Stars
strike Hawks to take one step closer to silverware
Blackburn Hawks 3
Billingham Stars
6
With both Billingham
Stars and Blackburn Hawks challenging for the NIHL North Cup, this game was a
must-win for the Teesiders in their bid to secure some silverware this season. Whilst
the Stars opted for netminder James Flavell between the pipes, to complete
their strong roster, player-coach Daniel MacKriel selected second choice shot
stopper Stuart Ashton once again for the Hawks’ cup fixture, providing an
equally powerful line up with Adam Brittle the only absentee. Facing off for the
first period, both sides began to create their fair share of chances but
Blackburn soon found themselves reduced to four men when forward David Meikle
was ordered to serve a minor penalty for tripping. Instantly taking full
advantage of their power play, Michael Elder fired home six seconds into
Meikle’s penalty, following neat link up play between fellow forward Chris
Sykes and blue liner Andy Finn. Hoping to achieve a
quick response to this goal, Blackburn sought an equaliser but the side’s
efforts were again hindered by a lack of discipline, this time Jordan Bannon
making way for a boarding offence. Although Billingham failed to capitalise, it
was not long before the puck was again beyond Ashton as passing play between
Stars’ captain Paul Windridge and team mate Jack Emerson was enough to set up
Luke Brown who quickly made it 2-0. Losing Bannon to a ten minute misconduct
penalty just seconds later, Blackburn continued to battle for a goal.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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With the Hawks overturning
deficits in no time at all this season, Billingham were not about to take their
two goal cushion for granted and added a third to their score line just thirty
five seconds later, this time Sykes working alone to assist Elder. All was not
lost for the Hawks as the Lancashire outfit claimed a power play opportunity in
the closing stages of the period but Blackburn were unable to make this chance
count and went in at the break requiring at least three goals to claw their way
back.
If the Stars were
hoping to continue from where they left off in the previous period, they were
soon to be disappointed when minor penalties from Sykes and player-assistant
coach Michael Bowman reduced Billingham to three men. After this second
penalty, the Hawks took less than nineteen seconds to place a shot beyond
Flavell as captain Chris Arnone lit the lamp, support arriving in the form of Finnish
import Kim Miettinen and forward Richard Bentham.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Both teams finding
opportunities to pressure in their offensive zones, the Stars were the next to
score as Emerson and Windridge teamed up once more to allow Brown to grab his
second of the game. Just minutes later, Emerson was made to serve Billingham’s
fourth and final penalty of the game for a trip and, whilst MacKriel’s men
failed to capitalise on the power play, they soon found the back of the net
with an unassisted effort from alternate captain Matt Viney. A last minute
penalty for Reece Cairney-Witter saw Blackburn finish the period with four men
and a two goal deficit still to slash. Returning for the third
period, the Hawks were aware that they had much work to do to ensure that the
NIHL North Cup was theirs but, despite several efforts to break down
Billingham’s defence, the side were unable to grab a goal as the period
unfolded. A minor for slashing saw Blackburn’s Tom King take to the box but the
advantage of an additional skater made little difference to the Stars and it
was only when their opposition were restored to full strength that the
Teesiders secured their fifth goal of the game, Bowman playing the puck to
Swedish import Dennis Boström who hit his shot past Ashton to punish the home
side.
With three goals once
again separating the teams, Blackburn continued with their offensive efforts on
Flavell’s net but to no avail and it was not long before the Hawks were further
behind as defenceman Tom Keeley and youngster Josh Nertney worked hard to set
up Sykes, the forward scoring on 55:13. Blackburn’s undefeated
home run all but at an end, Arnone returned the favour to Bentham with an
assist to allow his team mate to pick up a goal in the last minute of the game.
The final score 6-3 to the Stars, Billingham go into their final cup fixture
knowing that victory over Laidler Conference opposition Widnes Wild will result
in silverware for the Teesside club.
