Tuesday 31 October 2017

NIHL Weekend Action

Hungry Hawks soar to victory over Warriors

Blackburn Hawks   6
Whitley Warriors     2

Travelling to Lancashire with sixteen skaters and netminders Mark Turnbull and Richie Lawson, Whitley Warriors went out in the hope that they could put in a good performance to gain momentum ahead of their home fixture against Solway Sharks on Sunday. By comparison, Blackburn Hawks were aiming for maximum points to keep up with their competition at the top of the table after finding themselves just two points behind Telford Tigers going into this game; the side lining up with just one skater less than their visitors whilst opting for shot stopper Stuart Ashton between the pipes.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Facing off against the Hawks, Whitley were keen to get goals on the scoreboard but found themselves up against Blackburn’s relentless offensive play in the opening stages of the period and were pleased to be awarded the additional man with just over five minutes played when captain Ollie Lomax headed to the sin bin for high sticks. Although Blackburn were able to see off Whitley’s power play, it was not long after that the visitors opened the scoring; forward Shaun Kippin finding the target after some neat passing play from blue liners Harry Harley and Liam Smedley. Striving to bounce back from this goal, the Hawks were further stunned when Whitley’s Canadian import Philip Edgar doubled his side’s lead with help from fellow forward Ben Richards and player-coach David Longstaff on 10:09 to spur Steven Duncombe’s men into action. Taking control of possession to build up their creative play in the Warriors’ defensive zone, the home team soon halved their deficit, youngster James Royds playing the puck to forward Jozef Ištocy approximately four minutes later to see the Slovakian print his name on the scoresheet. With both teams continuing to strive for their next goal and neither able to add to their tally though netminders Ashton and Turnbull were equally tested, Whitley were able to head in with a narrow 2-1 margin at the first interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Returning to the ice, Blackburn were determined to claw their way back into this game and it was not long before they drew level, Ištocy turning assist alongside forward James Riddoch to provide Rick Bentham with an opportunity to achieve his eighth league goal of the season on 23:39. Just seventeen seconds later, salt was added to Whitley’s wounds when forward Callum Watson was shown to the sin bin for hooking to hand the Hawks a power play. In spite of their advantage, Blackburn were unable to contend with Whitley’s effective defending and were left no choice but to continue their search for a lead in the game. However, realising their need to fight their way back to recover lost ground, the Warriors sought to challenge Ashton to have twice as many shots on goal than their opposition but Whitley soon regretted their inability to execute these chances as the Hillheads outfit fell behind for the first time in the contest, Ištocy grabbing his second of the evening as Bentham returned the favour alongside defenceman Bobby Streetly to make it 3-2. Just over a minute later, Turnbull found himself punished further when Hawks’ experienced forward Aaron Davies hit home on 35:02 to present his team with a two-goal cushion, Ištocy and Bentham with their second assists of the game. Astounded to fall behind with such rapidity, player-coach Longstaff immediately opted for a timeout but his words appeared to have no effect as play resumed only for the Warriors to concede their third in less than three minutes, forward Matt Viney slotting the puck beyond Turnbull following creative play between youngster Royds and forward Lee Pollitt to make it 5-2. Seeing fit to switch Turnbull for Lawson at this point in the game, the Warriors pursued a goal to address their three-goal deficit but Blackburn remained confident following the acquisition of their lead and were able to see off their visitors’ attempts to file from the ice, with a three-goal margin separating the two outfits.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Facing off for the third and final period, the Warriors were aware that they would have their work cut out to get back into this game, particularly as Blackburn showed no signs of letting up. A second penalty for Longstaff’s line-up on 45:17 saw Richards sit out for delaying the game to provide the Hawks with the additional man. Seeking an avenue beyond Lawson, Blackburn put their efforts into grabbing a sixth goal on the power play but their many attempts proved to be to no avail and the Warriors returned to full strength to try their luck at the other end of the ice only to find themselves faced with Ashton’s excellent netminding. With the Hawks calm and composed having achieved such a lead, Whitley were left to struggle against Blackburn’s defence and could not add to their tally in any way. Utterly defeated, Longstaff’s line-up were then further dismayed when Pollitt claimed a goal in the final minute, hardworking forward Royds picking up a third assist of the evening to see the game concluded at 6-2 on the final buzzer.


