NIHL Weekend Action

Dragons’ fire extinguished as Sharks surge to victory

Solway Sharks  13

The Dragons       2

Travelling to the Dumfries Ice Bowl with just eleven skaters, injured player-coach Scott McKenzie took to overseeing proceedings from The Dragons’ bench as his side lined up against league leaders Solway Sharks who had five more men than that of their opposition, missing only injured alternate captain Ross Murray from their regular squad. Looking for no less than a win with the league silverware almost within their grasp, Martin Grubb’s men went out onto the ice aiming to secure the Moralee Conference title whilst The Dragons were aware of the challenge awaiting them but were equally hopeful that they could take something from the game. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Starting as they meant to go on, Solway Sharks had no sooner faced off against the Dragons than the puck was in the back of the net, forward Connor Henderson teaming up with fellow junior Daniel Abercrombie who slotted the puck past netminder Denis Bell to give his team the lead on 1:03. Disappointed to concede so early on in the game and feeling the pressures of their short bench from the outset, it was not long before The Dragons incurred their first penalty of the evening as Ross Kennedy was sent to the sin bin for a tripping offence shortly afterwards to hand the Sharks a power play. Turning their attentions to a second goal, Solway were quick to capitalise as defenceman James Hutchinson doubled his side’s lead with a slap shot fifty five seconds later following a pass from Finnish import Kim Miettinen and support from skilled two-way player Jordan Buesa. Suffering a two goal deficit with less than five minutes on the clock, the Dragons recovered themselves to test shot stopper Calum Hepburn; captain James Parsons and Slovakian import Filip Supa attempting to surpass Solway’s defence. Failing to make the desired impact in front of goal, the Dragons were then forced to endure further pressure from the Sharks which resulted in a third goal for the home team as left winger and stand-in alternate captain Steven Moore received the puck from Miettinen to send Henderson through on goal with success as the forward netted to make it 3-0. Encouraged by their dominant start to the game, the Sharks continued to seek avenues through on goal whilst the Dragons sought opportunities to counterattack but there was little the visitors could do to prevent a fourth goal as Solway’s captain Struan Tonnar rocketed an unassisted effort beyond Bell on 11:24. Struggling to compete against Martin Grubb’s organised lines, the Welsh outfit saw their several attempts on goal fail as the Sharks continued to outshoot their opposition but hard work from former EPL netminder Bell ensured that the Dragons’ went in at the break trailing by just four goals, having absorbed much of the pressure in the second half of the opening period.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Aiming to keep their rate of concession to a minimum as they headed into the middle stanza, the Dragons had damage limitation in mind whereas the Sharks were out to extend their lead and, enjoying the better share of possession in the opening moments of the period, Solway were able to hit the target for a fifth time as Moore added another to the scoreboard with help from Miettinen who collected his third assist of the evening to see the Dragons punished further. Continuing to pepper Bell with shot after shot, forward Marc Fowley was played through on goal by young prospect Duncan Speirs to earn his sixth league goal of the season. It was at this point in the game that Dragons’ player-coach McKenzie opted to switch netminder Bell with the more experienced Matthew Compton, the former having faced twelve shots on goal in just under eight minutes. Taking his place between the pipes, Compton was tested early on by Solway but the Dragons were equally as eager to get on the scoresheet and strove to find a way through on Hepburn’s goal, though to no avail. Preventing the Sharks from scoring for over eight minutes, Compton was then disappointed to let in his first goal of the evening when blue liner Stuart Kerr incorporated forward Joe Coulter into play to see his team mate light the lamp on 35:50 to make it 7-0. Play resuming, it took just eleven seconds for Compton to pick the puck from his net once more as Connor Henderson assisted Abercrombie for a second time, the youngster achieving his fifteenth league goal of the season. Utterly defeated by the 8-0 score line with another twenty minutes to play, the short benched Dragons found themselves dominated by the league leaders as they headed in at the break with a mountain to climb.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the third period, Solway were eager to pick up from where they left off, allowing netminder Chris Rae some valuable ice time in place of shot stopper Hepburn. Shortly after faceoff, a clash between Dragons’ junior defenceman Louis Morgan and Buesa saw both players earn two minutes for roughing on 42:36 whilst the latter racked up an additional penalty of two plus two for hooking and holding. Placing the visitors on a power play as a result, the Dragons were eager to gain a consolation goal at the very least and were able to do so with the additional man as alternate captain Matthew Wainwright linked up with Kennedy to see Supa punish the Sharks’ misdemeanours forty seconds into their advantage to make it 8-1. Continuing to battle, the Dragons found themselves racing after the Sharks who forced their way beyond McKenzie’s defence only to see forward Speirs suffer the impact of a powerful hit from Kennedy. Failing to return to the ice as he recovered from the effects of this collision, Speirs watched on as his team retaliated with a ninth goal, this time ‘D’ man Stuart Andrews ensuring that Henderson could grab a second goal in the contest just seconds after Buesa made his return to the ice. With Solway firing shot after shot, the Dragons had very few attempts on goal as they struggled to contend with the home team and they found themselves punished once again as build up play from Moore and Henderson allowed Hutchinson to achieve his second goal of the game on 52:12. Striving to create chances at every opportunity, only thirty one seconds had passed by before Grubb’s men claimed another; this time Miettinen finding the target courtesy of Buesa. Minutes later, an interference call against alternate captain Hutchinson saw the Dragons go on the power play and once again the side were able to make the most of the additional man, scoring just sixteen seconds into their advantage as Supa fired the puck beyond Rae; Wainwright and Kennedy again on hand to assist. Despite this goal, the Sharks returned to full strength to take control of the game, demonstrated when Andrews unleashed a shot which resulted in an unacknowledged tap-in for Tonnar on 58:11. A timeout from McKenzie gave the Dragons some reprieve from Solway’s relentless attacking play but it only delayed the inevitable as Abercrombie accomplished his hat trick with just eight seconds of the game remaining to confirm his team’s landslide victory and a disappointing trip for the Dragons. Taking time to speak to NIHL Northern Trio after the game, Head Coach Martin Grubb reflected: “This was a game that we knew we had to be ready for and we came out quick and got a few early goals to help us on our way. We played well and scored some nice goals and everyone contributed. It was a tough ask for the Dragons with such a short bench but they kept battling hard all night and Scott [McKenzie] made sure they tried to play good hockey when they could and they deserve credit for that. We knew what we needed to do and I was pleased with how we went about our business.”

