Sharks
slay Dragons as Solway claim shut out
Solway Sharks 14
The Dragons 0
Heading out with a
strong roster, Solway Sharks were able to line up with fifteen skaters, as well
as netminders Calum Hepburn and Chris Rae, as both alternate captain James
Hutchinson and forward Connor Henderson returned to the side after missing out
last weekend. The Dragons, meanwhile, travelled with a short bench which
included on-ice leader James Parsons, experienced forward Brian Worrall and
alternate captains Geoff Wigglesworth and Matthew Wainwright as the side
prepared for their first game without player-coach Scott
McKenzie.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Heading out onto the
ice with a determination to recover from last weekend’s defeats, Solway Sharks
were faced with the equally defiant Dragons who, though setting out to make the best of this
game, were quickly forced into defence to prevent damage to the deadlock as young defenceman Joshua
Richardson took a seat in the sin bin for tripping with just over five minutes
played. Despite their advantage, Solway could not beat netminder Jonah
Armstrong as the Welsh outfit dug deep to prevent Martin Grubb’s men from
opening their account. Continuing to deny the Sharks’ offence, the visitors
could be pleased with their start to the game under the circumstances, though
they were unable to trouble shot stopper Calum Hepburn at the other end of the
ice. Just beyond the halfway point in the period, the Sharks found themselves
enjoying a second power play when blue liner Ross Kennedy received 2+2 for a
high sticks offence. This advantage was further enhanced when defenceman Craig
Lutkevitch joined Kennedy in the sin bin for boarding on 11:04 to see Solway
enjoy a five-on-three power play, the side capitalising seventeen seconds later
as alternate captain Ross Murray fired his team in front following a pass from
left winger Steven Moore who was integrated into play by forward Connor
Henderson. Having waited over ten minutes to get on the scoresheet, the Sharks
were then able to double their lead just twenty seven seconds later, Duncan
Speirs racing in on Armstrong’s net to hit the
target on 11:48, scoring his first goal since his return to the club after a pass from fellow forward Iain Bowie. With two power
play goals the difference between the sides, the Dragons were eager to
return to full strength without further concession and did so, only for forward
Chris Jones to then incur a minor holding sticks penalty just three seconds after
Lutkevitch’s return to the ice.
Much to the Dragons’ relief though, the side were able to prevent Solway from
extending their lead on this power play and, after some thorough defending, the
Welsh outfit headed in at the first break just two goals behind,
though the Sharks had outshot their visitors by twenty seven to one.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Returning for the
middle stanza, the Dragons were aware of the challenge facing them,
particularly as Grubb’s men were keen to build on their two-goal cushion and as
such, the visitors were only able to keep Solway at bay in the early stages of this period as
the Dumfries outfit hit home a third on 25:54; Scott Henderson teaming up with
blue liner Hutchinson to see Connor Henderson grab his fourth league goal of his 2017-18 campaign. Less than three minutes later, Lutkevitch found himself
in the wrong for a second time as he made way for holding to hand Solway yet
another advantage which they were quick to make the most of as Bowie played the
puck to defenceman Kyle Horne who punished Armstrong eighteen seconds later to
present his team with a four-goal lead. Soon after, it was the turn of blue liner Ryan Jones to sit out for roughing but, unable to find the net on
this occasion, Solway then went shorthanded themselves as Jones’
penalty terminated; captain Struan Tonnar found guilty of crosschecking. In
spite of this setback, the Sharks were able to push on with just four men as
Moore found Murray to see Czech ‘D’ man Vaclav Kolarik make it 5-0 to add to
the Dragons’ woes. Struggling to get a shot on goal, the visitors sought to
test Hepburn but, in the end, the side could only improve on their previous
shot count by one and in the latter stages of the period, Grubb saw fit to
replace his first choice netminder with backup shot stopper Rae to allow him
some valuable ice time.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Taking to the ice for
the third and final stanza, the Dragons were aware that it would take a great
deal of hard work from their already stretched squad to make a comeback and it
took just over two minutes for Solway to find a sixth goal as
Henderson snatched a second courtesy of Scott Henderson and captain Tonnar.
Fifty four seconds later, Armstrong was made to pick the puck from his net once
again as Czech defenceman Marek Charvát got in on the action, Murray and Moore
on hand to respectively collect their second and third assists of the evening.