 Solway fail to tame Tigers in close contest

Solway Sharks   0
Telford Tigers           3

Missing only two-way player Connor Henderson and injured alternate captain James Hutchinson from their regular line-up, Solway Sharks were able to take to the ice with fourteen skaters with latest signings Adam Robinson and Duncan Speirs both available for this fixture. Meanwhile, Telford Tigers made the trip to the Dumfries Ice Bowl with a squad of seventeen players which did not include player-coach Tom Watkins who was absent following a two-game suspension after failing to place a Level 2 coach in charge of Telford’s team bench against Blackburn Hawks last weekend.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Hurling themselves into this fixture in their bid to compete with the best, Solway Sharks flew onto the ice in search of a goal, doing all they could to bombard sturdy shot stopper Denis Bell with their attacking play but the Tigers were successful in their quest for possession to counter this onslaught and to test Calum Hepburn and his defence at the other end of the ice. Though holding onto the deadlock beyond the halfway point of the period, the Sharks found that their efforts to survive Telford’s offensive play were very much in vain and the outfit soon fell behind as their visitors proved clinical; the Tigers making the most of an opportunity which fell their way when forward Matthew Price and versatile Tiger Dale White teamed up to play the puck to captain Jason Silverthorn who did not miss his mark on 12:00. Undeterred, the Dumfries outfit showed fortitude to maintain their work ethic and pursue an equaliser but, pleased with their lead, Telford were more than happy to double it with just fifty one seconds remaining in the first period, this time forward Jack Watkins printing his name on the scoresheet with support from former Shark Kim Miettinen and alternate captain Warren Tait to head in with a two-goal cushion at the interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Facing off for the second period, Solway raised their game further in their efforts to contend with the Tigers, with captain Struan Tonnar, forward Iain Bowie and left winger Steven Moore amongst those setting their sights on goal, but Telford were unwavering to see off the Sharks’ shots, the home team now carving out more chances which were prevented on several occasions by some outstanding shot stopping from netminder Bell. Though outshooting their opposition for a second period, this time by thirteen shots to seven, the Sharks could not find a way to beat Telford’s blue line and, equally, their visitors could not add to Solway’s deficit, though Silverthorn and fellow forwards Joe Miller and Rick Plant battled to punish Hepburn further. As such, Telford went in at the second break with no more than two goals to their name, the Sharks still disappointed to be behind after their many attempts to get on the scoresheet.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Heading into the third period, the Tigers were eager to secure the game and got off to the best start when a delayed penalty against Moore saw Silverthorn accomplish his fifteenth goal of the season only twenty two seconds into the stanza; defenceman Corey Goodison working with Miller to present their captain with his second of the game. Though suffering a setback, Solway retaliated to fire against skilled netminder Bell but, once again, the Sharks could not make their mark on the game as Telford clung on to their 3-0 lead. With both teams remaining disciplined, Solway found themselves presented with their only power play of this encounter on 53:23 when Tait was sidelined for high sticks. Labouring in Telford’s defensive zone, the Sharks came close when blue liner Stuart Kerr chimed the puck against the post but, even after a succession of scrambles in front of Bell’s net, the home team could not grab a goal to see another chance slip by. With time fast running out and the Tigers’ managing the remaining moments of the game, Solway were forced to accept their defeat to the league leaders on the final buzzer which brought with it a misconduct penalty for netminder Hepburn who happened to remove his helmet during the handshake.

