NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks snap up victory over sinking Stars

Solway Sharks     5

Billingham Stars  2

Taking to the ice against close rivals Billingham Stars, Solway Sharks lined up with seventeen skaters which included two-way player Josh Grieveson, junior defenceman Ben Coughtrie and young forward Lewis Houston; captain Struan Tonnar and forward Scott Henderson, on the other hand, were unavailable for this encounter. The Stars, meanwhile, managed to make the trip to Dumfries with a squad of eighteen players, including youngsters James Hellens and Ethan Hehir whilst forward Josh Nertney, alternate captain Callum Davies, backup netminder Mark Watson and defencemen Andy Finn, Ross Hanlon and Thomas Keeley missed out on the clash.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Searching for two much-needed points to turn their fortunes around, Billingham set out to create an early lead and were handed the perfect opportunity when referee Robin Elliot called ‘D’ man Kyle Horne to the sin bin for tripping to see the Sharks hand their visitors a power play. Aware that this was an opportunity that they could not afford to pass up, the Stars took just twenty seconds to find the net on the advantage, captain Michael Elder beating shot stopper Calum Hepburn with less than five minutes played, courtesy of alternate captain Chris Sykes and Jack Davies. It did not take long for the Sharks to respond to this goal as the side then found themselves on the power play moments later when Stars’ forward Alex Preston made way for holding. Receiving a pass from Czech defenceman Vaclav Kolarik, young forward Daniel Abercrombie hit back with an equaliser on 6:18 to cancel out Billingham’s positive start to the game. Keen to build on this goal, Solway then added a second to their tally just forty four seconds later, this time left winger Steven Moore reaping the rewards of his hard work with support from blue liner Scott Cooper to make it 2-1 on 7:02. Chasing the game as a result of this goal, Billingham looked to bounce back with some offensive opportunities of their own and were handed the advantage once more as Grieveson found himself sidelined for slashing at the halfway point in the period. In spite of this power play though, the Stars could not convert their efforts and it was not long after that they regretted their missed chances; Solway snatching their third of the evening through Moore with 13:12 on the clock, following passing play between forward Duncan Speirs and alternate captain James Hutchinson. With the Sharks beginning to dominate in Billingham’s defensive zone, firing in eighteen shots on James Flavell’s net as opposed to the seven aimed at Hepburn, the home team continued in their efforts to extend their lead but were unable to do so ahead of the break, the interval arriving in time to see the Dumfries outfit go in on the right side of the 3-1 score line whilst Billingham filed from the ice with hopes that they were not yet out of the contest.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the second period, the Stars set their sights on the target and looked to create chances whilst Solway sought to maintain possession to remain ahead in the game. With just under six minutes of the stanza played, Speirs was made to warm a seat in the sin bin for tripping to again award Billingham the additional man but, try as they might, the Stars could not find the target and watched as their opposition returned to full strength unscathed. With play more even than that of the first period and both netminders working at either ends of the ice, the Sharks were made to wait for their next goal; Speirs eventually hammering the puck beyond Flavell on 37:49 to achieve the seventh league goal of his campaign after receiving a pass from Czech defenceman Marek Charvát who was incorporated into play by Moore. The score line 4-1, Billingham were frustrated to feel yet another game slip from their grasp and went in at the break knowing they had much work to do if they were to be in with a chance of taking anything from this clash.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Picking up from where they left off in the second stanza, the Sharks returned to the ice aiming to secure their lead and did so as blue liner Stuart Kerr fired himself onto the scoresheet close to three minutes in, Moore teaming up with Cooper to assist on this occasion. Frustrations beginning to show, Sykes was directed to the sin bin to serve a minor for misconduct but the alternate captain did not let this hold him back and instead channelled his energies into grabbing a goal to make it 5-2 just over the halfway point in the period with help from Elder and Latvian defenceman Artūrs Ozols. Shortly afterwards, a tripping penalty for forward Connor Henderson placed the Stars on the power play but the Sharks worked hard to kill the penalty and see off Billingham’s increasing attacking play. With the Stars beginning to lose hope as the period drew to a close, the side were handed the additional man once again as Charvát found himself sinbinned for boarding with just over a minute remaining in the game. Unable to make their efforts count, the Teessiders then opted to pull their netminder in a bid to enhance their advantage but it proved too little, too late, allowing the Sharks to celebrate their 5-2 victory when the final buzzer sounded.

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