NIHL Weekend Action

Billingham shoot down Hawks as Stars edge win

Blackburn Hawks   5                        Billingham Stars               6

Taking to the ice for their latest NIHL National Cup fixture, Billingham Stars made the trip to Lancashire with an incredibly short bench of thirteen skaters, the side particularly depleted in defence as blue liners Andy Finn, Richie Thornton, Ben Davison, Dave Thomas, Ross Hanlon, Darren Stattersfield and Thomas Keeley all missed out alongside forwards Josh Nertney, Luke Brown and Jack Emerson. As such, this provided an opportunity for youngsters James Hellens and Ethan Hehir to gain some valuable ice time for the Stars. Likewise, Blackburn Hawks were also short benched as player-coach Steven Duncombe found himself with a squad of fourteen players at his disposal; forwards Aaron Davies, Chris Gee, Thomas Parkinson and two-way player Kieran Brown making up their absentee list.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hunting down two points to strive for the top spot of Group A in the NIHL National Cup competition, Blackburn Hawks were determined to make a positive start in this contest and quickly got off the mark when forward James Riddoch slotted past netminder Mark Watson following rapid link-up play between defenceman Lewis Baldwin and forward Rick Bentham. Disappointed to fall behind with only thirty seconds played, Billingham Stars fought for possession in their attempts to get back on track but a holding penalty for stand-in defenceman Jack Davies on 6:38 saw Blackburn gain a power play and, although they were unable to double their lead on the advantage, the Hawks certainly put Watson to the test as they looked for their second goal. Less than two minutes after Davies’ return to the ice, Billingham were able to hit back with an equaliser as Latvian forward Deniss Baškatovs made the most of a pass from player-coach Michael Bowman to cancel out the Hawks’ lead; forward James Moss also picking up an assist. As a result of this goal, both teams continued to scrap for the puck, with Blackburn eager to recover lost ground and Billingham hoping to get ahead for the first time in the game. Shortly afterwards, a holding offence from Bobby Streetly caused Stars’ captain Michael Elder to retaliate, leading the duo to sit out for their respective teams. Though both netminders were tested in the aftermath, neither outfit could add to the scoreboard, meaning the sides went in with a goal apiece at the first interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

On their return to the ice, both teams sought their second goal of the game but it was the Stars who were first to hit the net as alternate captain Chris Sykes fired home courtesy of Elder and young forward Ethan Hehir. Billingham’s celebrations proved to be short-lived however, as just seventeen seconds later young Hawk James Royds accomplished his second cup goal of the season, Bentham once again assisting but this time, alongside forward Lee Pollitt. The score line 2-2, both teams recognised their need to add to their tallies, although it was shot stopper Watson who found himself slightly more tested than Blackburn’s netminder Stuart Ashton. As such, it was little surprise when the Hawks seized back their one-goal lead when Slovakian Jozef Ištocy hammered home a pass from fellow forward Matt Viney on 28:00. Although they continued to set their sights on goal, Billingham could not find another equaliser at this point in the period and instead found their deficit increased as Baldwin punished the Stars’ defence; Bentham helping the puck on its way following a pass from Ištocy just beyond the halfway point in the fixture. Try as they might, Billingham looked to chip away at the two-goal gap between themselves and the home team but the side’s hard work fell short of the mark, allowing Blackburn to carry their 4-2 lead in with them at the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With the Hawks looking to remain in front in the third period and Billingham seeking to be in with a chance of victory, both sides had their sights set on goal but neither could make their opportunities count in the early stages of this stanza and it was only with 47:04 on the clock that the Stars were finally able to reduce Blackburn’s lead to one, Sykes turning assist for Elder alongside Moss to make it 4-3. Looking to restore their previous lead, the Hawks set out to challenge Watson once more but without success as Elder threaded the puck to forward Callum Davies to allow Sykes to equalise on 53:56 with his second goal of the evening. Once again though, it was not long before the Hawks responded with another goal to creep closer to two points, Riddoch beating Watson as Bentham collected his fourth assist of the evening whilst Pollitt was also on hand to support his team’s offensive efforts. Seventy seconds later, the puck was again in the net but this time Ashton was the netminder on the receiving end as defenceman Matthew Campbell sent Baškatovs through on goal, the Latvian also earning his second of the evening. Back on level terms with the score line now 5-5, the Stars wasted little time in firing themselves into the lead after realising that a quick reaction was needed if they were to stand any chance of victory. This time it was Moss who printed his name on the scoresheet, the forward notching his second cup goal of his campaign to put Billingham ahead; Sykes and Elder assisting. Falling behind with less than three minutes remaining, the Hawks called a timeout with the knowledge that their chances of overtime were hanging in the balance but, in spite of their subsequent efforts, Duncombe’s men could not equalise in the latter stages to lose out on both points which narrowed the margin between Billingham and Blackburn in the cup standings ahead of their Sunday fixture against close rivals Solway Sharks.

