NIHL Weekend Action

Solway’s clash with Tigers on ice

After severe weather warnings were issued on Saturday, due to high winds and flooding across the country, the decision was made to cancel Solway Sharks’ clash against Telford Tigers. The call was made at 6:15pm, forty five minutes before face off as it became clear that travel to and from the game would be difficult all round.

Warriors harass Hawks at Hillheads as Longstaff bags a hat trick

Whitley Warriors   4

Blackburn Hawks 2

With the addition of renowned Reece Cairney-Witter to Blackburn Hawks’ roster, this game was set up to be a fiery contest from the off so it was no surprise when the troublemaker clashed with Warrior Andre Payette in the opening minutes of the warm up, both players making their feelings clear. A must win for both teams, Whitley saw the return of Dean Holland and Jamie Tinsley to their line up but were without long term absentees Alex Lawson and Ben Richards, as well as youngster Craig Johnson and sturdy defenceman Stu Tomlinson, whilst Hawks’ player-coach Daniel MacKriel opted to organise his team from the bench.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

An electric atmosphere enveloped the rink as players took to centre ice for the first face off and, whilst the Warriors started strong to fire a few attempts at Hawks’ experienced netminder Daniel Brittle, it was Blackburn who managed to make their efforts count with a wrap around goal from long serving forward Aaron Davies with just over two minutes played.

Disappointed, though far from defeatist, Whitley struggled to find a way back into the game but soon found themselves shorthanded as referee David Emmerson ordered Payette to the sin bin for slashing. The Warriors running down the clock effectively as a team, Blackburn failed to double their lead and soon found themselves reduced to four men, defenceman Andy Dunn sitting out for the visitors. Though the Warriors applied pressure, Whitley were unable to find an equaliser on the power play and, just three seconds after the Hawks had returned to full strength, the home side were again at a disadvantage, this time forward Callum Watson ushered from the ice for roughing.

The game continued to be fast paced however, as the Warriors battled in defence to ensure last season’s reigning champions did not extend their one-goal lead on this occasion. Playing solidly in defence, Whitley successfully returned to five men without conceding a goal and were quickly rewarded when Hawks’ top goal scorer Richard Bentham was sent to warm a seat in the sin bin for holding. With the Warriors still seeking avenues in front of goal, the puck made its way to player-coach David Longstaff who swiftly moved around the back of Brittle’s net to achieve the second consecutive wrap around goal of the game.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Two minutes before the end of the first period saw Longstaff sustain a facial injury which drew blood. A need to clean the ice meant both teams took an early break before returning to play the last two minutes of the first stanza and the second period of the game. In these two minutes, the Warriors worked hard to build up possession, their efforts soon paying off as blue liner Harry Harley and forward DJ Good sent Watson in on Brittle’s net, enabling the forward to achieve his tenth goal of the season.

Less than a minute later, Brittle switched nets with Warriors’ shot stopper Richie Lawson as the middle section of play commenced in an immense contest between the two sides, the Warriors doing everything they could to hold onto their lead and Blackburn endeavouring to get back on level terms. However, with almost half of the period played, Whitley fell foul of Hawks’ tactics when Cairney-Witter provoked Shaun Kippin to drop his gloves, earning the Warrior a ten minute penalty for unsporting conduct. Just over a minute later, Kippin was accompanied by defenceman Josh Maddock who received a penalty for hooking. Again, Whitley guarded their lead when shorthanded but returned to full strength, only for Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross to incur a further two minutes for boarding on 33:04. Despite this, the home side were presented some reprieve as Blackburn forfeited their power play having iced just sixteen seconds with an additional player, this time Bentham guilty of interference. This disruption prevented either side from finding the back of the net and, as the final minutes of the period played out, Kippin was restored to his former position for just eighty six seconds before finding himself back in the penalty box for a tripping offence. This punishment running into the third period, the Warriors began shorthanded but Blackburn’s power play failed to deter the side and, minutes later, Longstaff lit the lamp for a second time with a superb unassisted effort as he carved a path through Hawks’ defence.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Whitley, impelled by this two goal cushion over the Lancashire outfit, whom had not lost a game in eighteen months, were thrown another advantage when Chris Arnone was sin binned for slashing. Longstaff’s line up could not capitalise on the power play and Whitley were soon punished; a trip from Good shifting the advantage from the home team to their opposition. The Hawks were not about to let yet another opportunity slip by, alternate captain Adam Brittle threading the puck through to Arnone who, in turn, set Davies on track for his second of the evening. On 59:36, MacKriel called a time out, making the decision to pull Brittle from his net in exchange for an additional skater. However, with just two seconds left, the puck fell into Warriors’ possession as the home side drove forward, Longstaff finally tapping the puck into an empty net to complete his hat trick.

