NIHL Weekend Action

Lions lose out as Stars shine in Nottingham

Nottingham Lions   1

Billingham Stars     6

Travelling to Nottingham with seventeen skaters and netminders James Flavell and Mark Watson, Billingham Stars had at their disposal a stronger squad than that of last weekend, with captain Michael Elder, player-coach Michael Bowman, forward Jack Davies and defencemen Andy Finn, Ross Hanlon and Thomas Keeley all available for this encounter. The Lions, meanwhile, had just one skater more than their visitors as they took to the ice with experienced stand-in captain Marc Levers, alternate captains Paul Stanley and Adz Andrews, forward Ruskin Hughes and starting netminder Sam Gospel in their ranks.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing Matt Bradbury’s tough team, Billingham Stars headed out onto the ice to be greeted by a stalemate in the opening minutes of the game with the Teessiders trying their luck against netminder Gospel at one end of the ice whilst the Lions strove to test Watson at the other; the shot stopper provided with some valuable ice time ahead of usual first choice Flavell. Persevering against Nottingham’s determined defence, Billingham were able to get ahead in this fixture when forward Jack Davies fired home an unassisted effort to make it 1-0 on 8:16. Spurred on by this goal, the Stars sought a second which was delivered approximately four minutes later when alternate captain Chris Sykes doubled his side’s tally courtesy of alternate captain Callum Davies and defenceman Ross Hanlon. Moments later, a hooking call against Lions’ captain Levers saw Billingham go on the power play but, despite their efforts, the Stars could not add to Nottingham’s deficit and instead watched their opposition return to full strength only to go shorthanded themselves just over two minutes later when forward Callum Davies made way for tripping on 18:08. With these penalties disrupting play, neither side were able to get on the scoresheet in the final moments of the period to see the Stars head in with their two-goal cushion intact.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to the ice for the second stanza, the Stars were keen to build on their lead but a high sticks offence from Jack Emerson on 22:01 saw the forward sidelined to allow Nottingham another power play. Once again, Billingham were able to see off the Lions’ attack on the penalty kill to remain two goals ahead and the side soon found themselves with the advantage as they returned to full strength only for Nottingham to be reduced to four men; this time Levers considered guilty of delaying the game. Working hard to kill this penalty and rallying in defence, the Lions were restored to full strength without further concession and began to build momentum in front of Watson’s net to pull a goal back on 30:46 as Levers made amends for his previous misdemeanours following passing play between Stanley and forward Joe Humphries to make it 2-1. Aware that the Lions were creeping back into the game, the Stars recognised their need to make the most of their next power play which arose less than two minutes later when defenceman Joseph Gretton was shown to the sin bin for hooking on 32:22. Determined to make this opportunity count, Billingham netted their third just nineteen seconds later as captain Elder printed his name on the scoresheet with support arriving from Latvian blue liner Artūrs Ozols and forward Callum Davies. Shortly afterwards, Elder was sidelined for slashing on 35:49 to present the Lions with another power play but the home team failed to make this chance count and watched on as Elder returned to the ice only to bag an assist alongside Ozols; the duo working together to play James Moss through on goal on 38:19. Unable to chip away further at the margin between themselves and their visitors, the Lions filed from the ice on the wrong end of the 4-1 score line whilst Billingham were pleased to still be ahead in the contest with both netminders having been challenged a great deal in this period. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hopeful that they could get back into the game as they took to the ice for the final stanza, Nottingham were disappointed when Gretton was sidelined for hooking just twenty eight seconds after faceoff. Wasting no time, Billingham took just eleven seconds to bury the puck beyond Gospel as Elder accomplished his second of the evening after a pass from alternate captain Sykes to make it 5-1. Just over four minutes later, a holding penalty for forward Emerson saw the Lions gain the advantage but still the outfit could not claim a second goal despite their hard work in front of Watson’s net. With both teams continuing to pursue their next goal, the Stars were able to find the target for a sixth time as Elder returned the favour alongside Ozols to allow Sykes to hit home his second of the evening just before the halfway point in the period. Looking to bounce back from this disappointment, the Lions sought to attack Watson’s net but were stopped in their tracks by Billingham who continued to pose a threat to Gospel as they went out in search of their seventh goal. A crosschecking penalty for Latvian forward Deniss Baškatovs on 55:49 presented Nottingham with a power play, prompting a timeout from Head Coach Bradbury. Aiming to grab a goal with the additional man, the Lions then found their advantage enhanced when blue liner Finn was made to warm a seat in the sin bin for roughing just twenty six seconds later to hand the home team a five-on-three situation. Confronted by Billingham’s sturdy defence and some strong netminding from Watson, Bradbury’s men were unable to slot the puck home to reduce their deficit. A last minute power play soon followed this missed chance when Stars’ defenceman Hanlon sat out for tripping but, knowing they were defeated by their visitors, Nottingham could not beat Watson for a second time before Billingham claimed their two points on the final buzzer.