Solway lose out as Pirates plunder points

Solway Sharks  3

Hull Pirates       6

Lining up on home ice with their side much strengthened by the return of alternate captain James Hutchinson and the availability of juniors Ben Coughtrie, Kieran Hair and Houston brothers Luke and Lewis, Solway Sharks found themselves up against tough opposition in the form of Hull Pirates’ sixteen-man squad which was only missing the presence of forward Jordan Fisher as player-coach Jason Hewitt slotted back into the side following his recent suspension whilst new signing Sam Gospel was able to take his place between the pipes, having played his first game for the Pirates against Peterborough Phantoms in the NIHL National Cup competition last Sunday.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Having lost out to the Pirates once already this season, the Sharks were eager to make the best possible start to the game in front of a home crowd. In the opening stages, both teams were able to create their fair share of chances, although Hull looked to dominate possession from faceoff. It did not take long before Solway’s visitors assumed control, alternate captain Samuel Towner scoring with just under five minutes on the clock as forward Lee Bonner and right winger James Archer helped their line mate onto the scoresheet. Though disappointed to fall behind in the game, Solway were unable to prevent the Pirates from grabbing another just under three minutes later when right winger Bobby Chamberlain linked up with his player-coach to see skilled forward Matty Davies capitalise to make it 2-0 on 7:40. With both netminders Gospel and Calum Hepburn seeing off chances from their opposition, the contest continued to be close, although the Pirates had made the most of the chances which had fallen their way. A high sticks offence from Solway’s forward Connor Henderson saw the Sharks’ reduced to four men on 15:17 to present Hull with the advantage but, working hard to kill this penalty, the Dumfries outfit returned to full strength unscathed. A boarding penalty for captain Struan Tonnar soon followed however, as the home team sought to compete with the physical strength of the Pirates. Unable to hit the target in the final minute, this punishment ran over into the second period to see the visitors head in with a two-goal lead and a minute remaining of their power play.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to full strength without further concession, the Sharks were spurred on to snatch a goal of their own as forward Connor Henderson fired past Gospel to halve his side’s deficit, whilst Czech defenceman Marek Charvát and captain Struan Tonnar picked up assists. Their spirits raised by this goal, it took Solway just forty four seconds to add another to their tally as Czech blue liner Vaclav Kolarik netted an equaliser to stun the Pirates courtesy of forwards Duncan Speirs and Iain Bowie. Just over six minutes later, Hull were able to hit back with a third, Davies grabbing his second goal of the evening following a neat pass from Archer but this lead was immediately scratched out as the Sharks gained possession from faceoff to see young forward Scott Henderson play the puck to Connor Henderson who unleashed a shot to beat Gospel just five seconds later. The score line 3-3 and the teams continuing to compete to a high standard, Martin Grubb’s side were then disappointed to go shorthanded as alternate captain Ross Murray made his way to the sin bin after a hooking call from referee David Emmerson on 35:32. Hull’s advantage was then enhanced as the side could enjoy thirty one seconds of a five-on-three situation when Charvát was sidelined for delaying the game. Although unable to capitalise with the additional man, the Pirates were able to build sufficient momentum to regain the lead with just twelve seconds of the period remaining, Chamberlain achieving his tenth league goal of the season following creative play from Bonner and Towner to see Solway go in at the interval with a one-goal deficit to overturn.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Heading onto the ice with the aim to equalise at the very least, Solway found themselves up against it as the Pirates looked to extend their lead and were not about to let the points slip away now that they were so close to securing their victory. Although working hard to challenge Gospel on several occasions, the Sharks were unable to make their mark in the opening stages of the period and soon found themselves punished as Davies bagged his hat trick with 47:53 played, Bonner teaming up with Archer in this instance. Shortly afterwards, forward Scott Henderson incurred a minor penalty for high sticks to place Hull on the power play and, not about to pass up the opportunity to make it 6-3, the Pirates found the target just over a minute into their advantage, alternate captain Jonathan Kirk integrating Davies into play to allow player-coach Hewitt to print his name on the scoresheet. Seven seconds after this goal, Solway were awarded a power play when forward Josh Gent was sinbinned for hooking but, try as they might, the Sharks could not make the most of this advantage to leave a three-goal margin between themselves and their visitors for the remainder of the period. Resigned to their fate as time ebbed away, the Dumfries outfit ended the game on the power play as Bonner made way for slashing with thirty seconds left but the Sharks could not grab a last minute consolation, leaving the Pirates to hit the road with a 6-3 victory which moves Hull into fourth position with just one less point than Solway and four games in hand. 