Considering this contest, Solway’s Head Coach Martin Grubb revealed: “Obviously, we were disappointed with the result and being shutout at home but I thought we actually played pretty well. Telford have that extra bit of quality and punished us with that but I thought we played decent hockey and skated with them. All that was lacking was our finishing and a little bounce around the net.”


Warriors fire four past Solway to sink Sharks

Whitley Warriors      4
Solway Sharks      2


Taking to the ice with most of their roster at their disposal, Whitley Warriors found that they were only missing forwards Ben Richards and Stuart Tomlinson, blue liner Dan Pye and youngsters Anthony Wetherell and Ross Douglass from their usual line-up. The Sharks, on the other hand, travelled with fifteen skaters, including young defenceman Ben Coughtrie, who made his debut with the side on Saturday against Telford Tigers, and returnee Duncan Speirs, although forward Connor Henderson and injured blue liner James Hutchinson missed out once again.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Heading out for the first period, it was clear that both teams were more than ready for the contest and it showed as the sides battled fothe puck from faceoff, the Warriors racing into Solway’s defensive zone to make netminder Calum Hepburn work whilst the Sharks were quick to counter. With both teams working hard to compete for possession, it was not long before a penalty was drawn as Whitley’s captain Dean Holland headed to the sin bin for interference with only 3:02 on the clock to present Solway with the advantage. However, rapid line changes allowed the Warriors to disassemble the Sharks’ power play, allowing the home team to return to full strength without falling behind in the game. The two outfits competing closely to make for a fast paced, end-to-end opening period, both Hepburn and shot stopper Richie Lawson were called into action but neither side could break the dead lock. Handed their first power play opportunity of the game on 15:12 when Scott Cooper was shown to the sin bin for illegal equipment, Whitley’s passing play was not at its strongest and Solway were able to deal comfortably with the Warriors’ attempts on goal to kill their penalty with success. With both failing to capitalise on the chances which fell their way, the two sides filed from the ice without a goal to their name at the first interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Resuming play for the second period, both teams were eager to be the first to open their account and Whitley thought they had done just that when the puck edged beyond Hepburn but this effort was quickly ruled out by referee Robin Elliot due to a player in the crease. With this scare fresh in their minds, the Sharks rallied to retaliate, captain Struan Tonnar unleashing a shot to beat Lawson on 22:48 following a pass from former Warrior Scott Cooper. Disappointed to go behind after initially making a strong start to this period, Whitley improved on their offensive play and continued to add pressure to Solway’s defence, eventually finding an equaliser through outstanding Canadian import Philip Edgar who rocketed the puck beyond Hepburn to allow his team to draw level, Holland and blue liner Harry Harley with the assists. Just over a minute later, Sharks’ alternate captain Ross Murray was sidelined for holding to hand Whitley a power play but Longstaff’s line-up were once again unable to capitalise. The Warriors’ advantage was enhanced on 29:03 when Solway’s ‘D’ man Kyle Horne made way for slashing with thirty four seconds of Murray’s penalty remaining to provide the side with a short five-on-three power play but again, Whitley could not contend with their visitors’ penalty kill to leave the score line at 1-1. It was not long after Solway’s return to full strength though that the game took a fiery turn, both teams reduced to four men as an attempt on Hepburn’s net saw Murray involved in a minor confrontation with Longstaff, Shaun Kippin and Josh Maddock whilst Tonnar and experienced Warrior Ryan Sample were also drawn into the incident, the duo picking up two minutes each for roughing on 31:51. