set up Tonnar for his seventeenth goal of the season.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Spurred into action by a rapidly increasing deficit, the Sting fought back to claim a goal,  interim captain Ryan Johnson involving Matt Jeffcock in play to support Sergevs Jegorovs’ successful offensive effort. Unwilling to let Sutton creep back into the game, it took Solway all of forty eight seconds to light the lamp for a fourth time, Moore turning assist alongside Duncan Speirs to give Joe Coulter a chance to slot home. The Sharks’ work was not quite done however, as Tonnar linked up with Henderson to enable line mate Fowley to make it 5-1. With the clock fast approaching the second interval of the game, and after much deliberation from officials, Sutton managed to sneak in a second goal on 39:59, Johnson again helping Jegorovs to find the target with a further assist from Shaun Ashton.

Switching shot stopper Hobbins with Kyle Johnston to give the youngster some ice time, Solway Sharks returned only to hand their visitors the first power play of the game when Moore was called to the sin bin for hooking. This penalty not yet over, Fowley then found himself at fault of high sticks, incurring a penalty of five minutes plus game. Shortly afterwards, a hooking offence from Sutton’s James Goodman saw some momentum removed from the Sting and it was the Sharks who were next to score, Speirs making his mark courtesy of Coulter and Senko almost a minute after the Sting had returned to full strength.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Shortly afterwards though, Darlow’s men moved into Solway’s defensive zone and some neat passing play between Jon Woolhouse and Jegorovs drew Johnson into play, the blue liner hitting the puck past young netminder Johnston to alter the score line. Though three goals again separated the two teams, the Sharks were able to distance themselves once more, ‘D’ man James Wallace threading the puck to Tonnar who achieved his second of the game. Minutes later, the captain turned assist with Moore to give Henderson an opportunity to snatch his second for the Sharks. 

Though the Sting continued in their efforts to recover lost ground, the game was beyond the side as Tonnar hammered the final nail into their coffin, sealing his hat trick in the last minute of the game, having combined with Wallace as before.

Expressing his views after the game, Head Coach Martin Grubb told NIHL Northern Trio: “It was nice to finish our league campaign with a convincing win against a hardworking Sutton team. Both teams were short benched but we used it as an opportunity to rest some injuries and play some talented young players and I was delighted with how they played. Scott Henderson got a couple of goals and we tried to get him his first senior hat trick, and Luke Houston worked hard and had a few scoring chances, so they can be pleased with themselves. Kyle Johnston played the last period in net and did well and it is great to show that we have a strong pathway from junior to senior here. We know we need to prepare for the playoff semi-final and, although I will be away with GB under 18’s, I know the boys will be ready and Scott [McMeekan] and Cingy [player-assistant coach Martin Cingel] will do what’s needed to give us a chance. I am pleased to have made the playoffs and want to thank my players, staff and committee for the support and wish them good luck in Sheffield.”

Close call as Warriors snatch win against struggling Senators

Sheffield Senators 2

Whitley Warriors    3

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With Whitley Warriors having secured second place in the NIHL’s Moralee Conference, and Andrew Chapman’s Sheffield Senators occupying the foot of the table since the beginning of the season, many would have expected this contest to be an extremely one-sided affair in favour of the Hillheads outfit. Both teams matching in numbers, the visitors started the first period with netminder Mark Turnbull between the pipes whilst the Senators opted for first choice shot stopper Robert Browne at the other end of the ice. 

Taking control in the opening stages of the game to pressure Sheffield’s defence, the Warriors were first to light the lamp when Josh Maddock placed the puck beyond Browne on 7:39 following some neat work from Andre Payette; the Canadian making his return after a three-match ban for accumulation of penalty minutes side-lined the enforcer in recent weeks.