Speaking after this fixture, Head Coach Martin Grubb revealed: “We are disappointed with our slow start and you cannot give a team with Hull’s quality a two-goal lead. We showed good character in the second period and only a soft goal let us down but then Hull turned it up and we made a few too many mistakes in the third and you cannot do that and not expect to be punished by quality teams.”

Sheffield remain top Dogs as Warriors suffer road defeat

Sheffield Steeldogs   5

Whitley Warriors         2

Travelling to Sheffield without injured defenceman Josh Maddock and Canadian import Philip Edgar, forward Callum Watson, blue liner Dan Pye and youngster Anthony Wetherell, Whitley Warriors were hopeful that they could put the Steeldogs to the test with their squad of seventeen skaters and netminders Richie Lawson and Mark Turnbull. Meanwhile, Ben Morgan’s Steeldogs were able to match Whitley in number, the side missing only alternate captain and defenceman Tim Smith from their line-up. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Striving to make a positive start to this challenging contest, the Warriors found themselves confronted by some early attempts from Sheffield with shot stopper Lawson called into action to save a speculative shot from defenceman Jamie Scott in the early stages of first the period. Working hard in defence to prevent the Steeldogs from getting on the scoresheet and trying their luck at the other end of the ice, Whitley were able to grow into the game as both teams began with caution to ensure that they did not fall behind in the opening minutes. With a stalemate developing as a result, it was not until 15:02 that Sheffield edged ahead as Whitley’s player-coach David Longstaff was shown to the sin bin for crosschecking to see the Steeldogs go on the advantage, the side capitalising just over a minute later through Slovakian Adrian Palak who was sent through on goal after a pass from captain Lewis Bell; left winger Andrew Hirst with the additional assist. Shortly afterwards, the Steeldogs doubled their lead, this time Bell teaming up with defenceman Thomas Relf to allow Slovakian forward Milan Kolena to achieve his thirteenth league goal of the season. Unable to hit back in the final minute of the period, the Warriors filed from the ice, disappointed to be trailing by two goals after an even start to the contest.

Facing off for the second period, Whitley suffered a further setback when captain Dean Holland headed to the sinbin for tripping on 21:17 to hand the Steeldogs a power play but the Warriors were able to battle on the penalty kill to prevent Sheffield from converting their possession and thereby returned to full strength without an addition to their deficit. Both sides continued to see chances fall their way with Hirst first trying his luck for the Steeldogs only for the Warriors to clear their defensive zone and go on the attack, their effort dealt with by Sheffield’s defence. Regaining possession, Hirst was then able to follow-up his side’s creativity with a second shot which was stopped by the post. A penalty for Kolena soon followed close to the halfway point in the period and whilst Whitley were unable to make the most of their additional skater in this instance, it was not long after that the side were able to get on the scoresheet, power forward Jordan Barnes making the most of Whitley’s breakaway on 33:12 to accomplish his third league goal of the season following build up play from player-coach David Longstaff and blue liner Kyle Hindmarsh-Ross. The score line narrowed to 2-1, Whitley called a timeout around three minutes after this goal in the hope of an equaliser but the Steeldogs were eager to enhance their lead and after a couple of missed chances, James Spurr made it 3-1; defenceman Thomas Barry and left winger Hirst assisting on 37:32. Thirty five seconds later, the Steeldogs found themselves shorthanded when Liam Charnock made way for elbowing but it was not long after that the Warriors were also reduced to four men with Barnes considered guilty of interference. However, Whitley’s power play was then reinstated when Sheffield conceded a second penalty as forward Cameron Brownley was made to warm a seat in the sin bin for holding with just six seconds of the period remaining.  

