Tuesday, 17 January 2017

NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks snap up cup points as Stars fail to shine

Solway Sharks      8
Billingham Stars   1

Travelling to the Dumfries Ice Bowl for their NIHL North Cup encounter with Solway Sharks, Billingham Stars were aware that they were going to face a challenge from the off as they made the trip short benched with just two defencemen at their disposal and eleven skaters making up their lengthy absentee list. Solway, on the other hand, continued to make the best of their reduced roster, again taking to the ice without forwards Duncan Speirs and Connor Henderson, though the side were able to introduce junior Darren Stattersfield to the Moralee Conference as the youngster made his debut following his return from the GMHL.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Hitting the ice with the intention of making Solway work for the points, the Stars appeared to have given themselves an excellent chance in the contest when they took an early lead with just over three minutes of the game played; Jack Emerson breaking free of Solway’s defence to fire his unassisted effort beyond netminder Calum Hepburn. With the concession of this goal a shock to the Dumfries outfit, the Sharks began to seek a greater share of possession to test Billingham’s blue line which consisted of regular ‘D’ men Ben Davison and Matthew Campbell as well as player-coach Michael Bowman and forward Jack Watkins. Continuing to challenge shot stopper Mark Watson, the Sharks eventually drew level when forward Ben Edmonds integrated fellow two-way player Jordan Buesa to see the lamp flash red on 11:16. The score line 1-1, Solway were aware that they must work hard to add to their tally as Billingham sought a way to regain their lead. However, as the period progressed, the Sharks did not let up and became increasingly dangerous in front of Watson’s goal before Buesa turned assist for Edmonds who sent his team ahead, Slovakian import Juraj Senko also bagging himself an assist. With less than three minutes of the period remaining, the Stars were still very much in the game and went in at the break with hopes that their lost ground could be recovered.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Returning for the second period, Solway were happy to pick up from where they left off whilst the Stars headed into the stanza aiming to equalise at the very least. Testing Watson on more than one occasion, it was little surprise when the home side extended their lead to 3-1 as alternate captain Ross Murray linked up with forward Joe Coulter to see his line mate print his name on the scoresheet. Under fire from the Sharks, Billingham’s defence began to struggle with the onslaught and sure enough it took just over two minutes later for Watson to pick the puck from his net once more as young prospect Daniel Abercrombie achieved his fourth cup goal of the season courtesy of defenceman James Hutchinson and forward Marc Fowley. Unrelenting, Solway ensured the Stars had little time for recovery as the side quickly added to their lead seventy eight seconds later to make it 5-1; skilled defenceman Kim Miettinen threading a pass to captain Struan Tonnar who was able to hit home to leave Billingham bewildered by their growing deficit. Their chances few and far between, with Solway having twenty shots on Watson’s goal to Billingham’s eight, the Stars found themselves failing to cope and unable to find the back of the net again as the Sharks became merciless in front of the net. Abercrombie was able to add his second of the game on 34:21 as quick-thinking left winger Steven Moore collected the puck from Hutchinson to see the youngster beat Watson before going on to complete his hat trick just under a minute later with a superb unassisted goal. Feeling cast adrift by the six goal gap, the Stars were unable to conjure a response and, susceptible to further concession as a result, the Sharks were able to hammer another past Billingham as Buesa claimed his second goal of the evening following assists from Murray and Hutchinson. Trying to further enhance their scoring before the interval, the Sharks went in with an 8-1 lead with the hopes that they could secure victory on their return whilst Billingham knew that the remainder of the game would simply be damage limitation.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Icing for the third and final period of the cup encounter, it was clear that the game was not going to overtime but the Stars, having switched netminder Watson for first choice shot stopper James Flavell, were able to get an early chance to double their tally when Coulter incurred a minor penalty for hooking on 41:28; the first penalty of the game. Try as they might to snatch a second goal on the power play, the Teessiders were unable to contend with Solway’s organised penalty kill, though the situation allowed for a more level playing field; Billingham beginning to increase their efforts in offence as regular goal scorers Dennis Boström, Chris Sykes and Michael Elder looked to work their magic. Despite this offensive play, the Stars were unable to find the net for a second time and were up against Solway’s fast-paced forwards who continued to wreak havoc as Buesa, Edmonds and Abercrombie set their sights on goal. A little before the halfway point in the period, the Stars then suffered a further setback as temporary blue liner Bowman made his way to the sin bin for a slashing offence. Though this presented the home team with a power play, Billingham performed well on the penalty kill to see off the threat, Flavell’s sterling efforts preventing Martin Grubb’s men from causing further damage. With Bowman’s penalty almost up, the Sharks ran into trouble as power forward Murray was ejected from the game for a check to the head. Whilst this may have presented the Stars with a faint glimmer of hope as they looked to contribute further, it was clear that the points were now beyond their reach. As time ran out, the Sharks did all they needed to in order to prevent the defending cup champions from lighting the lamp a second time and, as referee Emmerson dealt Sharks’ captain Tonnar a two minute holding penalty with one second remaining of the game, the teams faced off only for the final buzzer to confirm the Teessiders’ undeniable defeat. Reflecting on Solway’s performance in this cup clash, Head Coach Martin Grubb shared: “We knew we wanted to improve after last weekend and again we started too sluggish, went a goal behind and didn’t turn up for the first ten minutes but we managed to get our noses in front after the first. I asked for more at the end of the period and for us to play to an acceptable level. The players responded to score some well-taken goals and we punished the Stars for travelling short. The third period was a bit of a non-event but we knew Billingham wouldn’t lie down. It got a bit chippy and we took a silly penalty but overall, we did our job to keep ourselves in pole position in the cup so we are happy.”