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Just under two minutes after Tonnar and Sample were restored to the ice, Whitley were able to take the lead for the first time in the game, power forward Jordan Barnes working with import Edgar to send Holland through on goal, the captain accomplishing his third goal of the season. Just seven seconds later, Barnes was sidelined for holding to see his team endure another penalty kill but the Warriors again returned to full strength unscathed. Immediately seeking an opportunity to make amends for his misdemeanour, Barnes took possession of the puck courtesy of Maddock in Whitley’s defensive zone to surpass Solway’s blue liners and bury his shot just twenty three seconds after his return to the ice to make it 3-1. With the Warriors fired up by this goal, it was not long before a fourth followed it, Edgar rocketing another beyond Hepburn on 39:06 as Barnes and Harley collected their second assists of the evening. Realising that his team needed a change of tack to battle for the points, Murray sought a fight with Barnes to create a spark for Solway. However, receiving instructions from his bench, Barnes chose not to drop the gloves at that particular moment, prompting Murray to go after Whitley’s import Edgar, thereby drawing his nemesis into battle. Going toe-to-toe, the duo exchanged blows the best they could before Barnes toppled Murray to see both players earn themselves penalties of 2+2 for roughing whilst the Shark’s additional minor penalty for his initial interference against Edgar was served by Tonnar. The trio taking their seats in the sin bin thirty seconds before the break, there was little time for either side to make an impact, allowing the Warriors to go in with a three-goal lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Hoping that his fight would have the desired effect in the final period, Murray watched on from the sin bin in the opening stages as Solway hunted for another goal to begin their comeback but the Warriors were not about to let their lead slip away and continued to battle for the puck, so much so that forward Adam Finlinson was shown to the sin bin shortly after Barnes’ return to the ice to serve time for holding. Again utilising rapid line changes to counter Solway’s power play, with netminder Lawson called upon to prevent the Sharks’ chipping away at their deficit, the Warriors were restored to five men only to go shorthanded moments later when forward Callum Watson was found guilty of tripping on 47:58 to present the Dumfries outfit with the advantage once more. With left winger Steven Moore and Czech import Marek Charvat amongst those putting the home team under pressure, the Warriors’ work ethic was required to hold onto their lead and they did so, parrying the puck into Solway’s offensive zone to counter the Sharks’ attack. Persevering to narrow the margin between themselves and the Warriors, Martin Grubb’s men continued to challenge Lawson who was forced to make some excellent saves to keep Solway at bay but in the end Murray’s fight proved too much, the power forward employing his ability in front of the net to deliver the puck home with just under four minutes left to play. The alternate captain doing all he could to rally his team mates, the Sharks set their sights on a third in the hope that they could go within one of equalising but, icing the puck twice to gift the Warriors face offs in their offensive zone, Solway distanced themselves from the points and Whitley were relieved when the final buzzer called time on the game to secure their fantastic victory over the defending champions. The result of this fixture now sees the Warriors placed in fifth place with thirteen points from six victories and an overtime loss whilst the Sharks drop into sixth position with six wins from the ten games. 

