WEEKEND
PREVIEW
NIHL
NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)
Saturday 23rd December 2017
Solway
Sharks vs. Billingham Stars
Fixture:
Solway Sharks vs. Billingham Stars
Date: 23rd December 2017
Venue: Dumfries Ice Bowl
Faceoff: 6:00pm
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Preparing to play host to Billingham Stars in their second league encounter
against the Teessiders this season, Solway Sharks will head into this game with
much confidence due to the fact that they have yet to lose out to
the Stars this campaign. Recording a 4-3 overtime cup victory against
Billingham at The Forum in September, Solway then followed up this result with
a 2-1 win over the Stars at the Dumfries Ice Bowl one week later, before
triumphing by seven goals to two on home ice in October. A 5-3 league victory also fell in favour of the Dumfries outfit on the first weekend of November
only for the Teessiders to lose out again in the cup competition, this time suffering
a 7-3 defeat. As such, Solway can take much encouragement from their recent
form against Billingham and, whilst the side will look to avoid complacency,
the Sharks will certainly set their sights on two pre-Christmas points with
hopes to end 2017 on a high note. The Stars, by comparison, are very much in
need of a win if they are to alter their fortunes ahead of New Year, the outfit aiming to bring their current losing streak to an end to ensure that they can
move away from the league placement playoff position and back into the playoff
places in the latter half of their season.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Still finding themselves in ninth place with five points from sixteen
games, Billingham require a boost of morale having suffered fourteen losses in
total, one of which was an overtime defeat to Sheffield Steeldogs. In
spite of this though, Solway will head into this game aware of the threat that the Stars’
current top points scorers Chris Sykes, Deniss Baškatovs and Michael Elder
pose, the trio having collectively tallied nine goals against the Sharks across
all competitions this season. Looking to shut down Billingham’s attacking play,
Solway will utilise their usual skill, pace and power in the form of top points
scorer Iain Bowie, forward Connor Henderson, left winger Steven Moore,
alternate captain Ross Murray and Czech import Marek Charvát who, together,
have accumulated an impressive one hundred and thirty points to contribute to
their team’s league effort and will again hope to cause problems for the Stars’
defence to ensure they hold onto fourth position going into the New Year. If
past encounters between these two sides are anything to go by, neither team
will be prepared to back down which will make for an exciting pre-Christmas
clash as the duo faceoff against each other for one last time in 2017.
Looking forward to this game, Head
Coach Martin Grubb kindly took time to share his views:
“Games against Billingham are always tight and action-packed and I don’t
see this one being any different. We will be looking to start well, especially after
having two weeks with no ice due to the World Championships in Dumfries. Hopefully we aren’t too rusty. We will go into the game with a plan and look to
execute it and come out with the two points we need, although I know it will be
tough as the Stars really need to battle for points. I’d also like to wish
everyone a Merry Christmas from myself and the Sharks.”
For more photos from
IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.
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