Warriors seize points in Sheffield as Sting crushed

Sutton Sting           2

Whitley Warriors      5

Making the trip to Ice Sheffield with a strong squad, though missing injured forward Ben Richards, defenceman Joe Stamp and youngsters Ross Douglass and Anthony Wetherell, Whitley Warriors were aware that they would need two important points if they were to continue their fight for a playoff spot whereas Simon Butterworth’s twenty-man team knew that a win would see them achieve twenty points and the side were eager to make this happen.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With play underway after faceoff, both teams were aware that the opening goal would be crucial as past encounters between these two outfits have seen the side first to take the lead triumph over their opposition. The early stages of the game saw chances from both teams fall short but with 6:24 on the clock, the Warriors were able to break the deadlock as captain Dean Holland achieved his sixteenth league goal of the season with support from fellow forwards Callum Watson and DJ Good. Encouraged by this lead, the Warriors ploughed on against the tricky Sting only for defenceman Dan Pye to incur two minutes for hooking. Placed on the power play, Sutton sought an equaliser but an effective penalty kill from the Warriors ensured that Whitley’s misdemeanour went unpunished and allowed the team to return to full strength to again trouble Sutton’s sturdy netminder Dmitri Zimozdra. Continuing to work hard but finding it difficult to punish the Sting’s strong defence, the Warriors were then handed a power play opportunity of their own when Zimozdra was considered guilty of tripping to provide Whitley with the advantage. Just thirty seven seconds later, the netminder was made to pay for his error as player-coach David Longstaff played the puck to Good whose pass to Watson saw the forward capitalise on 18:41. Buoyed by their two-goal lead, the Warriors appeared resolute as they grabbed another, this time power forward Jordan Barnes working with Longstaff to see Shaun Kippin print his name on the scoresheet with just twenty five seconds of the period remaining.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to the ice for the second period, the Sting knew that they had much work to do to gain a foothold in the game, having conceded two quick goals at the end of the first period. A clash between Scott Morris and Warriors’ captain Holland saw both receive minor penalties which broke up play but shortly after the visitors were restored to full strength, hardworking forward Barnes snatched a goal of his own as Longstaff managed a third assist to see the scoreboard altered to 4-0. With Sutton’s shots on Richie Lawson’s goal few and far between, the Warriors battled with the Sting for possession to create numerous chances which went unrewarded due to excellent netminding from Zimozdra. Outshooting their opposition by fourteen shots to three, Whitley found that they were unable to add another to their tally, despite their many efforts and further hard work from player-coach Longstaff and forwards Holland, Watson, Good, Kippin and Barnes, to head in at the break with a 4-0 lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Icing in the final period, the Warriors were hopeful that they could hold on to their shutout as well as their lead but the Sting had other ideas as defenceman Chris Wilcox fed the puck to youngster Joe Colton who linked up with alternate captain Lloyd Gibson to see the former EPL forward hit the target. Beginning to find themselves under pressure from their opposition, Whitley Warriors were forced to defend as the home team increased their efforts on Lawson’s goal to cause problems for the netminder and his defence. Just under three minutes after their first goal, the Sting were able to achieve their second of the game, Gibson again hitting home but with help from Scott Glover on this occasion. In their attempts to absorb this pressure, Longstaff’s line-up then conceded a penalty as defenceman Josh Maddock made way for elbowing forty four seconds later to hand the Sting a power play. Labouring to kill the penalty, the Warriors were made to work to prevent Sutton from scoring whilst Lawson pulled off some crucial saves to ensure his side did not concede a third goal. Restored to full strength just before the halfway point in the period, Whitley Warriors found that their chances were not as plentiful as before, though Barnes again came close to scoring. Despite the Sting having some excellent opportunities as Wilcox again tried his luck and Colton’s creativity shone through, the side were unable to add to their tally, leaving Butterworth with little choice other than to pull Zimozdra from his net in the dying minutes of the game. Faced with a six-man Sutton side as a result of this decision, the Warriors dug in deep to prevent the Sting’s comeback and reaped their rewards when the puck fell to blue liner Harry Harley in the final minute of the game, the defenceman claiming an empty net goal on 59:06 to confirm his team’s 5-2 road victory.

