NIHL Weekend Action

 Untameable Tigers triumph as startled Sharks torn apart

Telford Tigers  6

Solway Sharks 3

In what appears to be the surprise of the season so far, Telford Tigers left the Sharks shaken on Saturday evening, coming back from two goals down to leap above Solway in the NIHL Moralee Conference league table.

From the first face off Martin Grubb’s side hurled themselves into the game and, just 56 seconds later, his team took the lead with a quick goal from skilful left winger Steven Moore.

Immediately on the front foot, the Sharks maintained their usual pace to control possession whilst the Tigers found themselves chasing the puck to rediscover level terms. This undertaking was soon cut short with the concession of a boarding penalty by Telford defenceman Corey Goodison which left his team mates defending a Solway power play. Though the Sharks were unable to take advantage in front of goal, the Tigers were no sooner back to full strength than Marc Fowley lit the lamp on 13:15 after a pass from Irishman Steven Balmer. 

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

However, with five minutes left on the clock, Sharks gifted the Tigers a way back into the game when influential import Martin Cingel was directed to the sin bin by referee Roy Hamilton for a minor penalty. Just over a minute into the power play, forward James Smith, who last weekend bagged himself a hat trick against Whitley Warriors, set the Tigers on the right track to diminish Solway’s two goal cushion before the break.

As play resumed in the second period, the Sharks were running down the remainder of an interference penalty and soon after the Tigers were ordered to serve a two minute bench penalty having iced too many men. These interruptions over, the home side picked up the pace much to Solway’s surprise and Telford began to battle back with full force to equalise in the twenty seventh minute through Karol Jets who was assisted by alternate captain Callum Bowley and goal scorer James Smith.

Telford continued to dominate and, though failing to capitalise on a third power play, James Smith decided to punish the visitors with two even handed goals scored in the space of 55 seconds to earn his second hat trick in Telford’s 2015-16 campaign. The score line now 4-2, Grubb’s side began to feel the points slipping away and the pressure showed as Joe Coulter picked up a two minute roughing penalty. Down on their luck but unwilling to give up, Solway rallied to break through Telford’s defence which allowed Iain Bowie to slot home a shorthanded goal before both sides headed for the interval.

With such a narrow margin separating the two sides, both coaches returned to their benches, knowing that the next goal would have a massive impact on the outcome of the game but little expecting that it would arise only 11 seconds into the final stanza when the impressive James Smith supplied his team with a fifth; his fourth of the contest.

Telford now completely in control, the Sharks racked up another two penalties before creative import Karol Jets got his second of the game to make it 6-3. A stunned Solway sought a way back, going one-on-one with young netminder Denis Bell who managed to keep the opposition out on both occasions to maintain Tigers’ three goal lead and to see them take two points from another successful fixture.

This result may have been a shock to some but Solway’s only win so far this season has come against newly promoted side Sheffield Senators who have suffered heavy losses to their opposition and are now adrift at the bottom of the table with a goal difference of -23. In previous seasons, Sharks have found no difficulty in competing with the best but are struggling to do so this campaign and currently occupy sixth place in the NIHL going into their game against Solihull Barons.

Sharks sink as bold Barons seize win

Solihull Barons 5

Solway Sharks 4

Taking to the ice for their second away game of the weekend, Solway knew they had to make an impact to overcome the previous day’s defeat to Telford Tigers and they did so with less than three minutes played as left winger Steven Balmer slotted the puck into the net. Play was interrupted as both teams took minor penalties; Solihull’s Perry Doyle guilty of a trip whilst Solway were dealt two minutes for delaying the game. Neither team could capitalise on the power play but, as play continued, it was Solway who made the most of possession, adding a second goal to their tally through young defenceman Stuart Kerr on 12:30.

Solihull were down but certainly not out of the contest at this point and it showed. Attacking Sharks’ defence and moving forward creatively, Barons forward Edward Eaton dispatched the puck past netminder Kieran Hobbins to make it 2-1. However, not content with this score line, Eaton decided to change it further, adding a second before the interval with assists from Richard Crowe and Slovakian import Erik Bakalar.

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Failing to hold onto a lead for a second consecutive evening, Solway returned to the ice with the hope of reclaiming lost ground. It was the Barons who made their intentions clearest in the opening minutes though as they took full advantage on the power play courtesy of a Ross Murray cross check, this time Bakalar achieving an unassisted goal of his own. As Barons took the lead, Solway struggled to find a way back and looked on as Solihull restored the two goal cushion to the visitors’ disadvantage as Eaton turned assistant to two way player Thomas Soar.

Spurred into action by this sudden change of fortune, Sharks pulled a goal back thirty four seconds later as promising youngster Duncan Speirs lit the lamp to make it 4-3. As Barons captain Rob Ely was sin binned for interference, Solway were handed an opportunity to find that all-important equaliser and they did so. Not one to waste such a chance, Struan Tonnar received the puck from Juraj Senko to make the score 4-4 before the break.