With Blackburn Hawks eighteen months unbeaten before this fixture, this victory is monumental for the Warriors and it was achieved in extraordinary fashion with both sides playing their best ice hockey until the last second of the game. Longstaff will now be extremely pleased that his side sit five points clear at the top of the NIHL table but will look to prepare his team for a challenging away fixture to Hawks on Sunday. Travelling to Blackburn to play on a larger surface will present Warriors with a difficult task and, if exchanges in the post-match handshakes were anything to go by, the storm between the two sides is set to rumble on.

Stars strike against striving Senators to go fifth

Billingham Stars   11

Sheffield Senators 4

Hoping to recover from last weekend’s derby defeat to Whitley Warriors, Billingham Stars prepared to face the Senators without injured forward James Moss and defenceman Jamie Pattison, whilst head coach Terry Ward also called shot stopper Mark Watson into action over first choice netminder James Flavell. Meanwhile, Andrew Chapman’s Sheffield Senators opted for netminder Robert Browne in goal at the other end of the ice but were without forward Charlie Thompson and goal scoring threat Alexander Harding.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

It was Billingham who started the stronger of the two teams, Chris Sykes opening the scoring with less than three minutes played courtesy of a Callum Davies assist. This lead was quickly doubled on 5:19 when Michael Elder achieved his sixth of the season in spite of some dangerous break away play from Senators which could easily have seen the visitors go level had it not been for Watson.

Forward Jack Davies and Swedish import Dennis Boström continued to apply pressure to Browne with offensive efforts of their own whilst Senator Thomas Humphries also tried his luck but to no avail. With creative play from both sides developing, it was Boström who found the net next when player-assistant coach Michael Bowman and captain Paul Windridge turned support for the skilful right winger.

The score line 3-0, the evening was shaping up to be a typical Division One fixture for the struggling Senators and matters were made worse for the Sheffield outfit when, with less than four minutes of the first period remaining, some link up play between Scott Ward and Ben Davison resulted in a Jack Davies goal.

The Senators down, but not out of the game just yet, Nathan Parkes-Britton slashed Stars’ four goal cushion to three, outwitting his opposition with a spin before firing the puck into Watson’s net to make it 4-1 on 19:59.

Returning for the second period, Senators were searching for a way back into the game but both sides soon found themselves reduced to four men as Billingham’s Davison received two minutes for slashing whilst the visitors incurred the same punishment for a Paul Lofthouse holding offence. The Senators’ chances were hindered somewhat when a second hooking infringement from captain Andrew McEwan prompted referee Steven Wardell to take action. With four against three, Stars were on the power play and again Callum Davies worked with Elder, this time sending defenceman Tom Keeley forward to snatch his sixth goal of the season. 

Requiring a quick response, the Senators made it 5-2 just over a minute later, Parkes-Britton back-handing the puck past Watson with a single assist from Humphries. This hard work was soon undone, Boström slotting home a second goal with almost twenty nine minutes played, Davison and Bowman assisting once again. The Senators showed a great deal of fight to push forward however, launching two quick-fire goals into Watson’s net by 32:06 to make it 6-4 in a spectacular turn of events; Humphries getting his name on the score sheet followed by Parkes-Britton who was able to complete his hat trick with a little over half of the game played.

Both teams appearing dangerous in front of goal, it was not long before the sides came to blows in front of Browne’s net, Senator Jonathon Bell taking on Stars’ Luke Brown, whilst Jack Davies dropped the gloves with McEwan. As a result, Wardell dished out double minors to all four players involved, these penalties running into the early stages of the third period.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

From the first face off of the last instalment, Stars displayed their energy and desire to win, having perhaps felt that the game was beginning to slip away from them in the second stanza. Juts fifty one seconds in, Sykes shot from distance to extend Billingham’s lead to 7-4 before sealing his hat trick on 44:20, with assists from Boström and Keeley. The Senators beginning to fall behind, Billingham’s young forward Josh Nertney slotted home his first senior goal for the Stars courtesy of some strong creative play from Boström. Just over two minutes later, the score board read 10-4 as Stars’ Under 20s alternate captain, Matthew Campbell, netted a blue line effort. The game well and truly beyond the Senators, there was still time for Boström to match Sykes’ hat trick with one of his own as defenceman Richie Thornton set Bowman up for his fourth assist of the evening.

With yet another landslide score line going against the Yorkshire outfit, Billingham now leapfrog Senators’ sister club, Sheffield Spartans, in the NIHL table to go fifth, just three points away from the playoff spots. No doubt coach Terry Ward will be satisfied with this result, particularly as the Senators came close to placing the Stars under pressure in the second period. Billingham’s next fixture will be at home to Blackburn Hawks on Saturday 19^th December, meaning they have a break from the NIHL action next weekend. 

For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.