NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks extinguish Dragons’ fire with victory

Solway Sharks    3

The Dragons           1

Hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Billingham Stars, Solway Sharks were under no illusions as to the difficulties of this encounter, the side finding themselves up against Scott McKenzie’s Dragons who went into this game with much momentum after their 9-4 victory over defending champions Blackburn Hawks last Sunday. With Duncan Speirs, Jordan Buesa and Connor Henderson missing this weekend due to Team GB duties in Budapest, the Sharks took the opportunity to introduce forwards Richard Thorp, Callum Blair, Tom Johnston and Kieran Hair to the NIHL whilst The Dragons travelled with a strong line-up which included two-way player Bradley Betteridge, the team’s newest signing.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Competing for possession from the first puck drop, it became clear very quickly that both teams were willing to endure the fight for maximum points, causing those early moments in the game to be closely contested with neither side able to break the deadlock. As Solway’s finest tried their utmost to print their name on the scoresheet, shot stopper Jonah Armstrong proved to be a sturdy match for the Sharks whilst player-coach McKenzie and his men tried their luck at the other end of the ice, though to no avail. With close to eight minutes on the clock, referee Steven Wardell chose to make his first call of the game against Dragons’ ‘D’ man Ross Kennedy who was dealt a minor for hooking. Placing the home side on a power play, the Dragons were called upon to ensure that Solway did not take the lead but the team’s defence remained calm under pressure to keep the Sharks at bay. The game continuing in much the same fashion, with captain Struan Tonnar spurring his team on in the absence of Head Coach Martin Grubb whilst McKenzie and Finnish forward Markus Kankaanranta tested young netminder Calum Hepburn on more than one occasion, the first goal of the game arrived with just eight seconds of the opening period remaining when alternate captains James Hutchinson and Ross Murray teamed up to successfully send Tonnar through on goal.

The score line 1-0 in favour of the home side, the fervent Dragons returned for the second period with hopes of snatching the next goal to avoid a growing deficit. Despite their efforts however, it was not long before the puck was in the net again for the Sharks as Armstrong found himself beaten on 22:03, this time returnee Marc Fowley lighting the lamp with support from left winger Steven Moore and youngster Daniel Abercrombie. This two-goal lead now far more comfortable for the Sharks, the Dragons began to gradually creep back into the game and were finally able to gain a foothold when McKenzie fired home courtesy of dexterous import Kankaanranta on 33:48. With less than seven minutes of the period remaining and the points once again hanging in the balance for league leaders Solway, Grubb’s men looked to challenge Armstrong who pulled off some fantastic saves to ensure that his teammates’ work was not undone. The score line 2-1 at the end of the second period, both teams filed from the ice with little separating them and with the points all to play for in the final instalment of the game.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the third stanza, the Dragons were eager to build on the form of recent fixtures with a positive result and, as such, turned their attentions to levelling the game but Solway’s sturdy defencemen made sure this was not possible, with import blue liners Kim Miettinen and Juraj Senko working hard alongside fellow defencemen Stuart Kerr, Stuart Andrews and Hutchinson. As the two teams continued to battle between zones, events soon took a turn for the worst as Murray found himself ejected from the game for a kneeing offence on 47:01. From this incident, a Dragons’ power play ensued as youngster Kieran Hair served the five minute penalty which accompanied Murray’s game misconduct. Biding their time on the penalty kill, the Sharks were then able to punish the Dragons’ inability to capitalise, scoring shortly after the termination of this penalty when Tonnar turned assist alongside Senko to find Moore; the left winger’s skill shining through, the Shark was able to beat Armstrong with less than six minutes left to play. With Solway continuing to pile the pressure onto the Dragons’ young netminder, the Dumfries outfit were able to out shoot their opposition by two to one in this period but Armstrong remained strong between the pipes to execute some outstanding saves, though he could do little to reverse Solway’s 3-1 victory.