Stars shoot seven to secure silverware
but end of era for number nine
Widnes Wild 1
Billingham Stars 7
Requiring one last
victory to claim the NIHL North Cup, Billingham Stars took to the ice against
Scott McKenzie’s Widnes Wild with a clear objective. Playing James Flavell in
net from the first face off, the Teesiders boasted fifteen skaters to compete
with the slightly depleted bench of their opposition.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Though the Stars were
eager to get on the score sheet, peppering Widnes’ goal with their attacking
efforts from the beginning, netminder Thomas McDonald gave a sterling
performance to ensure that the visitors’ pressure did not have an impact on the
score line in the early stages of the game. Relentless in their quest for cup
glory however, Billingham’s perseverance was eventually rewarded with a goal as
Luke Brown found the back of the net with help from defenceman Tom Keeley and
fellow forward Jack Emerson. With over fifteen minutes having been played
before the Stars found their first goal, their next was just minutes away as
Emerson fired home with a single assist from Andy Finn. As Billingham headed in
with a two goal lead, Widnes filed from the ice with much work to do to get
back in the game, the side outshot in the opening period by seventeen shots to
nine.
Returning for the
second period, the Stars continued to dominate and it was not long before
Michael Elder slotted the puck past McDonald, following some quick passing play
between Sykes and alternate captain Callum Davies. Two minutes later, a
tripping offence from Thomas Ratcliffe sparked a retaliation from blue liner
Ben Davison who received five minutes plus game for his actions while Ratcliffe
was shown to the box to serve a minor penalty for his misdemeanour. Soon after,
a holding call was made against Richie Thornton but the home side could not
find a way through on the power play and, with less than four minutes of the
stanza remaining, Keeley was able to find the target, Davies and Sykes grabbing
their second assists of the game. Leaving it late, Widnes made an attempt to
grab a goal as the clock ticked away but Flavell dealt with the threat to hold
onto his shutout.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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Switching netminders at
the beginning of the third period, with Mark Watson taking the place of
Flavell, it was clear that the Stars were leaving nothing to chance as they hit
home just fifty two seconds after the initial restart, Elder achieving his
second of the game courtesy of Sykes. Contributing to three of the Stars goals
previously, Sykes sought to print his name on the score sheet and, picking up
the puck from the halfway line, he surpassed Widnes’ defence to snatch
Billingham’s sixth goal of the game on 43:55.
Despite the Stars’
lead, the Wild were not about to give up and forced a save from Watson around
the fiftieth minute mark but were soon given a second chance to go ahead when Teesider
Billy Nicholson left the ice to serve a minor holding penalty, thereby reducing
his side to four men. With the additional skater, McKenzie’s team took less
than a minute to capitalise, Ratcliffe stretching the twine following assists
from Sheldon Cassidy and captain Shaun Dippnall. However, this was merely a
consolation goal as the visitors grabbed another in the last two minutes of the
game, this time Davies burying an unassisted shot into McDonald’s net.
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Photo
Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
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With a 7-1 score line outlining
Billingham as NIHL North Cup winners, the Teesiders were given much cause for
celebration and collected their silverware to mark their successful campaign in
the competition. Sharing his views for one last time this season, star Chris Sykes
told NIHL Northern Trio: “Me and the lads fought hard and got a massive 6-3
victory over Blackburn on Saturday to put ourselves in the driving seat with
one hand on the cup. We turned into Widnes after a nice weekend away with the
team in a hotel and a relaxing Sunday getting ready for what was effectively our
cup final. We were all so ready and so pumped to get on the ice and get going.
We knew we could beat them if we turned up and played our game. It sometimes
happens and you lower your game to match your opponent and, I don’t mean to say
that Widnes aren’t good, they’re a strong outfit, but we knew if we did things
correctly and stuck to the system, that cup would be ours. We ended both the first
and second period getting two goals, so we went into the third 4-0 up and we
were in cruise control, just making sure we did things right to pick up that
cup. It was a massive win for us and for the Billingham club as a whole. It’s a
long time since silverware has been hoisted in front of these fans and it was a
fitting way for Paul Windridge [Spike] to bow out as captain of his beloved
club. What a career. What a legend.” With this his final contribution to NIHL
Northern Trio now that Billingham’s 2015-16 campaign is at an end, Sykes added:
“Thanks for having me. See you in August everyone!”
NIHL Northern Trio would like to wish Paul Windridge the best of luck for the future following his decision to hang up the skates after a lengthy career with the Teeside club.
For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.
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