Soon after this lead was achieved, the Warriors found themselves at a sudden disadvantage when Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross took two minutes in the sin bin for slashing. Unable to find the back of the net on this power play, the Senators’ failure to capitalise was soon punished as Whitley added another to the score line after returning to full strength, this time the experienced Alan Yarrow striking his first point of the season on the board with an assist to young forward Ben Richards who did not miss his mark to make it 2-0. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A little over two minutes later, a clash between Yarrow and Martyn Gray broke out, the former receiving a minor for roughing and the latter sinbinned for a cross check. Playing on with four men apiece, both teams continued in their offensive efforts but the Senators found themselves at a disadvantage soon after when junior Joseph Colton was directed to join Gray to serve a tripping penalty. Though this meant that Whitley had an additional skater for fifty one seconds, the Hillheads outfit failed to capitalise and went in at the interval with a two goal lead.

Resuming play for the second period, Whitley took possession of the puck to make it difficult for the Senators to move out of their defensive zone. With almost twenty minutes of the game played, Sheffield lost Gray to the sin bin once more as referee Gregory Madsen called for a tripping penalty. Soon after, Whitley exchanged netminders as Jordan Boyle replaced Turnbull to take an equal share of ice time. With the area around the Senators net becoming increasingly crowded, the visitors could not find a way through, even with the advantage. Browne continuing to come under fire from the relentless Warriors, the shot stopper ensured that the puck remained out of his net for the remainder of the period to maintain the 2-0 score line.

Conceding a tripping penalty just three minutes into the last section of the game, the Senators were immediately placed at a disadvantage. However, persevering as they have all season, the Yorkshire outfit worked hard to battle back and eventually reaped their rewards when Thomas Parkinson let his shot fly past Boyle on 45:23 to slash Whitley’s two goal cushion with a shorthanded, unassisted effort.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A slashing penalty from defenceman Jordan Martin saw the Senators reduced to four men, having returned to full strength just three minutes before. Unwilling to concede a second shorthanded effort, skilled Warrior Callum Watson hit home with approximately ten minutes still to play with an assist from Dean Holland, who fulfilled the role of alternate captain in the absence of ‘D’ man Dan Pye. Minutes later, the Warriors were guilty of icing too many men which saw the side serve a bench minor for their transgression. 

Handing the Senators a power play, it took all of forty five seconds for Chapman’s men to slot the puck past Boyle, alternate captains Nathan Parkes-Britton and Jonathan Bell linking up to send Alexander Harding through on goal. The score line 3-2, the Senators called a time out on 58:54 but Whitley were able to cling to their narrow lead for the remainder of the game, Longstaff’s men unable to find a way beyond Browne, though the Warriors outshot the Senators by thirteen to six in this period. 

This the closest the Senators have come to gaining a point, player-coach David Longstaff took the time to reflect on the Warriors’ performance after the game: “It was interesting to see the team play from the side lines so I could see the strengths and weaknesses first hand. I know we can play better and we sometimes underestimated the Sheffield team that had lost thirty one games out of thirty one games. At some points, I actually found myself rooting for the Senators to get their first point of the season, but only for a second or two, then I had to slap myself and realise that I expect better from a team who has performed with everything they have every night. If we can take anything from this game, it tells us that Solihull are probably the favourites to get to the final on the bigger ice surface but we guarantee we’ll give it everything we’ve got to upset them!”

Stars dazzle Hawks to draw but post-buzzer brawl takes limelight

Billingham Stars    3

Blackburn Hawks  3

With nothing to lose going into this game, Billingham Stars took to the ice against Blackburn Hawks with the hope that they could challenge the Moralee Conference title winners in their last league game of the season. Whilst Tom Keeley returned to Billingham’s blue line following injury, the Hawks boasted two extra skaters in the form of youngsters Kyle Haslam and Callum Strong, both of whom have featured a few times for the Hawks this season.

Making a strong start to the opening period, the Hawks were first to score, forward Adam Brittle finding the back of the net following some neat passing between alternate captain Matt Viney and defenceman Chris Butler. This lead was short lived however, as the Stars organised a rapid response to light the lamp just twenty two seconds later, captain Paul Windridge aiding youngster Josh Nertney in his efforts to achieve his second senior goal of the season.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A little over two minutes later, the puck was again fired beyond the red line and, though it may have been to the surprise of many, it was Billingham who took the lead, Windridge receiving a pass from forward Jack Emerson to find the target on this occasion.The score line 2-1, both teams continued to seek offensive opportunities and the Stars were unlucky not to extend their lead when Chris Sykes went clear of Blackburn’s defence in the sixteenth minute but no further scoring meant that the home side headed in on the front foot.