Speaking after Whitley’s double header, player-coach David Longstaff shared: “I thought both games were really scrappy this weekend. The difference on Sunday night was the goalies and the game could have literally gone either way.” Meanwhile, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb added: “I thought we started pretty well but, as soon as Whitley scored, we were completely outworked and too many guys went missing. Credit to Whitley but that was unacceptable from us and we need to look at changes.”

Stars on cloud nine as losing streak ends in cup win over Hawks

Billingham Stars       9
Blackburn Hawks     3

Though netminder James Flavell, forward James Moss and defensive player-coach Richie Thornton made their return to Billingham’s line-up following injury woes in recent weeks, the Stars found themselves without forward Jack Davies and blue liner Thomas Keeley whilst enforcer-like forward Callum Pattison was again on the absentee list alongside defencemen Ross Hanlon and Andy Finn. The Hawks, meanwhile, made the trip to The Forum with fourteen skaters as well as shot stoppers Stuart Ashton and Niks Trapans, the latter starting between the pipes for Blackburn for a fourth time this season.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The first period getting underway, both teams were eager to claim maximum points from this fixture; Billingham looking to end their twelve-game losing streak and the Hawks hopeful that they could continue to compete with Solway Sharks for Group A’s top position. Both teams contending to a high standard in the opening moments of the game, Billingham’s offence were quick to test Trapans, with captain Michael Elder, alternate captain Chris Sykes and Latvian import Deniss Baškatovs amongst those searching for a goal to provide their team with the start they were looking for, whilst Blackburn were able to match the Teessiders’ pace and power, countering at every opportunity to test Flavell. Despite efforts from both teams, the deadlock remained intact until 10:41, the Stars scoring through Baškatovs who made the most of a pass from versatile defenceman Matthew Campbell to fire his team into the lead. Not allowing this goal to unsettle them, the Hawks hit back just under three minutes later when defenceman Lewis Baldwin punished Flavell courtesy of forwards Lee Pollitt and Matt Viney to remove his team’s deficit. Just over a minute later, Hawks’ captain Ollie Lomax headed to the sin bin to serve a minor for hooking to hand Billingham a power play which the Stars were quick to capitalise on, the side scoring eleven seconds later when Baškatovs found forward Michael Bowman who made it 2-1 with his second cup goal of the season. Whilst the home team were pleased to have regained their lost lead, Blackburn’s work was far from over and the Hawks sought to apply pressure to Flavell who was beaten in the final minute of the period, this time Slovakian Jozef Ištocy the man on target as forward Rick Bentham and player-coach Steven Duncombe snatched assists to allow the outfits to head in on level terms at the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
With the game close and the sides seeking to creep ahead in the contest once more, both teams returned for the middle stanza with aims to pick up from where they left off. However, the Stars immediately suffered a setback when forward Scott Ward found himself sidelined for holding just over four minutes in to award Blackburn a power play. Though striving to make this advantage count, the Hawks could not get ahead in the contest and Ward returned to the ice only for Stars’ forward Sykes and defenceman Lomax to come to blows eleven seconds later, the duo receiving penalties of 2+2 for fighting. With neither team able to get on the scoresheet whilst these penalties were being served, a holding penalty for Pollitt approximately six minutes after both players made their return to the ice saw Billingham claim another power play which they were eager to make the most of having scored with the additional man in the first period. As such, it was little surprise when Trapans picked the puck from his net thirty seconds later as Latvian defenceman Artūrs Ozols teamed up with Sykes to play captain Elder through on goal with success to make it 3-2. Less than two minutes later, a hooking penalty for Duncombe on 39:03 then proved costly as the Stars were able to quickly punish the player-coach’s misdemeanour to claim their third power play goal of the evening, this time alternate captain Callum Davies netting following link-up play between Ozols and Elder to see the Stars go in with a two-goal cushion at the interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Feeling positive after their confident start to the game, Billingham were keen to extend their lead further, knowing that Blackburn always pose a threat and could potentially make a comeback. With this in mind, the Stars immediately sought a fifth and it was not long into the final stanza that they accomplished this feat, Bowman firing beyond Trapans following build up play from forwards Jack Emerson and Moss. Relentless in offence and recognising that they had the upper hand in the contest it was not long after that young defencemen Darren Stattersfield and James Hellens cooperated to see Sykes make it 6-2 on 45:30. Having won just one league game so far this season, the Stars were not about to let these cup points slip from their grasp and hammered home a seventh less than three minutes later, Elder with his second of the evening as Davies and Ozols picked up assists to prompt a change of shot stopper for Blackburn as Ashton replaced Trapans in net. In spite of these goals, the Hawks were not without their own chances throughout the opening stages of this period and continued to pile the pressure onto Billingham’s defence to eventually beat Flavell for a third time as Davies buried the puck on 54:47 with support from forward Viney and defenceman Bobby Streetly to see the scoreboard read 7-3. It did not take the Teessiders long to respond to this goal however, Elder sealing his hat trick thirty two seconds later as both Sykes and Davies claimed their second assists of the contest. Shortly after this goal, the visitors suffered a further setback when Lomax headed to the sin bin for holding to award Billingham yet another power play which they again converted in less than a minute, this time passing play between Davies and Elder finding Ozols who beat Ashton with an astounding shot to achieve his first cup goal of the season. The game all but won, Billingham’s blue liner Stattersfield then incurred a minor penalty for tripping with less than two minutes of the period remaining but Blackburn were resigned to their defeat and failed to contend with the Stars’ penalty kill to leave The Forum on the wrong end of the 9-3 score line.