Shortly after this goal, the Dragons were disappointed to invite yet another
penalty, this time Chris Jones sidelined for interference. Though building
momentum against their struggling opposition, Solway could not find the back of
the net with the additional man but it was not long after Jones was restored to
the ice that Kolarik claimed his second of the game, Moore assisting alongside
young forward Daniel Abercrombie to see the scoreboard altered to 8-0. Soon
after, the Dragons deficit was increased to nine as Connor Henderson completed
his hat trick with support from fellow forward Scott Henderson on 50:43 which
was closely followed by a tenth for the Sharks as Speirs grabbed another goal,
following link-up play between Bowie and Murray. This goal prompting a timeout
and a change of netminder from the Dragons as eighteen-year old Oliver Johnson
replaced seventeen-year old Armstrong between the pipes, the Welsh outfit
looked to recover themselves but resumed play only to incur yet another penalty
as youngster Louis Morgan headed to the box for holding. Just over a minute
into this power play, Kolarik sealed his hat trick assisted by Horne and Moore
which was added to forty two seconds later when Hutchinson printed his name on
the scoresheet with help from Moore and Abercrombie. The score line 12-0, the
Dragons’ only hope was to search for a consolatory goal but, unable to test Rae
at all, the side could not hit back against the dominant Sharks who grabbed a
thirteenth on 56:03 through forward Joe Coulter; Bowie and Speirs assisting.
Scoring in quick succession, it was little surprise when Scott Henderson
snatched one last goal for the Dumfries outfit forty six seconds later, Connor
Henderson returning the favour alongside Kolarik. The game all but over, there
was still time for Solway’s defenceman Charvát to earn himself two minutes for
slashing on 58:07 but this penalty was killed comfortably to see Solway claim
an emphatic 14-0 victory.
Reflecting on this
result, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb shared: “We knew the Dragons would come
and work hard and make it tough for us, and they did that for two periods
before tiring in the third. We talked about remaining patient and making sure
we played with good habits so we would get the chances and we did that. The
third period, we stepped it up and we scored some nice goals.”
Warriors pipped at the post as Hull
pirate points
Whitley Warriors 3
Hull Pirates 4 (PS)
Heading out with a strong
squad of twenty two which included player-coach David Longstaff, first choice
shot stopper Richie Lawson, captain Dean Holland and skilled forwards Callum
Watson, Adam Finlinson and Philip Edgar, Whitley Warriors were fully prepared
to contend with former EPL outfit Hull Pirates who made the trip with an
experienced outfit of fifteen skaters, with former Sheffield Spartan Jonathan
Kirk, Player of the Month Matty Davies and tough right winger Bobby Chamberlain
all available for the clash.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Taking to the ice for
the first period, both teams were eager to make an impression; Hull hoping to
establish an early lead whilst Whitley set out to match their opposition across
all areas of the ice. In spite of this aim, the Warriors found themselves
forced into defence from the off as netminder Lawson came under fire to very quickly endure prolonged periods of sustained pressure which he
and his defence worked hard to absorb. Striving to test shot stopper Ashley
Smith in the opposing net, the Warriors sought to construct some neat passing
play across centre ice, after scrambling the puck from their defensive zone time
and again, but their efforts fell short as the side battled to
maintain possession, the Hillheads outfit finding it difficult to get their shots on target. As a
result of this approach from both teams, and no penalty calls from referee Dave
Farren, the game remained fast-paced and end-to-end to see neither side break
the deadlock prior to the interval, though Whitley found themselves outshot by
twenty three to five.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Returning for the second
period, Whitley strove to get in on goal in the opening minute as the puck fell
to alternate captain Jordan Barnes who raced into Hull’s defensive zone to go
one-on-one with netminder Smith but to no avail. This missed chance was one that
the Warriors quickly regretted however, as the Pirates resumed possession to take
the lead through Chamberlain following some intricate play between Davies and
Kirk. Disappointed to fall behind having kept the Pirates out for a whole
period, the Warriors did not take long to retaliate as forward Shaun Kippin won
the faceoff in Hull’s defensive zone to play the puck out to blue liner Dan Pye
whose long range shot trickled beyond Smith and into the bottom corner to level the
score line. With Hull resolute in their quest to recover their lost lead, the
Pirates were able to hit back just over three minutes later when Davies danced