Warriors battle with Barons but Solihull steals show

Solihull Barons     12

Whitley Warriors        7

Making the second trip of their double header to take on Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons at Hobs Moat Road on Sunday, the Warriors travelled with a shorter bench than that of the previous evening as defencemen Harry Harley and Dan Pye missed out on this game, leaving the side with only four blue liners in Craig Johnson, Liam Smedley, Josh Maddock and Stuart Tomlinson. Despite these absentees, the visitors found themselves equalling the numbers of the home team as the Barons also lined up with a squad of fifteen skaters, not to mention first choice shot stopper Sam Hewitt and backup netminder Connor Ranby.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking to the ice for the first period, the Barons were aware that victory would see Solihull return to third place due to better head-to-head form whilst Whitley Warriors were eager to achieve their first victory over the side this season, having lost out twice on home ice against Doyle’s men. Getting off to a bad start, the Warriors conceded an early penalty as forward DJ Good headed to the sin bin following a tripping offence on 1:07 to hand the home team a power play. Not about to waste this early opportunity, the Barons held onto possession to punish Whitley’s transgression twenty eight seconds later as alternate captain Josh Bruce and hardworking defenceman Ryan Selwood played the puck into the Warriors’ defensive zone before finding forward Andrew Whitehouse who slotted beyond netminder Richie Lawson to give his team a head start. Returning to full strength as a result of this goal, the Warriors then sought to make an impact of their own as captain Dean Holland worked alongside forwards Callum Watson, Shaun Kippin and player-coach David Longstaff to grab an equaliser but the Warriors’ early efforts were saved by Hewitt before the side conceded a second penalty, this time power forward Jordan Barnes making way for tripping on 8:52 to hand the Barons the advantage. Whilst initially unable to capitalise on the power play, Solihull were able to find the back of the net just one second after the termination of Barnes’ penalty; netminder Hewitt playing the puck out to forward Joe Henry to allow Bruce to place a shot beyond Lawson. With poor discipline having crushed the Warriors in the opening moments of the game, the side then suffered a further setback as enforcer Andre Payette was side-lined on 14:31 for interference. Again, Solihull utilised their additional man as Doyle’s team made it 3-0 fifty two seconds later, Bruce threading a pass to Selwood to set up Whitehouse for a second time in the period, thereby making life difficult for their visitors. Just over a minute later, a holding penalty for Baron Phil Knight then saw the advantage change hands and the Warriors were just as quick to capitalise as Holland fired home courtesy of Longstaff and Good to make it 3-1 with less than three minutes of the period remaining. Following this goal, it appeared that the tables had turned as Solihull’s captain Tomas Janak then incurred two minutes for tripping in the final minute of the period to see the Warriors return with the advantage from the start of the second stanza.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Resuming play with the additional man, Whitley Warriors were eager to add another to their tally but were unable to do so as Solihull were effective on the penalty kill to return to full strength unscathed. Undeterred, the Warriors continued to battle for their next goal and were eventually rewarded when Holland integrated Barnes into play to allow Kippin to achieve his eleventh league goal of the season. The score line now narrowed to 3-2, the Barons then suffered a further setback as ‘D’ man Selwood received two minutes for tripping to allow Whitley to go on the advantage. However, it was not long after that possession soon fell to Solihull forward Henry who was able to race from his own zone to go one-on-one with netminder Lawson and find success with his unassisted, shorthanded breakaway effort. The scoreboard reading 4-2, Whitley were disappointed to have conceded a goal on the power play but were able to stun the Barons on 29:39 to reduce their deficit as Good collected the puck from young defenceman Smedley to find Warrior Lawson Glasby who netted to send his team within one yet again. Whitley’s celebrations proved to be short lived however, as less than twenty seconds later the Barons made it 5-3 through forward Richard Slater following a neat pass from defenceman Dave Rogers. The score line skipping away from the Warriors’ grasp again, Whitley looked to battle on but were soon stopped in their tracks by a fourth penalty as ‘D’ man Maddock made way for elbowing on 32:08 to see Solihull claim yet another power play goal, this time Baron Thomas Soar notching his fourteenth league goal of the season, assisted by skilled Swedish forward Niklas Ottosson and defenceman Richard Crowe. Determined to fight for maximum points, the Warriors never once showed signs of easing off and were able to hit back to make it 6-4 as unlikely goal scorer Alan Yarrow contributed a fantastic unassisted effort and his first goal of the season to embody the spirit shown by his team. Just thirty nine seconds later, the Warriors were then handed another chance to creep closer to the points as Henry warmed a seat in the sin bin for boarding but, unable to make the most of this advantage, it was one that Longstaff’s line-up would regret as the forward made his return to the ice only to score five seconds later following neat link up play with Bruce. The Warriors’ efforts in front of goal did not end there though and a hooking penalty for Selwood on 39:34 allowed the Hillheads outfit to take possession in Solihull’s defensive zone. Creating some intensity from their passing play, Whitley were able to reduce their deficit to just two once again as Watson delivered the puck past Hewitt with just three seconds remaining in the period after some hard work from Holland and Longstaff.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The score line 7-5 in the Barons’ favour going into the third period, Whitley were aware that they still had some work to do with the points still out of their reach but, no stranger to a struggle this season, the Warriors fought to reduce the gap to just one goal as Barnes demonstrated the power he has shown in recent games to startle Solihull with just over two minutes of the stanza played. Just thirty three seconds later though, the visitors suffered a huge setback when defenceman Johnson and forward Martin Crammond were sent to the sin bin on 42:52 for boarding and slashing respectively. Soon after, the Barons re-established their two-goal lead as Soar worked with Crowe to set up youngster Matthew Maurice to increase the score line to 8-6 and less than a minute later, Lawson was made to pick the puck out of the net for a ninth time when Bruce grabbed his second of the game courtesy of Henry and Selwood. Shortly afterwards, the Warriors were able to manage a seventh as stand-in defenceman Crammond shot from centre ice to see the puck ricochet into the middle of the goal, allowing Stuart Tomlinson to then score into an empty net and achieve his first senior goal for Whitley following Hewitt’s failed attempts to make the save. The Barons ahead by nine goals to seven, there was still a sense that the game was far from over and, knowing that the next goal would be crucial, Solihull hit double figures as junior Elliot Farrell claimed the outfit’s tenth goal with help from Rogers and Maurice. Matters were then made worse for the Warriors as Doyle’s men snatched another on 55:58, Ottosson assisting Soar for a second time to see the outcome of the game put beyond doubt. Switching shot stopper Lawson for netminder Rory Dunn, Whitley had little time to recover from the concession of their eleventh goal as Farrell turned assist alongside Rogers just fifteen seconds later to see Maurice slot home his second with less than four minutes remaining. Successfully preventing the Barons’ attacking play in the dying moments of the game, the Warriors knew that time was against them now that they found themselves five goals adrift and their 12-7 defeat was soon echoed by the sound of the final buzzer. Reflecting on Whitley’s double header, player-coach David Longstaff shared: “We were excellent yesterday for forty five minutes and the two points were well-deserved. Tonight we played well offensively but we were a little bit off in our own zone. We don’t have the depth this season to miss two or three players, never mind half of our defence and five in total.”