Jubilant after this triumph, alternate captain Chris Sykes reflected on his side’s victory: “The losing streak is snapped! It finally feels good to say that and what a win it was. The lads played a great game, everyone stuck to their job and we finally have the ball rolling. Everything just clicked. It was a great game for us, albeit in the cup, but it’s still a win and something we can build on from here on in.”


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


Thursday 26 October 2017

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND
PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 28th October 2017
Blackburn Hawks vs. Whitley Warriors
Solway Sharks vs. Telford Tigers

Sunday 29th October 2017
Whitley Warriors vs. Solway Sharks
Billingham Stars vs. Blackburn Hawks (National Cup)

Fixture:    Blackburn Hawks vs. Whitley Warriors    
Date:        28th October 2017    
Venue:     Blackburn Ice Arena       
Faceoff:  5:45pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Having played host to the Hawks in their first league game of their 2017-18 campaign, Whitley Warriors head into this fixture with hopes that they can achieve a win this time around, after collecting one point from an overtime loss to Steven Duncombe’s Blackburn in a strongly contested game at Hillheads last month. During their most recent encounter with the Hawks, Whitley went behind to a power play goal scored by alternate captain Luke Boothroyd in the first period before drawing level early in the second stanza through Canadian import Philip Edgar. However, it was not long after that the Lancashire outfit were able to recover their lead through Rick Bentham, forcing the Warriors to hit back with a second equaliser as forward Ben Richards fired home ahead of a goalless third period which took the battle into three-on-three overtime. With both sides searching for a goal, there could only be one winner and it was Hawks defenceman Lewis Baldwin who sealed Blackburn’s victory, though David Longstaff’s line-up were more than happy to claim a point from this incredibly close affair. As such, Saturday’s road trip will be no less challenging for the Warriors who will hope to utilise their firepower. Currently, Whitley’s top four points scorers are alternate captain Shaun Kippin, player-coach David Longstaff and forwards Edgar and Richards, the quartet collectively contributing twenty five goals and thirty one assists whilst Edgar is currently the team’s top goal scorer with ten goals from eight games.

Though aiming to make the most of their offensive attributes, the Warriors will also have to ensure that their defence is ready to contend with Blackburn’s attacking play, particularly as the Hawks have prospect Kieran Brown in their ranks, the talented youngster picking up twenty points from just eight league games. Besides Brown, the Lancashire outfit will also set out to capitalise on the offensive prowess of import Jozef Ištocy, forward Rick Bentham and player-coach Steven Duncombe who, together, have achieved thirty seven points across the league fixtures they have played. Always determined to achieve a victory, the Hawks will be driven by the knowledge that a win would allow the side to go level on points with Telford Tigers should Tom Watkins’ team lose out to Solway; this outcome of course possible due to the revelation that the Shropshire outfit failed to supply a non-playing Level 2 bench coach during their game with Blackburn last weekend which saw the match awarded to the Hawks. With previous games between these two teams highly entertaining and extremely competitive, it can only be hoped that this game will offer more of the same as the sides go head-to-head for those all-important points.


Fixture:    Solway Sharks vs. Telford Tigers
Date:        28th October 2017    
Venue:     Dumfries Ice Bowl   
Faceoff:  7:00pm
         

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Taking to the ice on Saturday for the first game of their double header, Solway Sharks will find themselves up against Tom Watkins’ Telford Tigers who currently sit at the top of the league standings with sixteen points from nine games. Though losing out to the Tigers in a 5-3 loss on the road last month, the Sharks worked hard against the former EPL outfit, scoring two goals in the space of thirty two seconds in the latter stages of the first period to erase their deficit. After equalising in this fashion, the Tigers restored their lead, forcing Solway to bounce back with a third goal which arose as forward Iain Bowie sealed his hat trick in the middle section of the game. In the end, however, Telford were able to show their edge as alternate captains Jonathan Weaver and Rick Plant grabbed a goal each to see their side secure maximum points and to see the Sharks leave empty handed.