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With these penalties served and Whitley failing to make the most of their short advantage, the Steeldogs were then able to extend their lead to 4-1 with just over five minutes of the period played as Kolena received the puck from Hirst to allow Spurr to tap in his second goal of the evening. Looking to dominate in front of goal, the home team began to pile the pressure onto shot stopper Lawson who managed to smother a shot from captain Bell to ensure his opposition did not widen the margin on this occasion. Shortly afterwards, the Warriors were able to reduce their deficit to two as player-coach Longstaff tapped the puck into the net following passing play between defenceman Martin Crammond and forward Shaun Kippin. Continuing to have their fair share of chances whilst equally defending against the Steeldogs’ creativity, the Warriors were then disappointed to incur a bench minor for delaying the game which awarded the Steeldogs a power play. The home team wasted little time in punishing this misdemeanour, Hirst netting fifty five seconds later as Spurr incorporated Barry into play to send his teammate through on goal. The score line 5-2 with less than four minutes remaining, Whitley were unable to recover from this fifth goal, allowing Sheffield to claim the points on the final buzzer. This result sees Whitley remain in seventh place with fourteen points from fourteen games whilst the Steeldogs sit top with twenty five points from thirteen games, remaining ahead of title rivals Telford Tigers at present. Reflecting on his team’s work ethic, player-coach David Longstaff admitted: “I was really pleased with the performance to be honest. We were missing Edgar, Watson, Sample, Pye and Maddock but the players that turned up really put a shift in.”

