Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 MORALEE CONFERENCE

Saturday 26th September 2015

Telford Tigers vs. Solway Sharks

Sunday 27th September 2015

Whitley Warriors vs. Telford Tigers

Solihull Barons vs. Solway Sharks

As the Billingham Stars enjoy a deserved break from the NIHL action this weekend, their rivals Whitley Warriors and Solway Sharks will attempt to hunt down maximum points, both teams taking on a tough Telford Tigers side and the Dumfries outfit facing an additional encounter against seventh placed Solihull Barons.

Martin Grubb’s Sharks go into their game against Telford itching to climb up the Moralee Conference league table. Currently siting in fifth, Solway have not started their 2015-16 campaign with their usual dynamism, but their much-needed victory against Sheffield Senators last Saturday may just have instilled captain Struan Tonnar and his men with the confidence they require to match, if not surpass, the quality of their contenders.

Solway’s quest for success will be made difficult by the menacing opposition they are set to face in their back to back away games this weekend. At present, Telford Head Coach Jason Parry will be more than happy with his side’s approach to life in Division One of the NIHL. Only losing 5-3 to an outstandingly strong Blackburn Hawks line up, and securing a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw against a travelling Whitley Warriors squad, the Tigers are perfectly positioned to pounce. Should they triumph against Solway on Saturday, they would have three points and a source of momentum to carry them into their away fixture at Hillheads on Sunday as they aim to put the Warriors to the test for the second time this September.  

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

If Solway were to snatch a win from the Tigers, they would not only be level on points with Sheffield Spartans and Billingham Stars, but could look to enhance their league position further with a victory against Solihull Barons on the following evening. So far the Barons have failed to register a single a point from two NIHL games, both of which were played against Whitley Warriors. Though two losses may suggest otherwise, Solihull have played with obstinacy and were unlucky not to gain more from their fixture at Hillheads last Sunday as the home side held on to a tight 2-1 lead.

This season the Barons have a strong mix of experience and youth as Captain Rob Eley and player/coach Perry Doyle offer guidance and leadership to those breaking into Solihull’s senior squad, such as Brandon Anderton and James Moeller. It would therefore be a great boost to Solway if they could beat both the Tigers and the Barons on the road because such an accomplishment would give them six points, potentially lifting them above the Stars, and would also indicate that the former NIHL champions are making progress to get back to their best.

Likewise, hoping to prove that they are over last season’s disappointment of a relegation-promotion playoff battle, Whitley Warriors will take to the ice against Telford Tigers on Sunday, but this time have the home advantage. Last weekend, the two sides featured in a closely contested clash which left Whitley bewildered as, fighting back from 2-0 down to take the lead 3-2, they found themselves going home with a draw after a dramatic goal from James Smith to complete his hat trick. Only just top of the table due to a point separating the Warriors from Blackburn Hawks who have a game in hand, player/coach David Longstaff will urge his team to do everything they can to maintain their current league position but may face competition from Sheffield Spartans who could displace Whitley should they win their double header against Sutton Sting this weekend.

Photo credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The second highest points scorer in the Moralee Conference so far, David Longstaff will hope that his line up can improve on last week’s performance against the Tigers, in which his side failed to hold on to their 3-2 lead to take a single point instead of two. In this game Longstaff showed his disappointment by declining to nominate one of his own players for Man of the Match, so his side will surely be out to prove that they have what it takes to defeat Telford at Hillheads on Sunday. A positive outcome for Whitley will take them up to nine points and give them the best chance of staying ahead of Blackburn Hawks who will not feature until the 3^rd and 4^th October against the NIHL’s two Sheffield outfits. Tigers have shown themselves to be a close match for Whitley, utilising the skill and experience of import Karol Jets, and the goal scoring ability of young forward James Smith, to level the playing field against the more established Warriors. With Whitley’s full potential still unknown this season, the Warriors have clearly started their 2015-16 campaign with greater desire for success which has been demonstrated by the implementation of effective coaching systems and a sense of fortitude which appeared to be lacking last season.

Away from the ice, but set to be a crucial factor regarding the success rate in the Moralee Conference this season, is the announcement of an NIHL Cup featuring Blackburn Hawks, Solway Sharks, Billingham Stars and Division Two team, Widnes Wild who last season lost out on promotion in a relegation-promotion playoff battle to Whitley Warriors. As Whitley are not set to star in the Cup games, which will begin late October, they will not have the additional pressure, distraction and travelling that this competition will bring, though it may be possible for the Stars and the Sharks to gain momentum from playing such fixtures which will them spur them on in the Moralee Conference.

However, for those fans looking to make their way to a game this weekend, Solway Sharks face off against the Tigers at 5:30pm from Telford Ice Rink before taking on Solihull Barons at Hobs Moat Road the following evening at 6:00pm. Whitley Warriors also play on Sunday at Hillheads, with face off at the usual time of 5:00pm.  

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