NIHL Weekend Action

Senators knocked for six as Warriors stay second

Sheffield Senators 1

Whitley Warriors    6

As Whitley Warriors headed to Ice Sheffield on Saturday for an encounter against opposition they had never before played, many fans would have expected a similar, one sided score line to those which Senators have fallen victim to this season. Unable to ice for the Hillheads outfit were defencemen Dan Pye and Stu Tomlinson, Dean Holland who continues to struggle back to full fitness, Ben Richards who picked up a shoulder injury against Solway Sharks last weekend and, of course, Alex Lawson and Craig Johnson who have missed much of the season so far due to respective knee and hand injuries. 

Despite these injury woes and absences, Warriors’ player/coach David Longstaff travelled with a strong Whitley squad, including promising youngster Callum Queenan whose recent GB under 20 call-up is in recognition of his hard work at Whitley over the last two years. Fittingly, it was Queenan who opened the scoring for the visitors with less than three minutes played with a single assist from more experienced forward Martin Crammond. After immediately placing themselves on the back foot, the Senators then went on to concede the first penalty minutes of the game as Arran Bell was served two minutes for interference to Place Whitley on the power play. The visitors were unable to take advantage of this and likewise, when Josh Pigott received a minor roughing penalty ten minutes later, Longstaff’s men failed to enhance their lead. Despite having twice as many shots on Senators’ goal, Warriors failed to trouble Mark Hartley considerably enough to find the back of the net.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the second period, Whitley would look to improve on their single goal of the game and continued to create offensive play but again to no avail. With less than five minutes in, events took a turn for the worst for Andrew Chapman’s Senators as Oliver Simms received five minutes for boarding and was subsequently ejected from the game following protests from Whitley’s bench; the visitors losing Josh Maddock as a result of the blow to increase Warriors’ injury woes. However, the Senators managed to hold out and a combination of Sheffield’s sturdy defending and Whitley’s inability to capitalise during the lengthy power play saw the score line remain 1-0 at the end of the second stanza. 

Senators made their way back to the ice aware that the concession of just one goal at this point in their game was an improvement on their previous fixtures and decided to stun Warriors fans further by equalising with the second placed side on 43:25 despite being reduced to four men after a high sticks penalty was dished out to Jordan Martin. Alexander Harding was once again on the score sheet for the side, assisted by Thomas Humphries and Arran Bell, both of whom have also worked hard so far this season to snatch goals for the Sheffield outfit.

This appeared to give Warriors the shock they required to respond and, with the power play over, Andre Payette managed to light the lamp for his team, Callum Watson and Scott Cooper on hand to assist the Canadian. This goal gave the Warriors the spirit to fight back and just over a minute later Queenan found the net to achieve his fifth of the season, this time DJ Good teaming up with Watson to see the youngster in on goal. From then on the Warriors continued to dominate and Payette was awarded with a second as Cooper and Longstaff created an avenue for him. On 54:12, exactly one minute after Whitley’s fourth goal, the Senators found themselves punished again with another even handed effort, this time Payette passing the puck to Queenan who played in Warriors’ veteran Good to return the favour.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The score line 5-1, Whitley’s work was not over and, with only eleven seconds left of the game, creative youngster Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross struck to earn his first goal of the season. Though an underwhelming performance on Whitley’s part against the bottom placed, newly promoted side, the Senators must be commended for their defence in the first two periods of the game and the ability of netminder Mark Hartley who saved fifty of the fifty six shots he encountered. David Longstaff will take away the positive that the Warriors managed to obtain two points from this fixture and will now look ahead to his team’s next fixture against Sheffield Spartans on Sunday 8^th November.

  

Stars strike Sting to stay sixth 

Sutton Sting         1

Billingham Stars   3

With the thrills of last weekend’s derby day draw behind them, Billingham Stars took to the ice against the Sting at Ice Sheffield with the hope of taking two points and thereby inching ever closer to Sheffield Spartans who are three points ahead, having played four more games than the Teesside outfit.

After a delayed start due to an under 18s overrunning, both teams took to centre ice for the first face off with a view to add to improve their current points tally. With little over six minutes played, the visitors found themselves at a disadvantage, Andy Munroe finding himself sin binned for interference. This placed Sting on the power play and, though the side were unable to capitalise initially, they continued to dominate as Stars returned to full strength, alternate captain James Spurr eventually slotting the puck past James Flavell to take the lead just eight seconds after Munroe’s reappearance.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Terry Ward waited a little over four minutes for his side to reply and it was Swedish import Dennis Boström who again made an impact, a single assist from James Moss allowing him to beat strong Russian netminder Dmitri Zimozdra. Though both sides continued to pursue goals, the score line remained level going into the break, Sting having had thirteen shots to Billingham’s ten. 

Player/coach John Ross resurfaced for the middle section with the knowledge that his team had largely matched the Stars for most of the first period and aimed to do so again. The home side created several offensive opportunities to test netminder Flavell and, equally, the Stars powered forward in front of Zimozdra’s goal to no avail. Not without creative play from either side, the period saw a stalemate develop between the two sides, the Sting only outshooting Billingham by a single shot.

As the two teams resumed play for the final period, a win was within both side’s grasp as they continued to counteract each other’s forward play. It was not until the forty eighth minute that Boström reversed roles with Moss to turn supplier to allow Billingham to take the lead. Sting quickly vented their frustrations, Carl Ashton putting Billingham on the power play for a tripping offence but the home side were able to run down the clock and returned to full strength without conceding further. This effort proved to be in vain as the Stars struck just eighteen seconds later, forward Michael Elder and alternate captain Callum Davies working together to set up Andy Munroe.

Feeling that this score line could still be undone, Sting called a time out with approximately four minutes left but anything that might have been said to encourage the side in the team talk did not pay off; Jon Woolhouse was punished soon after for a slash which meant the home side were reduced to four men until thirty three seconds from the end of the game. This dashed any chance of a comeback from Sutton and ensured Stars took home a victory. Despite their loss, Sutton Sting will take positives from this game, having matched Billingham for most of the first and second periods whereas the Terry Ward will be thankful his side managed to secure another two points to allow his side to challenge the Spartans for fifth place in a bid to climb the NIHL table. In what will be another interesting contest, Stars and Sting clash with each other again next weekend, this time Sutton making the trip to The Forum to face the Teesiders on home ice. 

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