Sharks sink teeth into Stars to earn cup win

Billingham Stars       3

Solway Sharks       7

Lining up with a stronger side than that which iced against Blackburn Hawks on Saturday, Billingham Stars saw the return of defencemen Andy Finn, Richie Thornton, Ben Davison and Darren Stattersfield, though forwards Josh Nertney, Luke Brown and Jack Emerson and ‘D’ men Dave Thomas, Thomas Keeley and Ross Hanlon once again missed out for the Teessiders. Meanwhile, Solway Sharks made the trip to The Forum without Ben Coughtrie, Kieran Hair and Houston brothers Luke and Lewis, although the Dumfries outfit were bolstered by the presence of two-way player Josh Grieveson on this occasion.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With Billingham searching for two points to overtake Blackburn Hawks in the NIHL National Cup competition, the Stars were prepared to give their all against Solway Sharks but suffered an early setback when forward Jack Davies was shown to the sinbin for a boarding offence on 2:24. Taking only fifty three seconds to capitalise on this opportunity, Solway Sharks were pleased to edge ahead in the contest as hardworking left winger Steven Moore placed the puck beyond netminder Mark Watson courtesy of forward Duncan Speirs and alternate captain James Hutchinson. Spurred on by their positive start to this game, Solway were able to double their lead less than three minutes later, Moore picking out blue liner Stuart Kerr, following a pass from Speirs, to see the youngster claim his second cup goal of the season. Shortly afterwards, Speirs was then made to warm a seat in the sinbin for hooking but the Stars could not halve their deficit as Solway’s shot stopper Calum Hepburn dealt with the shots that came his way. Moments after the termination of Speirs’ penalty, Stars’ forward Jack Davies and defenceman Grieveson were sidelined for roughing and holding respectively as the duo clashed. Though both sides were reduced to four men as a result, the Sharks remained resolute in front of goal and added a third to their tally through Czech defenceman Vaclav Kolarik whose unassisted effort beat Watson eleven seconds later. Less than a minute later, Watson was made to pick the puck from his net once more as captain Struan Tonnar made his mark on the game following neat play between Czech blue liner Marek Charvát and alternate captain Ross Murray on 15:18. This goal prompting a timeout from the Stars, Billingham realised their need to change tack if they were to get themselves back into this game and opted to switch Watson with usual first choice shot stopper James Flavell. Resuming play only for forward Scott Ward to incur a ten minute misconduct penalty soon after, the Stars were undeterred by this setback and continued their quest for a goal, the outfit striking the net thirty eight seconds later as blue liner Stattersfield threaded a pass to captain Michael Elder who fired beyond Hepburn to make it 4-1. Disappointed to concede at this stage in the period, the Sharks then went shorthanded as captain Tonnar sat out for slashing on 19:27 to hand Billingham the advantage after the break, although Solway were pleased to skate off with a three-goal lead at the end of the first period.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning with the additional man as a result of Tonnar’s penalty, Billingham immediately turned their attention towards Hepburn’s net as forward Callum Davies collected the puck from Stattersfield to see fellow alternate captain Chris Sykes maintain his excellent form in front of goal, the side scoring just twenty eight seconds into the middle stanza. The score line now narrowed to 4-2 as a result, the Sharks were eager to regain their three-goal lead but Martin Grubb’s men were dismayed to go shorthanded just over three minutes after conceding this goal as blue liner Hutchinson made way for roughing to give the home team another power play. Unable to convert their advantage on this occasion, the Stars found themselves reduced to four men with just nine seconds of Solway’s penalty remaining to see the side go shorthanded when Hutchinson was restored to the ice. Working hard to challenge Flavell having just defended on the penalty kill, Solway sought to find the net for a fifth time, fearing that Billingham were creeping back into the game. However, the Sharks were unable to extend their lead until the very last second of their advantage, the side scoring on the exact moment Stattersfield made his return to the ice through power forward Murray who broke away from the Stars’ defence to achieve a fantastic unassisted effort for his team. Buoyed by their goal scoring prowess, the visitors were then able to accomplish a lead of 6-2 when Moore incorporated Tonnar into play to see his captain provide a pass to Speirs who notched his first cup goal of his campaign on 30:02. It was shortly after Speirs’ successful offensive effort that the game then took a very different turn as forward Joe Coulter charged at Jack Davies, causing the duo to drop the gloves to see both earn penalties of 2+2+2; the former receiving this punishment for charging and roughing whilst the latter incurred the same penalty for roughing alone. With these players sinbinned, both teams continued in their pursuit of their next goal and it was not long after this fight that the Teessiders were able to notch a third as Latvian forward Deniss Baškatovs found Stattersfield who beat Hepburn to achieve his first goal for the Stars on 37:03. Pleased with this addition to the score line, Billingham were keen to further reduce the margin between themselves and their opposition but with the period in its latter stages and the sides only restored to full strength fifty seconds before the interval, neither team were able to get on the scoresheet to see Solway head in with a 6-3 lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Prepared to confront the Sharks for a third and final period, the Stars were hopeful that they could chip away at their three-goal deficit to challenge Solway for the points. Taking control of possession to test Flavell, the Dumfries outfit set their sights on goal but failed to make their mark before handing Billingham a power play on 45:32 as young forward Daniel Abercrombie was sidelined for roughing. Finding it difficult to break down Solway’s penalty kill, the Stars could not defeat shot stopper Hepburn to see their chances of a comeback fade. Four minutes after returning to full strength, the Sharks then went shorthanded for a second time in the stanza as Moore served two minutes for hooking to give his opposition another chance to get back in the game but once again, the Teessiders were wasteful of this opportunity and as time ran out, it became clear that there was no way back for the Stars; their fate hammered home when youngster Scott Henderson placed the puck high beyond Flavell on 59:05 courtesy of Charvát to confirm the Sharks’ 7-3 victory. This result now sees Solway four points ahead of close cup competitors Blackburn Hawks whilst Billingham Stars remain at the foot of Group A with five points from eight games.

Looking back on this fixture, Sharks’ Head Coach Grubb shared: “I asked for a response and we started really well and dominated the game and we got ourselves 4-0 up and were very good in the first period. The game got scrappy and a little too chippy in the second. We got sucked into it rather than sticking to our game but we were better again in the third and moved the puck well. It’s always tough to play Billingham but I thought we were in complete control so that pleased me after Saturday’s result.” Adding to this, Stars’ alternate captain Chris Sykes noted: “It was a double cup weekend to finish the cup fixtures. They went okay; we won away in Blackburn with twelve guys and we lost on Sunday to Solway. I think tired legs and bodies came into it. We’ve got two weeks off now for the Stars to recover and get back to it in the league and to start putting some wins together.”

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