Setting out to avenge this defeat, Solway will aim to demonstrate their quality against the Tigers on home ice, though this time the Sharks will find themselves up against former team mate Kim Miettinen who recently signed for Telford, the club having sought a defenceman as Weaver continues to serve his eleven-game ban. Tallying nine goals and twenty five assists in twenty seven league games during the Sharks’ treble-winning season, Miettinen was a huge asset for the Dumfries outfit and, as such, Solway will certainly have to have their wits about them to prevent the Finnish blue liner from getting on the scoresheet on Saturday. Whilst Solways in-form forward Bowie proved to be highly effective against the Tigers in his last outing against the club and continues to be dangerous in front of goal, Sharks’ forwards Connor Henderson, Steven Moore and Ross Murray have collectively contributed thirty four points to Solway’s campaign, the trio always striving for their next goal. Joining the Dumfries club this weekend will be forward Duncan Speirs who makes his return to Martin Grubb’s line-up after opening his campaign with Edinburgh Capitals to offer Solway an additional offensive option. Setting out to climb the league standings once again after slipping into fourth place following the decision to award Blackburn a 5-0 victory over the Tigers this week, Solway will hope that they can achieve two points to stand them in good stead ahead of their road trip to Hillheads on Sunday whilst Telford will be looking to widen the gap between themselves and Blackburn Hawks to hold onto the top spot in NIHL North’s Division one.

Prepared for this fixture, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb acknowledged:

We know we will be facing a tough challenge playing a very good Telford team and will need to be focused for sixty minutes. Tommy has his team playing well and they play good hockey so we know what to expect and know what we need to do. We scored plenty of goals last weekend but I want us to be better defensively as a group to give ourselves a chance to get the points and we will be working hard for the win.

Also looking forward to this contest is Telford Tigers’ latest signing Kim Miettinen:

It’s going to be a good game against the Sharks this weekend. They have a strong team and they have been playing well. We have to work hard and play our own hockey to get the win. I had a good year there last year and I really enjoyed my time there so it’s going to be fun to go up there again.


Fixture:    Whitley Warriors vs. Solway Sharks
Date:        29th October 2017    
Venue:     Whitley Bay Ice Rink
Faceoff:  5:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Following their trip to Lancashire on Saturday, Whitley Warriors will return home to confront Martin Grubb’s Solway Sharks, having faced the side once already this season in a 3-1 road loss in their very first league game of their campaign. While returning home empty handed was disappointing for the Warriors, Whitley could still be pleased with a respectable score line against the defending champions, their home results against the Sharks last season ranging from a 9-2 loss on the opening day to a 3-3 draw in February. In their most recent contest against the Sharks, Whitley found themselves behind in the ninth minute of the first period when forward Iain Bowie punished their defence to provide his side with a lead which was doubled by Czech import Marek Charvat early in the second period. Hitting back through Canadian Philip Edgar just beyond the halfway point of the game, the Warriors’ hopes of a comeback were dashed just sixty seconds later as Bowie collected his second of the clash to cement his side’s victory.

In spite of this defeat though, the Warriors were able to showcase their defensive ability, with netminder Mark Turnbull remaining strong to contend with thirty four of the thirty seven shots fired at him whilst the team’s blue line was also highly effective in keeping the side in the game until the final buzzer. Whilst Whitley will be hoping to compete across all areas of the ice, the Sharks will make the trip with the same aim as Grubb looks to make the most of a compact roster, having travelled with as little as twelve skaters and two netminders to face The Dragons and Telford Tigers already this season. As such, this game should be a very competitive one and possibly a little fiery if past encounters are anything to go by; just last season Shark Ross Murray dropped the gloves with Whitley’s Jordan Barnes twice in the same game at the Dumfries Ice Bowl before going toe-to-toe with Warrior Shaun Kippin away from home. With neither side accustomed to shying away from a fight and both teams willing to do whatever it takes to get the points, this game could prove to be another fantastic contest between two close rivals.