Warriors extinguish Dragons’ fire in hard fought win

Whitley Warriors  7
The Dragons        5

Preparing to host Scott McKenzie’s Dragons for the second time this season, Whitley Warriors were able to line up with a strong squad of nineteen skaters and two netminders, though suspended enforcer Andre Payette, youngster Anthony Wetherell and forward Liam Brown were unavailable for the clash. Meanwhile, The Dragons journeyed to Hillheads with a slightly stronger roster than that of last month. Travelling with defenceman Gavin Austin, backup netminder Matt Compton and forwards Andrew Chappell and Marc Lovell on this occasion, the Welsh outfit were out to avenge the Warriors’ pre-Christmas comeback with a win of their own on the road.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Ian Hanlon
Taking to the ice for faceoff, the Dragons were hoping to achieve an early lead against David Longstaff’s men, having already claimed a goal against the side last month with just fifty five seconds of the game played. As such, it seemed that the Welsh outfit were out to better this feat and outstandingly did so with just fourteen seconds on the clock as captain James Parsons sent Slovakian import Filip Supa through on goal, his shot trickling beyond netminder Richie Lawson and into the net. Whilst the Warriors were stunned by this early concession, the Dragons continued to make good progress as they doubled their lead soon after when Parsons integrated left winger Simon Furnival into play to successfully set up Finnish forward Markus Kankaanranta who showed his skill to beat Whitley’s defence with ease. It was after this goal that Whitley opted to switch netminder Lawson for backup shot stopper Rory Dunn, the side having conceded twice in such a short space of time. Just over a minute later, referee Steven Wardell then made matters worse for the Warriors as he called player-coach Longstaff to the sin bin for a tripping offence which saw McKenzie’s team take the advantage. Working hard to kill the penalty, Whitley were able to see off the Dragons’ attack but returned to full strength only to concede a second minor less than four minutes later when forward Ben Richards headed to the sin bin for tripping. Again, trying to find a way back into the game, the Warriors were able to counteract the Dragons’ creative play but lost out with only twelve seconds of their penalty kill remaining when alternate captain Matthew Wainwright took control of the puck to pick out McKenzie who lit the lamp for the eleventh time this season whilst Furnival was on hand to claim an assist. The score line 3-0 on 12:36, the Warriors were aware that they needed to grab a goal to ensure the game was not beyond recovery and a holding call against defenceman Ross Kennedy shortly afterwards presented the home team with the opportunity they were searching for; Whitley took possession in the Dragons’ defensive zone before Richards punished young netminder Jonah Armstrong with help from his player-coach and fellow forward DJ Good. Spurred on by this goal, the Warriors then sought another before the break but were unable to add to their tally to go in at the interval two goals down.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Ian Hanlon
Returning for the second period, the Warriors were in search of another goal and made an excellent start with some early pressure on the Dragons’ net. Performing far better than they did in the first period, the Warriors were then able to force Ryan Jones to commit a tripping offence which saw the ‘D’ man sit out for two minutes to hand Whitley a power play on 25:08. Try as they might, Longstaff’s line-up failed to capitalise as McKenzie, Parsons, Kankaanranta and Supa continued to pose a threat with the Warriors’ defence so far up the ice. As a result, it was not long before Whitley were punished, only this time by Jones who made his return to the ice to find the back of the net just twelve seconds later, despite the best efforts of defenceman Josh Maddock. Disappointed to concede after so much creative work in offence, the Hillheads outfit recovered themselves quickly to claim possession and resume their excellent domination of the Dragons’ defensive zone. Finally reaping the rewards of their