Sting lack venom as short benched Sharks bite back

Sutton Sting            1

Solway Sharks    5

Heading into this game on the back of their 3-1 win over The Dragons, Solway Sharks were prepared for another fight against Simon Butterworth’s tricky Sutton Sting but this was not going to be an easy task following the success of the Sheffield-based outfit at Telford Ice Rink on Saturday evening.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing off in the first period, both sides were prepared for a difficult clash and it proved to be so in the opening moments as the teams fought for control with a view to create some effective offensive opportunities. With the game rather uneventful at this point in play, the first real opportunity to arise went to Solway Sharks who were handed a power play on 12:34 following a holding call against Sutton’s alternate captain Matt Jeffcock. The visitors were unable to make the most of this advantage as they continued their fight against the Sting’s sturdy defence and soon found themselves shorthanded when Finnish defenceman Kim Miettinen incurred a minor for interference. This time, Butterworth’s men were unable to get ahead in the game and it was clear that neither team were going to alter the scoreboard before the first interval arrived.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hoping for a far better second period, both sides returned with their sights set on claiming the first goal of the game but league leaders Solway Sharks were first to light the lamp as skilled forward Marc Fowley hit the target for a second consecutive game, having only just returned from injury on Saturday. The deadlock broken, the Sharks began to see more opportunities fall their way to apply pressure to netminder Zack Brown. Consequently, it was not long before Solway doubled their lead as guest players Elliot Knell and Alexander Harding teamed up to see fellow Sheffield Senator Nathan Britton find the back of the net. Their hold on the game beginning to slip, Sutton were further stunned when alternate captain James Hutchinson lined Britton up for another a little over three minutes later to make it 3-0. Just fifty three seconds had passed by when a roughing penalty against alternate captain Ross Murray handed Sutton a power play but, again, the side were unable to make it count despite the efforts of hardworking captain James Spurr and former EPL forward Lloyd Gibson. Returning to full strength, normal play was resumed with the Sharks trying to build on their three-goal lead whilst Sutton worked hard to dismantle Solway’s offensive play.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With this the nature of the game before the break, the two sides filed back onto the ice for the final period, hoping that two points would be within their grasp at the end of the fixture. However, the early stages of this stanza did not go as planned for either side, both suffering penalties just five minutes in as Sutton’s Charlie Saunders and Solway’s Hutchinson made way for holding and hooking offences respectively. Despite this small setback, the Dumfries outfit did not let this hinder their progress and fifty nine seconds later, the puck was again in the back of the net for the side as passing play between Knell and Kerr resulted in Britton’s hat trick, the guest player able to make the greatest impact on the night. It was around four minutes later that the home side were able to respond with a goal of their own as defenceman James Goodman grabbed a goal for the Sting on 52:48 courtesy of versatile team mate Mark Turner. With Solway continuing to out shoot their opposition, the side were disappointed to lose Harding to the sin bin for slashing whilst Sutton’s ‘D’ man Chris Wilcox was also made to serve a minor for roughing. This penalty did not appear to have a great affect for Grubb’s men as left winger Steven Moore sought youngster Daniel Abercrombie whose pass to blue liner Juraj Senko was finally slotted past Brown to make it 5-1. Whilst the Sharks had much to celebrate, Sutton’s alternate captain Ryan Johnson then conceded a tripping penalty seven seconds before Wilcox’s time was up to present the Sharks with a power play as they returned to full strength. Again though, Solway failed to make their chances count as the final moments of the game unfolded, meaning the Sting were able to see out their 5-1 home defeat without further concession before the final buzzer. Commenting after the game, captain Struan Tonnar noted: “I think we took a while to start and started to try and play their style of game. It was a bit of a stalemate, we kept most of the possession but struggled to convert any chances. Once we shook the bus legs off and came back for the second, we started to dictate the game and put our systems into place.”