Sharks snap up league title in fiery clash with Stars

Billingham Stars     2

Solway Sharks        5

The importance of this game not lost on the Dumfries outfit as they made the trip to Teesside with the knowledge that they could win the league title so long as they did not lose by seven goals or more, Solway Sharks journeyed to The Forum with a strong squad of fifteen skaters which included top points scorers Steven Moore, Struan Tonnar and Kim Miettinen, though missing Slovakian defenceman Juraj Senko through illness and injured alternate captain Ross Murray. Meanwhile, hosts Billingham Stars were out to see if they could achieve another league victory over the Sharks on home ice, lining up with seventeen skaters which included defenceman Ben Davison, who made his return from injury, and netminder James Flavell who missed out last weekend due to work commitments.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking their positions ahead of faceoff, Billingham Stars were out to ensure that close rivals Solway Sharks were hindered in their attempts to achieve the league title but were aware that this would be no mean feat. Striving to gain an early lead in the game, Swedish import Dennis Boström rapidly carved a path through Solway’s defence to strike the post in the opening moments of the game. Though encouraged by this early attempt, it was not long after the Star’s effort that the Sharks took control of the puck to break into Billingham’s defensive zone without initial success, a collision between Tonnar and ‘D’ man Andy Finn flooring the latter of the two. Continuing to chase the puck, young two-way player Jordan Buesa was then able to work his way down the wing to linkup with captain Tonnar who zipped the puck beyond Flavell to open the scoring on 5:09. Soon after celebrating their early lead, Solway were hit with another attack from the Stars, this time forward Chris Sykes racing towards Calum Hepburn’s net in an attempt to play Daniel Palmebjörk through on goal but again Billingham found it difficult to capitalise on their chance and a one-on-one opportunity for Jack Watkins was also frittered away. Matching Billingham’s ten shots on goal, the Sharks were not without their own opportunities as Buesa continued to work hard alongside Tonnar whilst youngster Daniel Abercrombie, Marc Fowley and Moore sought a chance to double their side’s lead but it proved to be to no avail as Solway headed in with just a 1-0 lead at the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the second period, the Stars were hopeful that they could find an equaliser with just one goal separating the two sides but less than four minutes into the period, the Sharks struck the net once more as forward Duncan Speirs collected the puck shortly after a faceoff in Billingham’s defensive zone to have a backhanded shot which was then picked up by Fowley whose quick reactions saw his effort turned into the top corner. Just over a minute later, the Stars suffered a further setback when Davison headed to the sinbin for a slashing offence and it took just forty four seconds for the league leaders to punish their opposition, Moore providing a swift assist for Abercrombie, though the goal was overshadowed by controversy amidst calls for offside. The score line 3-0, Finn then received a minor for slashing immediately after this goal to find himself joined by Davison a little over a minute later following a tripping offence from the Star. These penalties served without further concession, the Stars returned to full strength only for defenceman Scott Cooper to make way after a clash with Shark Connor Henderson, both receiving minor penalties for crosschecking and slashing respectively. Beginning to heat up, it was not long after that Finn and Abercrombie were then sent to the sin bin but, recorded as coincidental penalties, both teams were able to make progress without much disruption to their plans. As Boström continued to work the puck around the Sharks’ defensive zone, Sykes collected the puck from the import to surpass Solway’s blue line and place the puck past Hepburn to make it 3-1. The game then took a turn for the worst as a confrontation between Star Michael Elder and Shark Stuart Andrews resulted in the latter being ejected from the game for a slashing offence whilst Boström earned himself a ten minute misconduct penalty for his reaction to the incident and forward Luke Brown conceded a minor for slashing to join his team mate in the penalty box. Two minutes later, youngster Darren Stattersfield found himself sinbinned for tripping to hand the Stars a power play. Hoping to punish the Sharks for their recent misdemeanours, the Teessiders sought to capitalise on their advantage and did so as Watkins linked up with Sykes to see Palmebjörk pull a goal back for the home team. The points now hanging in the balance following this goal, the Sharks headed in at the interval with a narrow 3-2 lead and were aware that they would need to do more if they were to gain the points comfortably.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Recognising the threat posed by Billingham Stars, the Sharks immediately set out to extend their lead and it did not take the side long to find the net, Speirs making a diagonal pass to Joe Coulter who reinstated the Sharks’ two-goal cushion on 41:46; Fowley with the additional assist. It was shortly after this goal that Stattersfield then chose to take on Palmebjörk which resulted in an intervention from the Stars’ defenceman Richie Thornton. In consequence, both Stattersfield and Palmebjörk were each handed two minutes for roughing whilst Thornton was ejected from the game for third man in. These penalties timed at 44:20, it was not until these players’ punishments were over that the next goal arrived but it was scored in unusual circumstances as blue liner Finn accidentally collided with fellow Star Sykes to see Billingham’s defence then face pressure from their visitors as quick passing play from forward Connor Henderson and Abercrombie resulted in a goal for Moore who remained focused to send his team ahead by five goals to two before the halfway point in the period. Any momentum built up by the Stars was now lost as the home team appeared resigned to their defeat whilst the Sharks concentrated on dominating possession. A penalty for Miettinen on 53:20 provided Billingham with some hope that they could grab a power play goal but Solway remained effective on the penalty kill to prevent the side from reducing their deficit. The contest falling a little flat in the final minutes with Billingham feeling there was little they could do to change the outcome of the game, the final buzzer sounded on Solway’s victory and simultaneous league success to see the Sharks celebrate the rewards of their season-long domination in the Moralee Conference.