Speaking ahead of this game, player-coach David Longstaff admitted:

We’ll be missing a few players over the two games so we’ll be up against it but hopefully we can get something from the weekend.

Sharing his thoughts on Sunday’s opposition, Grubb added:

Whitley have started the season really well and are playing good hockey so this will be a tough game. We know you need to play hard in Whitley so our compete level will need to be good and we will need to play well at both ends of the ice to get the result we want.

Also, reflecting on Solway’s season so far, and taking time to look ahead to this weekend’s fixtures, Sharks’ captain Struan Tonnar shared:

I think our season so far has been relatively successful without us really managing to reach our full potential. I think the league itself has come on loads with the addition of Sheffield, Hull and Telford. The biggest thing we have noticed from them is how clinical they can be; if they get the slightest of chances they will capitalise. We need to find that same scoring ability and depth. We have a great opportunity this weekend to pitch ourselves against a strong Telford side. We have improved since our last encounter and we are coming into the game with new additions to our side. We will be coming in confidently, looking to keep the two points at home. Sunday will then be a totally different game in itself. It still has to be one of the hardest places to go in the country, regardless of what side they have. They have been picking up some momentum as of late so we have to be on our game from the start. Both games will take a full performance from everyone on the team. We can’t switch off at any point.


Fixture:    Billingham Stars vs. Blackburn Hawks
Date:        29th October 2017    
Venue:     The Forum
Faceoff:  6:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Heading into their one-game weekend on the back of an overtime loss to Sheffield Steeldogs, Billingham Stars will take heart from their ability to compete against the former EPL outfit as they prepare for their third NIHL National Cup fixture against Steven Duncombe’s Blackburn Hawks. So far, contests against the Lancashire outfit have produced some excruciating losses for the Stars, the Teessiders suffering consecutive 3-2 road defeats in both the league and the cup at the start of September only to follow up these results with a 5-3 home loss later in the month. With alternate captain Chris Sykes and Hawks’ forward Rick Bentham each bagging themselves a brace during their sides’ first two meetings, the duo have continued to excel for their clubs. In NIHL North’s Division One, Sykes is currently his side’s second highest points scorer with fourteen points from seven league games and a tally of four goals and an assist from five cup games to outdo his team mates further. By comparison, Bentham has thirteen points from nine games to find himself Blackburn’s third highest points scorer in this competition at present besides racking up four points in three cup games to sit just behind import Jozef Ištocy in the Hawks’ points production charts for the NIHL National Cup.

Whilst the Stars will be eager to end their losing streak with this game, Duncombe’s men will not give up on the points easily now that they are just two behind Solway with a game in hand in the cup competition. The Stars, meanwhile, sit at the bottom of Group A with just one point from five games after a 4-3 overtime loss to Solway Sharks on the 10th September. With this in mind, Blackburn will feel that they have a strong chance to claim maximum points against the Stars and, though they know that this will be no easy fixture, the side will do all they can to claim a victory over the Teessiders who will take any momentum gained from recent narrow league losses against local rivals Whitley Warriors and the Steeldogs into this game as they strive towards bettering their fortunes, slowly but surely. 

Looking ahead to this game, Billingham’s alternate captain Chris Sykes told NIHL Northern Trio:

Sunday is a cup game against the Hawks, a team we’ve seen a lot of this year and had some close games with! It will be a tough game but a weekend at home again should suit us well, hopefully with some players returning from injury. Also, Saturday night, if you are around, get down to The Forum for the 50th birthday game; Stars vs. Bombers.


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