When both teams returned to the ice, it was evident that fans would be in for a thrilling third period and tensions soon began to grow as it became increasingly clear one goal would seal the fate of either team. Barons were the first to concede penalty minutes early on, their Scottish forward Josh Bruce sitting out two minutes for charging. Solway could not add to their tally and three minutes later, Tonnar found himself punished for hooking. This quickly became the key turning point for both teams as Solihull combatted the growing likelihood of sharing the points with their rivals with a power play goal on 49:05, Thomas Soar accomplishing his second of the game.  

In the remaining ten minutes, Solway could not change the outcome of the game and it was captain Struan Tonnar who received further punishment, referee John Freeman delivering a ten minute misconduct penalty on 60:00. Coach Martin Grubb will be concerned that the Sharks now sit in seventh place with only two points from five games but he can perhaps take advantage from the lack of fixtures his team have next weekend to prepare for Solway’s away clash to last season’s NIHL champions Blackburn Hawks.

War-waging Warriors go one better in clash with Tigers

Whitley Warriors 4

Telford Tigers     3

After last weekend’s compact contest between Telford Tigers and Whitley Warriors saw both sides engage in some untidy game play, David Longstaff decided to hit his opposition hard from the first face off which became clear just 6 seconds in when Canadian import Andre Payette dropped the gloves with Tigers captain Daniel Croft. Both players received 2+2 for fighting and the game quickly became a feisty affair as, moments later, Josh Maddock was dealt two minutes for high sticks whilst Telford forward James Smith lost his cool with Payette and soon found himself in the sin bin for an attempted spear, meriting the heavier sentence of 2+2+10.

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Despite these early interruptions, play began to build up nicely, inspiring both teams to have some early shots on goal which were fended off by netminders Denis Bell and Richie Lawson to make the opening tight. Yet, the challenges did not end there and it was not long before Bradley Betteridge, who has certainly racked up the penalty minutes so far this season, committed a crosscheck which put Whitley on the power play. Unable to take advantage, Telford returned to full strength unscathed but the sin bin was not to be empty for long as a second fight broke out before the fifteen minute mark between Warriors’ defenceman Josh Maddock and Tigers’ alternate captain Callum Bowley. Like Payette, Maddock took his fight well and was sent to serve two minutes more than his opponent for a slashing offence. As the sides cancelled each other out, they headed in after twenty minutes at 0-0.

It was all change after the first break however as Whitley began to dominate in Telford’s third, causing trouble for the Tigers defence and working Denis Bell in goal. Eventually, almost twenty six minutes into the game, Callum Watson was able to make the most of a double assist from Shaun Kippin and Jordan Barnes to find the target, allowing Whitley to take the lead. Though the home side had struggled to find their first goal, a second was not far behind and, just thirty six seconds later, captain Jamie Tinsley lit the lamp after a James Smith tripping penalty allowed the Warriors to capitalise on the power play. As Longstaff’s line up did not let up, the Tigers found it difficult to make an impact in the middle section of the game and the gap between the two teams deteriorated further before the interval when Martin Crammond secured his first goal of the season, assisted by fellow team mates DJ Good and Ben Richards.

The score line at 3-0, the visitors knew they would have their work cut out to get back in the game but managed to find an opportunity on 48:35 through a power play goal from forward Adam Taylor. The Tigers suddenly sprang into action, picking up the pace to get a second approximately four minutes later when Smith struck an impressive long range goal past Richie Lawson after an assist by Karol Jets. As the tables began to turn on the Warriors, they were forced to defend but failed to prevent Smith from returning the favour to Jets and it was not long before the Slovakian forward found the back of the net to see his team equalise.

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

At this point, victory was slipping away from Whitley’s grasp as the Tigers suddenly became dangerous but the home side’s refusal to give up paid off fifteen seconds later when defenceman Daniel Harrison was punished for a trip. The Warriors burst into life to utilise the additional man and, with only three seconds left on the power play, it was youngster Ben Richards who managed to put his side back in front, prompting Telford to call a time out. For the short period of play that followed, Whitley did their utmost to retain possession and were soon rewarded with a win.

This hard-earned result brought to light just how influential Warriors youngsters are as Man of the Match voting saw 18 year old Ben Richards take the award at the end of the game whilst dexterous forward Callum Queenan was ranked second. Player/coach David Longstaff will be relieved that the Warriors got the result they deserved from this game, meaning they have achieved four wins from five games to stay top of the table with a very respectable nine points. This gives Whitley drive as they prepare for next Sunday’s fixture against Sutton Sting who have so far taken two points from three games, narrowly missing out to Sheffield Spartans by one goal to nil on Sunday.

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