Photo Credit: David Morrison 

Taking time to look back on Solway’s double header and subsequent league success, Head Coach Martin Grubb shared: “After Saturday’s win we knew that we could win the league in Billingham and we wanted to do that with a victory rather than head-to-head on a defeat. It was important to us to get a good start; we did that and took the crowd out of the game and built up a three-goal lead but we knew the Stars would keep battling and I wasn’t happy at the way we let them back into the game. At the second intermission we had a chat about what we needed to do and the players executed and were worthy winners on the night to seal the league trophy. I am very proud of the players, the whole organisation and how we have been the most consistent team all season and the players deserve tremendous credit for what they have achieved so far.” Also speaking after this game, Star Chris Sykes noted: “Sunday was a good game for us to see what we need to do against Solway. We played well but made some silly mistakes and it cost us. Solway have been consistent all year and really have a strong defensive unit. Credit to them!”

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

       

Team Talk

Team Talk

Photo Credit: Billingham Stars

Continuing to produce video footage, highlight reels and post-match interviews for Billingham Stars this season, Pyro Media’s Matthew Donnachie and Chloe Thomas provide a behind-the-scenes insight into their work for Billingham Stars TV…

This is your second season working on Stars TV. What led to your decision to produce video highlights for Billingham Stars?

Myself and Chloe had been working on Pyro Media (which runs Stars TV) for quite a few months, venturing into different things like football, live gigs etc. We had some free time on hand and Chloe had talked about Billingham Stars for a while and suggested we should give it a go. Chloe’s sister is the fiancée of #15 Chris Sykes and had been a supporter even before he arrived so we approached Allen Flavell to offer our services and our first game filmed against Widnes Wild was positively received. After watching my first few games of ice hockey that I had ever seen in my life, I really enjoyed it and the sport itself is really what made us want to take the project on board.

What does your workload consist of for Billingham Stars TV; how much preparation goes into setting up filming equipment on match night, into editing the footage to make the highlight reels and into interviewing coaches and players after the game?

Billingham Stars TV involves a lot more work than just what the fans see in the space of a few hours on a Sunday evening each week. Preparation for a game starts on a Sunday morning, plugging everything in that needs charging and then packing all the bags of equipment. We obviously have the cameras, tripods, microphones, cables, lights and all the other little things we need to make our highlights look as professional as possible. Faceoff is at 6:30pm for the Stars’ games. We tend to arrive at 5:00pm to set everything up. With it being a public rink, it’s a case of set up and pack down every week. After a game, we then get straight on with the interviews where Craig Simpson questions the players and coaches and then we pack everything up. We tend to leave the rink no earlier than 9:30pm and then it’s straight home to edit the interviews and get them online for the fans to view the same night. Monday’s schedule for us is simply to get the highlights edited for people to view the day after the game. It is a big commitment to just give up a day completely but that really is how long it takes. We need to watch the game back and pick what we are going to use in the highlights. We need to choose which camera is best, edit the sound, sometimes move commentary from NIHL Radio around to suit the video and add all the graphics etc. It takes a lot of time but it means we get highlights up for people to view at around 8:00pm on a Monday. Sometimes, if it is a very eventful game, it can take even longer. Coffee is a good friend!   

Editing is a key part of your role as it has the potential to cause controversy when clips can be played repeatedly to be analysed in the public domain. Just how much time does it take to decide what should be featured and what should not and have you ever regretted including a particular event or incident following the fans’ reactions to it?

Because we are officially a Billingham Stars outlet, it is difficult to avoid some controversy and accusations of bias. Firstly, our highlights are going to show more of Billingham than the other team because we are Stars TV but we show every goal and a good save from Flav [James Flavell] or [Mark] Watson is a good play from the away team. We know fans love the footage being there, not just for when there is a really good goal but also when something happens. There have been very few occasions when we have chosen not to show an event at all and this will either be to protect the team or players’ interests or be at the request of the EIHA-always with good reason. In our very first month, Jack Davies took an unprovoked slash to the back completely off the play by a Solway Sharks player. This is an event we are glad we captured because Jack could have been seriously injured and neither the coaches or, more importantly, the officials had seen the incident due to it being off the puck. The footage actually ended up featuring on The Mirror website and the local paper which we didn’t expect. One of the most controversial clips we posted was during a Tyne-Tees derby game where it appeared that Andre Payette went for Chris Sykes after an altercation. This is our most viewed clip to date on Facebook with 200,000+ views. This, however, came with a backlash, with fans accusing us of causing drama and highlighting the sport in a bad way. One thing we will say is that we don’t make the events on ice happen. We simply filmed what happened and the Stars’ fans asked to see it so we shared it. Really, we regret the fact it caused arguments and threw the legitimacy of our intentions up in the air but ultimately, we are here for the fans and we will show what they want to see if it is appropriate to do so.

How much has it cost to set up Billingham Stars TV and what would you say are the advantages and disadvantages of working as part of a media team in ice hockey?

When we initially came on board with Stars TV we were using basic equipment provided by our university which, at times, was quite unreliable and in fact led to a Blackburn Hawks game being missed. This was the first time this had happened since we launched and remains to be the only game we have missed. When we first signed up, it was agreed that the few months of the season left would be a way of dipping a toe into the water and seeing what the response was like. Because it had been a success, Pyro Media made a deal with Allen Flavell and Billingham Ice Hockey Club to ensure our filming for the next two seasons. When we agreed to this, we were in the early stages of preparing for our coverage of the playoffs and so we ourselves invested a lot of money into buying new equipment of our own and, as part of our two-year deal, some of the equipment was provided for us. All this new equipment has been reliable and has helped us to improve the quality of our highlights since we first started. Working as part of a media team is fun because you get a lot of appreciation from the fans for the work that you do. I think they understand that, for us, this is very much a voluntary role and all the effort we put in is so that they can enjoy our work. Unlike other projects we have worked on in the past when our commitment was taken for granted, the hockey community is a very welcoming one and where any support for the sport is something the teams and fans are thankful of. It is great to feel like you’re really a part of the team and help get the whole thing moving. The only disadvantage as such is not being able to have an opinion without needing to state it is your own. At the end of the day, we are Stars fans in our own right but when we are Billingham Stars TV, we are as unbiased as we need to be.