labour, the Hillheads outfit were next to find the target following some clever play from defenceman Niall Simpson, the blue liner picking out Good to see captain Dean Holland print his name on the scoresheet. Buoyed by this goal, the Warriors continued to outshoot their opposition but their efforts were painstaking as time passed with very little reward. It was almost five minutes after their second goal that the side could fire home again, power forward Jordan Barnes receiving the puck from blue liner Dan Pye to play in Longstaff, rather than take the shot himself. Just over a minute later, Parsons was side-lined for delaying the game to present Whitley with the additional man. Though the Warriors endeavoured to test Armstrong on the power play, the home team were given some cause for concern when Wainwright played the puck to Supa who broke free of Whitley’s defence to earn himself a shorthanded goal as Parsons’ penalty ran out. With the score line 5-3 as the two teams filed from the ice ahead of the third period, the Warriors were frustrated to have conceded so late in the middle section having been close to drawing level whilst the Dragons were relieved to have restored their two-goal cushion once again.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Ian Hanlon
Facing off for the final instalment of the game, the Warriors, having switched back to netminder Lawson, were presented with a helping hand early on as Kankaanranta was shown to the sin bin for tripping on 41:43 to hand Whitley a power play. Having failed to make the most of their advantages in the second period, Longstaff’s men were eager to claw their way back into the game and were able to snatch a fourth goal as defenceman Harry Harley shot from just inside the blue line to leave Armstrong helpless following passing play from his player-coach and captain. Soon after, it was Whitley’s turn to go shorthanded as an interference call was made against Holland but it seemed that the Warriors were not the only team to make hard work of the power play as the Dragons struggled to snatch a goal, Lawson pulling off some fine saves to keep his side in the game. Restored to full strength, Whitley continued with the knowledge that one more goal would see them draw level and they were able to do so on 47:10 when Pye played the puck to Barnes who fired his shot through the Dragons’ defence to make it 5-5. The points now within their grasp for the first time in the contest, Longstaff’s men were handed the perfect opportunity when a delayed tripping penalty against Furnival resulted in the Warriors pulling their netminder to benefit from an additional skater. Surging forward into their offensive zone, Whitley’s actions were quick and decisive as Longstaff played the puck to Richards who found Barnes behind the net, allowing the power forward to flick the puck beyond Armstrong as he stretched for the wraparound. The score line 6-5 in Whitley’s favour, the side were eager to hold onto their lead having gone ahead for the first time in the game but with the Dragons continually posing a threat at every chance, it was felt that another goal would be required if the Warriors were to hold on to claim maximum points. Digging deep to establish a two-goal cushion, the extent of Whitley’s character was realised when Holland wove his way through the Dragons’ defence just over three minutes later to unleash a shot which flew beyond Armstrong to leave McKenzie and his men deflated. A final interference penalty for Whitley conceded by Maddock on 57:35 saw the Warriors go shorthanded until the final twenty five seconds of the game but it was clear, with time fast running out, that there was no way back for the Dragons who had played admirably throughout only to fall at the final hurdle. As a result of this victory, Whitley Warriors hold onto fourth place with seventeen points from eighteen games whilst the Dragons also remain two places below the Hillheads outfit, though tied on twelve points with Blackburn Hawks and Telford Tigers. Commenting after the game, player-coach David Longstaff noted: “I thought we were very lucky against the Dragons. We lost a lot of speed in the off season and it really shows in certain games when we lack intensity.”