his way around Whitley’s defence to spin and fire the puck into the net following build
up play from Chamberlain and captain Jamie Chilcott. Dismayed to have fallen
behind for a second time, but equally aware that Hull’s skill was unsurmountable, the
Warriors continued to battle for a second goal as
experienced defenceman Lee Haywood made life difficult for his opposition who
were striving to maintain discipline; bringing down forward Adam Finlinson, who
was determined to carve a path into Whitley’s offensive zone, without
punishment. Not willing to be drawn into conflict as they looked to avoid picking
up penalties which Hull would surely have capitalised on, the Warriors
instead packed a punch in front of goal as defenceman Martin Crammond raced in
on Smith’s net to claim the first goal of his 2017-18 campaign on 35:21, following
passing play between blue liner Josh Maddock and player-coach Longstaff. With
play only slightly more balanced than before, and the Warriors certainly not
willing to gift their visitors maximum points, the sides headed in with two
goals apiece at the second break.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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With the points all to
play for in the third stanza, the Warriors were eager to go ahead for the first
time in the game whereas the Pirates were hopeful that they could again recover
the lead that they had thrown away. It was not
long into this period though that Whitley were awarded their first power
play as referee Farren called forward Jordan Fisher to the sin bin
for a tripping offence with just over two minutes played. Struggling to make the
most of this advantage as Hull regained control of possession, the Warriors
found themselves defending as opposed to creating
chances in their offensive zone. As such, the Pirates returned to full strength
without further concession and the two teams continued to endure the battle,
with several close calls for both as play became far more even than that of the
first two periods. Punished for icing too many men just past the halfway point
in the period, the Pirates went shorthanded yet again but the Warriors were
wasteful of this opportunity to see their tally unaltered. Realising their need
to grab a goal to make amends for their failure to capitalise on the power
play, Whitley then fired themselves in front as forward Callum Watson’s
unassisted shot was thrashed beyond netminder Smith to hand his side a 3-2 lead
with just under six minutes of the period remaining. With the pressure building
as Whitley desperately looked to hold onto their lead, the Warriors were
relieved when Fisher was shown to the sin bin for a second time as he made way
for slashing on 55:50. This relief did not last long however, as just over a
minute later, Watson clashed with Haywood to also find himself sidelined for
slashing. Returning to full strength to enjoy a short power play, the Pirates
soon opted for a timeout which resulted in Hull icing an additional skater
after pulling Smith from his net. Their defence sustaining shot after shot, the
Warriors were hopeful of an empty net goal and the side’s chances looked good
when Edgar took control to place the puck on course, only for his shot
to be greeted by the post. Giving their all to hit the target, Edgar then
unleashed a second shot which flew into a Pirates’ jersey to prevent the
Warriors from securing a victory and prompting a timeout for the home team on
59:15. Far from out of the game though, Hull returned to Whitley’s defensive
zone to pepper Lawson’s net and it was unsurprising that the Pirates
were able to get back on level terms with just nineteen seconds of the period
remaining; Kirk claiming possession to rocket the puck beyond Lawson to take
the game into overtime.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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With a five minute
period of three-on-three overtime ensuing, Hull were able to sustain their
onslaught but Lawson continued to be outstanding in net to ensure that the
Pirates could not claim a win in this section of the game. Instead, penalty
shots followed and Hull’s Samuel Towner was the first to step up, only to see his
shot miss its mark. The Warriors then opted for Canadian import Edgar who could
not beat Smith before Chamberlain buried the puck past Lawson at the other end
of the ice. Immediately afterwards, Whitley’s captain Holland was unable to
get his shot away, leaving forward Davies to deliver the inevitable whilst the Warriors could be more than happy with a
respectable point against the former EPL outfit.
Kindly taking the time
to comment after Whitley’s overtime loss, Warriors’ alternate captain Shaun
Kippin acknowledged: “I thought it was a good game; entertaining for the fans.
It was disappointing to lose, especially with them equalising late. I missed a
couple of chances late on that would have sealed it so it was disappointing
from my view. However, if we were offered the point before the game, we would
have taken it.”