Stars unearth points in Dragons’ den as title hopes burn on

The Dragons           3

Billingham Stars     9

Travelling to Deeside with a strong line-up of fifteen skaters and two netminders, though without defencemen Will Robson, Andy Finn and Callum Read, Billingham Stars found themselves up against Scott McKenzie’s skilled but resilient outfit who were eager to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Solway Sharks on the previous evening.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Aware that a positive start to the game was key if they were to contend with the spirited Welsh outfit, the Stars made the better start to the game, finding themselves on a power play with just over a minute played as former Hawk Jordan Bannon was shown to the sin bin for boarding. Though unable to open the scoring on the advantage, the Stars were able to build on this early possession to capitalise with a goal on 4:19 as Tom Keeley played the puck to forward Daniel Palmebjörk who did not miss his mark, the Swede in good form of late. Before the home side so much as had a chance to consider an equaliser, the Stars then hit the Dragons with another forty five seconds later as alternate captain Callum Davies threaded the puck to Dennis Boström who set fellow forward Michael Elder on course to make it 2-0. This the score line with just over five minutes played, the Stars continued more comfortably before suffering a slight setback just beyond the midpoint of the period when Davies was sent to the box for hooking. Though shorthanded, the Stars were able to turn the situation on its head as, just fifty eight seconds into their penalty kill, the Teessiders were able to add to their tally; experienced player-coach Richie Thornton setting up Palmebjörk’s seventh league goal of the season to make it three for the visitors. Shortly afterwards, a clash between Dragon Geoff Wigglesworth and Star Chris Sykes saw the duo side-lined for roughing on 14:41 to leave their teams continuing their efforts on goal in their absence. Whilst the home side found it difficult to contend with outstanding shot stopper James Flavell, the Stars sustained their possession ahead of the break to prevent their opposition from chipping away at their three goal deficit.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Having failed to score in the opening period, The Dragons were eager to get on the scoresheet and did so on 25:13 when young defenceman Ross Kennedy troubled Flavell with a superb unassisted shot to beat Billingham’s defence. Quick to retaliate, Terry Ward’s men were able to cancel out this effort with a goal of their own as Boström etched his name onto the scoresheet following neat passing play between Elder and alternate captain Davies. Just seconds later though, events took another turn as a boarding offence from Gavin Austin led to roughing minors for both Boström and Jack Davies whilst the Dragon received the same punishment for his misdemeanour. Undeterred, the visitors returned to full strength only to wreak havoc with their offensive play as player-coach Michael Bowman made it 5-1 courtesy of Sykes and Palmebjörk on 31:09, only for Boström to snatch his second of the game eighty one seconds later with support arriving from ‘D’ man Keeley. Struggling to contain Billingham, the Dragons were aware that they needed to act and were able to add another to their tally with close to thirty five minutes played, this time junior Joshua Richardson lighting the lamp for his side. Less than one minute later, a hooking offence against Matthew Campbell provided McKenzie’s men with another opportunity to make their chances count but this advantage was soon frittered away to see the Welsh line-up head in on the wrong end of the 6-2 score line, despite their twenty three shots on Flavell’s net.

Taking to the ice with much work to do in the final period, the Dragons recognised their need to go on the offensive whilst uniting in defence. Required to show strength across all areas of the ice was no easy task for the trailing team however, and it was little surprise when the Stars stormed into the Dragons’ defensive zone to earn themselves a seventh goal; Keeley linking up with Bowman on this occasion to assist forward Chris Sykes on 45:22. Just over a minute later, the despondent Dragons then conceded another when Boström took control of the puck to see Jack Watkins slot home but, with growing determination, the home side opted to fight back and their resolve soon resulted in a goal of their own as Kennedy’s unassisted shot fired past Flavell just forty seconds later to make it 8-3. With the result beyond doubt, the Dragons continued to defend against the Stars’ attack and were not without their own chances on Matthew Compton’s net, though their efforts proved fruitless. A final addition to Billingham’s tally from skilled import Boström increased the Dragons’ deficit to six, with Thornton and Davies on hand to assist once more. As the period drew to a close, there was still enough time for Davies to pick up a slashing penalty on 57:33 but the home side were unable to grab a consolatory goal on the power play, only to see the Stars leave with maximum points. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Remaining in second place, Billingham currently find themselves eight points behind league leaders Solway Sharks whereas the Dragons remain in sixth place with four victories from fourteen games. Reflecting on this encounter, Star Chris Sykes told NIHL Northern Trio: “The Dragons have been making a few heads turn with some good results against some of the other teams but we seem to have got the upper hand against them so far in the meetings this season and it was the same story on Sunday night. We had good control all game and we were clinical in our chances. We went up 3-0 at the end of the first but, coming out for the second, we slowed down a bit and they bagged a couple of goals; it knocked us back into gear and we just powered on from there. We played a good game against a well-drilled side. They’ve brought in some players but we seem to have the beating of them this season. As I said, it was a good road win for us and two more points in the league.”

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