Since establishing Stars TV, several other ideas have emanated from this project, including an 'NIHL Roundup' radio show last season and ‘Stars Talk’ this campaign. How much work did these projects involve, how successful do you think they were and are there any plans to do anything like this again in the future?

Stars TV gave us a taste of what it is like to help give the sport more exposure. We do it for the team and ice hockey in general because the sport is something we really enjoy and it would be good to see it as popular as it was a good few years ago! So yes, other projects have been something we’ve gone along with to try new things out. NIHL Roundup we sometimes did as part of our university work but it was something we also intended on doing. Because it was about all the teams, it did take a lot of time to research content, read match reports and find tweets and fans’ opinions so unfortunately, it was something we couldn’t continue to do alongside Stars TV but NIHL Roundup was the inspiration behind Stars Talk. We have had fans say all the time that they want more and Stars Talk was our way of doing this; giving the fans more of an insight into the workings of the team, letting them see the more personal side of the players, asking them questions, hearing from Terry [Ward] and Allen [Flavell] and just getting their opinions on how games went in a lot more detail than an interview that lasts a couple of minutes. We had hoped it would get a bigger viewing than it did but it still attracted around 500 viewers every week and we enjoyed doing it too. Unfortunately, it was met with the same fate as NIHL Roundup as we simply didn’t have the time to do it with a lot of things going on. We do hope to revive it in the future. We have had time to work on smaller projects though such as our documentary which will be appearing in the next month or so and also some very exciting videos, giving people a much better understanding of what happens out on the ice, but all will be revealed soon.

With increasing amounts of NIHL footage being released by clubs, what advice would you give to someone who wanted to start out as Pyro Media did?

We’re glad to see that following Billingham Stars TV’s success, other clubs have also chosen to release games to be viewed by fans. Warriors TV and Solway Sharks have both emerged this season. As a result of the Jack Davies incident mentioned earlier and others, it was actually agreed by clubs and the EIHA that all games must be filmed in some form, though it is up to the team whether they release it publicly or not. All we could say really is to just get as much experience behind you as possible. Don’t rely on applying for placements and work experience with production companies because it’s an area where mistakes cost. You can get a decent camera for a few hundred pounds and get some work under your own name! Visit places that could use filming but might not have realised it. Local sports teams, weddings, local events, bands, gig venues-we have done all of these and once you have, you have the experience behind you to get involved in bigger things.

Thinking back to the highlight reels you have put together so far, which clips have been your most favourite to date?

Matthew: Wow, favourite clip? The guys have been amazing out on the ice this season so it is quite hard to choose but for me it has to be from the game where Blackburn Hawks were at The Forum for a cup fixture and it ended up being tied at the end of the third. There were no goals in overtime and it couldn’t even be decided in the first three penalty shots for each team so it went to sudden death! It was really tense, the crowd were loving it and the suspense was killing me but my favourite moment was Andy Finn putting the puck in the back of the net to win the game for the Stars. If you watch it, you can basically see my reaction when the camera goes all over the place!

Chloe: My favourite highlight so far is probably Chris Sykes’ fight during the Tyne Tees derby with [Callum] Watson. I know it was quite recent but I’m still shocked that Chris actually had a fight. Having known him for quite a few years now, I think I’ve known him to have one other fight when playing hockey in that entire time. It was certainly a fight to remember!

Looking ahead, is Pyro Media going to be involved with playoffs again, having provided footage which fans could purchase last season, and how much of a success was this weekend from your point of view as a media team?

We would love to be involved with the playoffs again this season. We have big plans for it and hope to improve our coverage a lot more since last year which was the first time they had ever been filmed. At the moment, planning is in progress and the EIHA are still to make a decision but we definitely would like to be there again this year. Last year was a success in our eyes. We made a profit which then went to cover our expenses and that of our partners, then the rest of the money went back into the league and to the teams themselves. We took the bold step to film the playoffs for the first time and we made a healthy amount of sales. This year we hope to really improve our coverage and do even more with it.

How successful has Stars TV been in your opinion, what do you make of its reception in the ice hockey community and is there anything you would like to say to the fans who have supported you from the very beginning?

We are really happy with how Billingham Stars TV has gone for us and we think it has been well-received by the team’s fans and the rest of the league. We are very much still improving as we go on and have a lot in the pipeline. We’ve been going for just over a year now and have achieved over 100,000 views on YouTube and over 300 subscribers which makes us the most viewed in the league. We just want to thank all the fans for supporting us and watching everything we put out there. Every like, every share, every subscriber we get keeps us going. The appreciation we receive makes it worth every second.

Thank you to Billingham Stars TV’s Matthew Donnachie and Chloe Thomas for taking the time to be interviewed by NIHL Northern Trio.

Team Talk

Team Talk

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Making the switch from recreational ice hockey to the NIHL last summer, versatile defenceman Lawson Glasby discusses his first season as a Warrior, his new team mates and why he said he never wanted to go skating again…

What has been the highlight of your season so far and if you could change any moment, which would you choose?

The highlight of my season so far is probably scoring my first goal for the Warriors. It was a great feeling and certainly gave me a confidence boost. If I could change any moment it would probably be to not have missed any scoring opportunities, especially those that didn’t even hit the net!

What do you make of Whitley Warriors' progress this campaign, from their 9-2 opening defeat against Solway Sharks to their most recent results which include a 3-3 draw with the league leaders and a 4-2 victory over Telford Tigers?

I think the team certainly turned things around quite quickly considering the relatively bad start we had to the season and there have been some fantastic results against most of the teams in the league. The 3-3 draw was a great game for us, taking a point from the league leaders, and then beating Telford earned us an essential two points.

In what ways does the NIHL differ from recreational ice hockey and are there any aspects of playing for the Northumbria Kings that you miss?

The Kings are the Northumbria University ice hockey team. Their season runs from October to February and it is a cup competition. I was lucky enough to be able to play for them during my time with Billingham Under 20s last year and also a handful of games for them this season as well. University hockey differs quite a lot from the NIHL. There are no limits on imported players (foreign students) so we often find ourselves against a team consisting entirely of North American players. Lack of numbers is also a huge difference. It’s rare to see our Uni team completing a fixture with more than ten skaters, so there’s plenty of ice time.