Sharks make comeback to outshine Stars
Billingham Stars 3
Solway Sharks 5
With netminder James
Flavell making his return last weekend alongside forward James Moss and
defensive player-coach Richie Thornton, Billingham Stars were once again able
to ice their experienced core in conjunction with youngsters James Hellens,
Darren Stattersfield and Alex Preston. Likewise, Solway Sharks made the trip to
The Forum with some of their most reliable players whilst their line-up was
further bolstered by the presence of two-way players Josh Grieveson and Jordan
Buesa.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Preparing for faceoff, the Sharks were hopeful that they could claim a four-point weekend,
having defeated The Dragons on home ice prior to this fixture whilst Billingham
were keen to build on last weekend’s cup victory. Setting out to beat Flavell
almost immediately, Solway were prevented from taking the lead by Billingham’s
sturdy netminder who was able to keep out Steven Moore, the left winger setting his eye on
goal in the early stages of the first period. Hemmed into their defensive zone, Billingham
found it difficult to challenge netminder Calum Hepburn and were made to rely
on breakaway opportunities; alternate captain Chris Sykes snatching the best of
his side’s chances whilst captain Michael Elder, fellow forward Callum Davies
and Latvian import Deniss Baškatovs were amongst those trying to create
offensively for the Stars. After much hard work and nothing to show for it, the
Sharks finally netted on 13:36 as alternate captain Ross Murray slotted the
puck into Flavell’s net after blue liner Stuart Kerr played the puck to Moore
who rushed into Billingham’s defensive zone to set up his line mate. The
Teessiders were quick to hit back after falling behind however as Elder
punished Hepburn just thirty eight seconds later to cancel Solway’s lead. Gaining
momentum from this goal, the Stars then doubled their tally as Moss linked up
with Baškatovs to see the Latvian claim his fourth league goal of the season
just forty two seconds later. Disappointed to be trailing in the game after
their positive start to this fixture, the Dumfries outfit were then offered the
reprieve of a power play when forward Scott Ward was sidelined for interference
but Martin Grubb’s men could not capitalise on this and then found themselves
punished as forward Duncan Speirs incurred a minor for hooking on 20:00 to see
his team head in on the wrong end of the 2-1 score line and with the knowledge
that they would begin the second period shorthanded.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Aware of the threat
that Solway posed, Billingham were keen to extend their lead as quickly as
possible with the additional man and did so just forty six seconds in as Sykes
collected the puck from Latvian defenceman Artūrs Ozols to establish a two-goal
lead for his side whilst Elder also picked up an assist. Just twenty seconds
later though, it was the turn of the Stars to go shorthanded as Baškatovs was
made to take a seat in the sin bin for roughing and, with just one second of
this advantage remaining, Solway were able to claw a goal back through
alternate captain James Hutchinson who was played in by Moore and forward Connor Henderson. With the margin separating the two teams
narrowed to just one goal, the Sharks continued to control possession to try
their luck against Flavell who remained resolute in his attempts to keep the
visitors out; Solway dominating in front of goal to tally nineteen shots to
Billingham’s seven. A penalty for too many men on 36:38 saw the Dumfries outfit
handed a further opportunity to equalise ahead of the interval but it was not
to be as Billingham’s defence held out to kill the penalty and to go in with a
3-2 lead.
Facing off for the third and final stanza,
Billingham took to the ice with hopes to distance themselves from the Sharks
but this was to be easier said than done as their visitors returned with their
focus firmly set upon claiming victory. This period continuing to be end-to-end
with both sides enjoying their fair share of the puck to test their respective
netminders, it was little surprise when one of these attempts finally made an
impact as Speirs found the back of the net to equalise after making the most of
a pass from Buesa with 52:27 on the clock. With Solway’s attacking play fuelled
by this goal, the outfit were unwilling to give the Teessiders time to consider
this turn of events and instead hurled themselves in front just forty seconds
later as Hutchinson played the puck through to Buesa who made his shot
count. Frustrated to be trailing by a
goal at this stage in the game, Billingham focused on finding an
equaliser to get themselves back on track but it was to no avail as Solway
continued to fight to secure the points, not content that they would be able to
hold onto their one-goal lead at this stage in the game as the Stars sought to
get back on level terms to push for overtime. However, with victory still
out of their reach in the final minute, Billingham were forced to
pull out all of the stops, taking Flavell from his net to ice an additional
skater. On this occasion though, this move did not pay off for the
home team as Sharks’ Czech defenceman Marek Charvát seized an empty net goal
with just eighteen seconds remaining to deflate the Stars and send his team
home with maximum points.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Looking back on the
Stars’ defeat, Billingham’s alternate captain Chris Sykes noted: “It was a good
game against the Sharks. We were in the driving seat, playing good hockey and
working the puck well but, in the third period, they came out and wanted it
more than us and we just couldn’t hold on to what we had worked for. It seems
like it’s the same thing for us at the moment. But, it’s back to training this
week for a double header weekend to put things right.” Meanwhile, adding to
his earlier comments, Solway’s Head Coach Martin Grubb stated: “I thought we
started really well and should have been a few in front but switched off twice
and got punished. After we went 3-1 down, we started to dominate again and only
good goaltending stopped us at least evening up the scores in the second. We
made a few adjustments in the third, remained patient and we knew we had the
ability to get the lead and that we would see it out, and that proved to be
the case. It’s a good win against a team who were dangerous after their win
last week and I thought we played really well.”
For those fans who
wish to contribute to Ross Murray’s fundraising campaign, please follow the
link: mobro.co/rossmurray90.
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