Returning for the second period, the Stars continued to have their fair share of offensive opportunities with netminder Brittle facing just one more shot than Star James Flavell. Taking an interference penalty six minutes into the period, Blackburn’s Max Drakeley gave Billingham a power play but the home side could not find a way past Daniel MacKriel’s defence and watched as the visitors were restored to full strength. Soon after, both teams were reduced to four men as James Moss clashed with Matt Viney, the former warming a seat in the sin bin for a cross check, the latter guilty of roughing. Approximately a minute and a half after these penalties were dished out, the Hawks lost Reece Cairney-Witter to the sin bin following a tripping call against the defenceman.  The Stars took this opportunity to make it 3-1, Michael Elder lifting the puck beyond Brittle with less than thirty five minutes of the game played.

In the last moments of the middle stanza, both sides ran into further penalty trouble as Billingham’s Andy Munroe served a minor for holding whilst the Hawks’ blue liner Drakeley was called to the penalty box for hooking before Viney was made to join the duo for a slashing offence.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With the Hawks’ penalties running into the third period, Billingham had a short advantage in the opening minute but the side failed to make the most of their scoring chances and it was not long before two man officiating system David Farren and Anthony Boynton were called into action again; Munroe and Viney conceding minors once more for cross checking and interference respectively. It was during this four-on-four situation that the Hawks saw fit to punish the Stars, scoring on 47:47 as Adam Brittle and Richard Bentham united to set up long-serving blue liner Ollie Lomax. Sixteen seconds later, the Stars, having led for so long, were stunned by an equalising goal from Blackburn, this time Lomax turning assist alongside Bentham to place the puck perfectly for line mate Brittle who buried his shot into the top corner of Flavell’s net.

It was then the turn of Elder and Lee Pollitt to make way on 52:38, both players serving minor penalties. The Teesiders were soon reduced to three men however, when Munroe was ushered to the sin bin for holding, handing Blackburn the advantage. Swedish import Dennis Boström came close to scoring with fifty three minutes played but his shot did not make it past Brittle and, in the moments that followed, Blackburn were able to place the puck beyond Flavell but the would-be goal was rapidly ruled out by officials for making contact with the netminder’s mask and the score line remained at 3-3.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Both teams restored to five men, the Stars made the decision to call a time out but words from coaching staff were not enough to alter the score line. However, as the final buzzer sounded, the score line was not of concern as the game quickly descended into chaos, following a hit from Adam Brittle on defenceman Ben Davison. As Hawks’ players piled into the action, and both benches appeared on the ice, shot stopper Daniel Brittle raced from his net to involve himself in the fracas, soon clashing with Stars’ back up netminder Mark Watson. Meanwhile, a fight between Stars’ goaltender James Flavell and Blackburn’s second choice netminder Stuart Ashton broke out whilst Moss clashed with Hawks’ enforcer-like defenceman Cairney-Witter. Further to this, Stars’ forward Chris Sykes fought with Aaron Davies and youngster Billy Nicholson clashed with Lomax. Surprisingly, no penalties were issued to any of the players involved and both teams eventually filed off the ice with an equal share of the points.

Reflecting on the event, Star Chris Sykes noted: “Sunday’s game was a hard fought battle. We set out to stick with Blackburn for the full sixty minutes, finish our checks and make sure we were clinical in front of the net. It was a hard hitting and good game to watch. I can imagine there was plenty to see. Drawing 3-3 was a good result. We were up and we had five bad minutes and they were back into it but that’s why they’re the league champions. They held us to a draw and we were pleased with our performance. As for the end of the game, a hit was made on Ben Davison and we didn’t take it lightly. We just got in there and stuck up for each other. A few fights happened and a few scuffles but that’s just ice hockey sometimes.”

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