Which players have you most enjoyed playing alongside this season and are there any Warriors who have impressed you?

I’ve enjoyed playing ice hockey with Niall Simpson, one of my friends from the University team, and have often found myself playing alongside Jordan Barnes and Martin Crammond. Crammond is a great centre man and a solid defensive forward. Both him and Barnesy are very fast skaters too which brings a lot of energy to the team and puts a lot of pressure on the opposition.

You have scored a few impressive goals this season to earn additional ice time. Which goal did you most enjoy scoring and did you expect to have as much ice time as you have been given this season?

For me, the first goal I scored this season against Blackburn has been my favourite, though the most valuable was against my former club, Sutton Sting in a 4-2 win. As a new player coming into a team, I wasn’t expecting a regular shift and I’ve often found myself playing a lot more than I first expected which is great.

In 2014-15, you divided your time between Sutton Sting and Bradford Bulldogs. What was it like to be playing across the two divisions in the same season and what led you to make the switch to Billingham’s Under 20s?

I was fortunate enough to sign a two-way with Bradford after sitting on the bench for Sutton for part of the season. A bad string of results for the Sting meant I wasn’t getting played as much as I’d have liked and moving down a division offered me significantly more ice time. I moved to Billingham Under 20s after I started studying Physics at Northumbria University and moved away from my hometown of Worksop.

What do you think Whitley’s strengths have been this season and what areas of the game do the team need to improve on to progress further?

One of the main strengths this season has been skating and intensity, particularly at home. There haven’t been many teams who match the energy that our team can produce most nights. Another strength is creating chances. However, I would say that a weakness is not finishing them as the top two teams have scored significantly more goals.

When did you first become interested in playing ice hockey and what was it that made you want to play the sport?

I actually first became interested in roller hockey, after watching my cousins playing when I was around eight years old. I wasn’t too keen on the ice after falling on my face during my first skating session and telling my Dad “I never want to go skating again, ever.” After playing roller hockey for around two years, my Dad found a new club had been set up in Sutton-in-Ashfield and after a few sessions there, I’ve never stopped playing ice hockey.

How likely do you think it is that Whitley Warriors will make playoffs this season and what would it mean to feature in a playoff semi-final should your team achieve this feat?

I think we have a good chance of making playoffs this year. We’ve been in a good position for a while now and whilst being docked two points was not helpful, I think we have enough in us to secure a spot. To make the playoffs in my first full season in NIHL 1 would certainly be a great achievement and a fantastic experience.

What are your hopes for the remainder of the season and for the future of your ice hockey career?

Hopefully, I’ll still be getting some ice time in the coming games and making a positive contribution to the team and that we qualify for playoff weekend in April. As for the future, I don’t know. I’d love to say that I’ll still be playing next year and the year after but we will just have to wait and see.

Thank you to Lawson Glasby for taking the time to be interviewed by NIHL Northern Trio.

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

      

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 MORALEE CONFERENCE

Saturday 25th February 2017

Solway Sharks vs. The Dragons

Sutton Sting vs. Whitley Warriors

Sunday 26th February 2017

Solihull Barons vs. Whitley Warriors

Billingham Stars vs. Solway Sharks

With just over a month of their 2016-17 campaign remaining, the Northern Trio find themselves on the final strait of the season as they prepare for an action-packed weekend which could see Solway Sharks clinch the league title on Sunday. Taking on another double header which includes one final clash with Billingham Stars, the Sharks will be aiming for a second consecutive four-point weekend whilst Whitley Warriors can only hope to emulate the recent success of the league leaders as they clash with Sutton Sting on Saturday before journeying to Hobs Moat Road for another tough meeting with Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

First to ice on Saturday, Solway Sharks will play host to Scott McKenzie’s Dragons for the second time this season as they look for the perfect start to a weekend in which the Dumfries-based team could secure the NIHL North Division One Moralee Conference title. Having already encountered the Welsh outfit twice this season, Solway first recorded a 5-2 road victory against The Dragons in November before achieving a second but far more closely contested win on home ice one month later. Though scoring early on in their first game against Solway, the Dragons found themselves unable to contend with the Sharks, managing just one goal more before conceding defeat to Martin Grubb’s short benched team. Despite this result against the league leaders, McKenzie’s men appeared encouraged, having previously endured heavier losses at the hands of Solihull Barons and Whitley Warriors, to then let in only three goals against the Dumfries club in their second clash with the side. Whilst both teams have their fair share of goal scorers, Shark Duncan Speirs was particularly successful against the Dragons, claiming a hat trick against the side in November whilst captain Struan Tonnar has two goals to his name against the Deeside-based team, scoring in both encounters. Likewise, Dragons’ player-coach McKenzie has scored in both meetings with the Sharks this season and Finnish forward Markus Kankaanranta also notched a goal and an assist but his departure to German outfit TEV Miesbach has left the Welsh side without their second top points scorer which could make a huge difference to the the Dragons on Saturday. Aiming for maximum points, Solway will head into this fixture knowing that a victory will stand them in good stead ahead of their clash with Billingham, placing the side in prime position to take the league title against the Stars on Sunday. A win for the Dragons, on the other hand, would see McKenzie’s men move up to eighteen points and could see the side leap ahead of Blackburn Hawks to challenge Sutton Sting for fifth place should other results go in their favour. Looking ahead to this clash, Solway’s Head Coach Martin Grubb shared: “We come into this game knowing it will be tough as our games so far with the Dragons have been close. I like the way Scott [McKenzie] has his team playing and, with adding Denis Bell, he has given his team more confidence and they will be coming to play desperate hockey to try to get into the playoff spots. We know what’s at stake for us and we will be looking to ensure we get the job done and the points we need.”