Striving Stars struck by Solihull as Barons seize points

Solihull Barons            7
Billingham Stars      5

Making the trip to Hobs Moat Road for their second game of their double header, Billingham Stars travelled with a much strengthened line-up than that of Saturday evening as, though without blue liner Ben Davison, defencemen Richie Thornton, Scott Cooper and Ross Hanlon were available to ice in addition to fellow ‘D’ man Matthew Campbell whilst forward Josh Nertney also joined his team mates for the encounter. Solihull Barons’ line-up, on the other hand, consisted of sixteen skaters, just one more than that of their opposition, including top points scorers Niklas Ottosson, Joe Henry and Matthew Maurice.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The first period underway, it was clear that both teams were willing to give their all in a bid to claim maximum points, particularly as Billingham and Solihull are situated in second and third place respectively and are aware that just one victory can make a big difference to the league standings. As the outfits went head to head for possession in the opening moments of the game, it was not long before the visitors were able to benefit from their initial efforts on goal as the Barons incurred a bench minor for abuse to hand the Stars a power play. Making the most of the additional man, Billingham began to challenge Solihull’s shot stopper Sam Hewitt and, just when it appeared that their opposition would return to full strength unscathed, forward Chris Sykes played the puck to line mate Jack Watkins who capitalised with one second of the Stars’ power play remaining. Taking confidence from this goal, Billingham continued to try their luck in the Barons’ defensive zone whilst Perry Doyle’s men strove to counter this with several attempts arising through forwards Thomas Soar as well as skilled import Ottosson, youngster Maurice and the experienced Richard Slater. The contest close, both James Flavell and Hewitt were made to work between the pipes to keep their respective teams in the game, with the latter surviving attempts from Swedish import Dennis Boström, dexterous forward Michael Elder and alternate captain Callum Davies amongst others. As the game progressed, Billingham’s endeavours to double their lead soon paid off as James Moss slipped the puck to Boström who slotted home on 12:15. Recognising their need to grab a goal having had several chances already, the Barons were eventually able to make their mark on the game when Slovakian import Tomas Janak worked with Maurice to setup Slater who beat Flavell to make it 2-1 just over two minutes later. A boarding penalty for Star Scott Ward soon followed to result in a power play for the home side, however Solihull were unable to make the most of this opportunity to head in at the break with just a goal between themselves and the Stars.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Whilst Billingham returned hoping to maintain their lead, it was evident that the Barons had other ideas when Ottosson unsurprisingly found the target courtesy of fellow forward Soar just twenty two seconds into the period. Spurred on by their equaliser, Doyle’s men appeared fervent as they battled against the Teessiders’ defence to add another to their tally just over two minutes later when Maurice lit the lamp following support from forward Andrew Whitehouse. Soon after, matters were made worse for Billingham as Ward then headed to the sin bin for a second time to serve two minutes for interference. Though peppering Flavell with shot after shot, the netminder was unwavering in goal and prevented the home outfit from adding to their 3-2 lead. Continuing to outshoot the Stars in this period, having recorded twenty one shots to Billingham’s seventeen in the first stanza, the Barons saw the better share of possession but failed to capitalise. Relentless in offence, Solihull were eventually able to reap the rewards of their perseverance when Billingham’s newest signing Ross Hanlon incurred a minor for high sticks which presented Doyle’s team with the advantage. Unwilling to waste the opportunity to creep even further ahead, the Barons were able to find the back of the net with over a minute of Hanlon’s penalty served as Maurice grabbed his second of the game assisted by Whitehouse once again. Disappointed with their sudden two goal deficit, the Teessiders were eager to show that they were down but not out and did so with a rapid response as Davies beat the buzzer following a pass from Boström to see his side head in with three goals to the Barons’ four.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
With the game still to be decided, the two teams returned for the final period knowing that the contest would continue to be a close one. Not yet out of the fixture, Billingham played with resilience and determination as they sought a way beyond the Barons’ defence and they were eventually successful in their efforts with less than four minutes played as Elder found an equaliser following a pass from Hanlon to tie the game at 4-4. Any jubilation felt by the Stars proved to be short lived however, as less than two minutes later, the puck was again in the back of the net but this time it was the Barons who had cause to rejoice as Soar achieved his ninth goal of the season when Ottosson returned the favour to assist his line mate. It was shortly after this goal that Solihull’s Brandon Anderton was made to sit out for kneeing on 49:50 but the Barons demonstrated the depth of their fortitude as Slater broke clear of Billingham’s offensive zone to snatch a shorthanded goal. The scoreboard reading 6-4 to the credit of the home team, the Stars quickly bounced back to reduce their deficit just seventy five seconds later when Davies achieved his second of the game courtesy of Boström once again. A delayed penalty against the Stars on 53:55 then saw the Barons assume possession to their visitors’ detriment, the side scoring sixteen seconds later through Henry as Ottosson picked up his second assist of the evening. With the score line 7-5 and the Stars still giving their all, the Barons then went shorthanded as Soar made his way to the sin bin for a tripping offence which provided Terry Ward’s men with a power play. It was all too little, too late for Billingham however and the side were unable to add to their tally to record a defeat against Doyle’s tricky Solihull outfit who are now just two points away from second place and could potentially pose a threat to the Teessiders’ league placement in the coming weeks. Feeling at a loss due to the Stars’ performance this weekend, Billingham’s Chris Sykes shared: “I don’t have much to say this week. I’m pretty annoyed and it’s a bad weekend for the Stars.”

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


No comments:

Post a Comment