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Also icing on Saturday evening, Whitley Warriors will journey to Ice Sheffield for their final game against Sutton Sting this season, having played the side twice at Hillheads in November before making a pre-Christmas trip to face Simon Butterworth’s men on the road. Of the three meetings that have taken place between these two outfits this season, victory has been claimed by the hosts, with Whitley first recording two 4-2 home wins against the Sting before finding themselves on the wrong end of the same score line one month later. As such, it would appear that this game is more likely to favour the Sting this weekend as they take to their home ice but there is no doubt that Whitley will do all they can to win the game, knowing that this is the first of five consecutive road trips which could also give the side some momentum going into their clash with Solihull Barons on Sunday. In their previous visit to Ice Sheffield, Whitley Warriors travelled with a short bench of twelve skaters and, despite conceding three goals, strove to make a late comeback with help from long serving forward DJ Good who scored two goals to make it 3-2. In spite of their efforts, the Warriors were then disappointed when a last minute empty net goal from the Sting ruined the side’s chances of an equaliser to see Butterworth’s hardworking team take both points. Looking to exact their revenge for losses at Hillheads earlier this season, Sutton will aim for another home victory on Saturday but winning will be no easy task for either side as the two continue to set their sights on a playoff spot. Whilst Whitley sit on twenty points, a win would allow the side to displace Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons from third place to ensure that they continue to keep apace of their competition, particularly as two points for the Sting would see the side tied with Solihull and Whitley as David Longstaff’s line-up head into Sunday’s game.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Travelling from Sheffield to Solihull for Sunday’s clash against the Barons, Whitley Warriors will go into this game with hopes that they are in a position to challenge Perry Doyle’s team for third place but this will be a monumental task for the Hillheads outfit who have already lost twice to the Barons on home ice this season. Likely to be travelling with a short bench on Sunday, the Warriors are aware of the difficulties ahead, particularly as they have struggled to score more than two goals per game past the Barons this season, with sturdy shot stopper Josh Nicholls difficult to beat. In addition to Nicholls’ outstanding netminding, Solihull also have several skilled forwards who demonstrated their abilities only last weekend against Billingham Stars, falling just short of a comeback after trailing by five goals to two at the end of the second period. Contending with this fortitude as well as the pace and power of the Barons means that David Longstaff’s team will certainly have their work cut out on Sunday as they face the trickery of Swedish import Niklas Ottosson, not to mention the skill of forwards Thomas Soar, Joe Henry, Josh Bruce and Matthew Maurice, with only two of Whitley’s regular defencemen in Craig Johnson and Liam Smedley available for the trip. Having faced Solihull at the beginning of the season when they were struggling to find form, and then again in December on the back of a lengthy and disappointing trip to Telford, Whitley will be hoping that they can secure a victory at Hobs Moat Road on Sunday, knowing that they face the side once more at the same venue next weekend. However, Solihull will be aiming for two points from this game after managing to achieve just one win in their last five fixtures to ensure they stay ahead of the Warriors but Longstaff’s line-up will not give up the fight easily and will equally look to create some breathing space between themselves and their close competitors who are also striving for the fourth and final playoff place. Considering Whitley’s double header, player-coach David Longstaff noted: “We have two tough games. We lost our last game in Sutton and haven’t beaten Solihull in our two games at home this season and we’ll be travelling short benched.”

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Also set to ice on Sunday, Billingham Stars will prepare to host Solway Sharks in what will be a crucial fixture whether the win goes to the Teessiders or to their Dumfries visitors. Building a close rivalry in recent seasons, the Stars and the Sharks will go head to head for one last time this campaign in a game which could see Martin Grubb’s Solway secure the NIHL North Division One Moralee Conference title and their second piece of silverware. Whilst this will also depend on whether or not the Sharks triumph over The Dragons on Saturday, a win, a draw or a loss by less than seven goals to the Stars will see Solway crowned league champions; if Solway win on Saturday, they will have forty two points which will see the side match the maximum points total Billingham can achieve this season, a total they can then exceed against the Stars on Sunday to claim their long-awaited silverware. Of their league clashes this season, Solway have won two on home ice but lost out to the Stars on the road in what was a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Teessiders in December; the Sharks’ only loss in the league to date. As such, Billingham could once again prove to be difficult competition for Solway and will strive for a fourth consecutive league win to maintain their current form which has seen the side record important victories in recent games against Telford Tigers, Whitley Warriors and Solihull Barons. Scoring nineteen goals in their last three league games, the Stars are certainly not short of firepower and could prove dangerous in front of goal as they head into this clash against one of their closest rivals but whether they can pull off an outstanding performance to prevent the Sharks from claiming the league title at The Forum remains to be seen and equally depends on Solway’s result against the Dragons on Saturday. Speaking about Solway’s all-important clash with Billingham Stars, Martin Grubb shared: “This will be a massive game for both teams and these games are always great so we want to go there and avenge the defeat from the last time we were at The Forum. Both teams will want to lay down a marker for the playoffs and we want to give ourselves a chance to wrap up our second piece of silverware if we can do our job this weekend.” Meanwhile, Star Chris Sykes also shared his thoughts ahead of Billingham’s contest with the league leaders: “This weekend we have Solway at home, another test for us and in our good run of form right now, I feel like we can get the win against them. Now it’s quite well-documented that they are close to winning the league title but we have our eyes set on different things. We know we can beat the Sharks; we’ve done it this season already. We just need to play our game and our system, finish our chances and defend correctly and we know we can beat them. It should be a good game though as the top two teams battle it out.”

For fans hoping to attend one of these games this weekend, Solway Sharks faceoff against the Dragons from 7:00pm at the Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday whereas Whitley Warriors travel to Ice Sheffield for a 7:30pm faceoff against Sutton Sting. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the Warriors will make the trip to Hobs Moat Road where they will face Perry Doyle’s Solihull Barons from 6:00pm before Billingham Stars play host to Solway Sharks from 6:30pm at The Forum on Sunday. 

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