Sharks’ attack keeps Barons at bay as Solihull defeated on road

Solway Sharks       5

Solihull Barons      2

Taking to the ice in front of their home crowd with a squad of nineteen players which included two-way players Josh Grieveson and Jordan Buesa, as well as Czech defenceman Vaclav Kolarik who returned after last weekend’s absence, Solway Sharks headed into this game with much confidence as they faced up to Solihull Barons’ short bench which consisted of fourteen skaters and netminders Daniel Brittle and Michelle Franklin.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing off against Solihull Barons, Solway Sharks were keen to break the deadlock in the early stages of the first period and did so, scoring with just 2:21 on the clock as left winger Steven Moore tapped the puck into the net following some neat play between captain Struan Tonnar and forward Duncan Speirs. Disappointed to have fallen behind with very little of the period played, the Barons were eager to draw level and looked to carve out an opportunity of their own against shot stopper Calum Hepburn but the Sharks had other ideas and targeted Daniel Brittle’s net to outshoot their opposition by fifteen shots to seven. Efforts from both teams made no difference to the score line as the sides stood strong in defence of their opposition’s attacking play, enduring the battle to break the developing stalemate. With neither side able to hit the target again before the first break, Solway filed from the ice with their narrow 1-0 lead; the Barons still very much in the game.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Whilst Solway returned to the ice with a view to extend their lead, Solihull focused on grabbing an equaliser to get themselves back into the game. With both teams working hard to test their opposition netminders, it took some moments later for the scoreboard to be altered and it was again the Sharks who fired home, this time Czech defenceman Marek Charvát rounding the net to unleash an unassisted shot which beat Brittle and doubled Solway’s lead. Utilising their momentum, Solway then achieved their third of the evening three minutes later when youngster Lewis Houston played a pass to alternate captain Ross Murray who picked out Speirs, the forward rounding the net in a similar fashion to Charvát before striking the puck past Brittle on 31:55. Soon after, an interference penalty for Sharks’ defenceman Kyle Horne allowed the Barons a power play but the outfit failed to make the most of this advantage as Solway killed this penalty with success. Just two minutes later, the Sharks found themselves shorthanded again when forward Connor Henderson made way for slashing to award the visitors a power play in the final moments of the second period but Solihull could not punish the Sharks’ misdemeanour ahead of the interval to allow Solway to go in with a 3-0 lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Heading out onto the ice for the third period, the Sharks were handed an advantage close to two minutes after the break when defenceman Dave Rogers made way for crosschecking. Aiming to make the most of this opportunity whilst contending with the Barons’ tricky defensive work, Solway were able to add a fourth to their tally with just thirty four seconds of their power play remaining as Murray played the puck to Speirs who fended off Solihull’s defence to bag his second goal of the game. Just twenty three seconds later, blue liner Stuart Kerr made way for hooking to hand the Barons a power play which provided the outfit with enough momentum to get on the scoresheet just over two minutes after the Sharks had returned to full strength, Thomas Soar making an impact for Solihull with help from fellow forward Adam Brittle. The score line 4-1 as a result, the Sharks remained confident, battling for possession to restore their four-goal lead as forward Connor Henderson achieved his eleventh league goal of the season on 52:57 courtesy of forward Iain Bowie and two-way player Jordan Buesa. Less than two minutes later, the Barons hit back through Adam Brittle who reduced his team’s deficit following hard work from captain Josh Bruce and fellow forward Philip Mulcahy. Striving to get back into the game but without success, Solihull were then disappointed when forward Elliot Farrell incurred a tripping penalty on 58:14 to hand the home team a power play. Controlling possession as opposed to making this chance count, the Sharks were pleased to see out the game on the advantage to claim their 5-2 victory.

Sharing his thoughts after this game, Solway’s Head Coach Martin Grubb reflected: “Solihull are always a difficult team to play against as they have lots of offensive upside so I was pleased with how we controlled the game. We were pretty solid defensively, let the forwards play and caused Solihull problems and we got our rewards with a few nice goals. We had a little spell in the third where we were a little sloppy but generally we were well worthy of our win tonight.”

Warriors pound Steeldogs to claim victory over league leaders

Whitley Warriors            4

Sheffield Steeldogs    1

Lining up with twenty skaters and netminders Richie Lawson and Mark Turnbull, Whitley Warriors had at their disposal a strong squad, missing only youngsters Anthony Wetherell, Ross Douglass and Jamie Ord, whilst Sheffield Steeldogs took to the ice with a squad of nineteen players which included newest signing Greg Wood, player-coach Ben Morgan and Slovakian imports Milan Kolena and Adrian Palak to name but a few.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Heading into this encounter with hopes to claim their first victory against the Steeldogs, Whitley Warriors threw everything into the opening stages of the game as the Hillheads outfit set out to play with high intensity from faceoff, the side battling against Sheffield’s stalwart defence to seek a way past netminder Brandon Stones. Their attacking play countered successfully by their visitors, the Warriors found themselves managing the pressure on shot stopper Lawson’s net at the other end of the ice as both teams continued to work extremely hard throughout the first period in their effort to add to the scoreboard. A hooking penalty for captain Dean Holland on 9:45 then saw the Steeldogs claim a power play but determined to avoid concession, Whitley fought hard with four men to kill the penalty and returned to full strength with the deadlock intact. With the period progressing and both teams fighting for their opening goal, it was Whitley who were first to hit the net as Holland beat Stones only for referee Alexander Stewart to rule out his effort due to goaltender interference. The game becoming heated in the aftermath of this decision, it was little surprise when the sides clashed in the latter stages of the period; left winger Liam Charnock picking a fight with Warriors’ defenceman Sam Zajac who exchanged blows with the Steeldog before getting the better of his opponent. In consequence of this incident, both players earned themselves 2+2 for fighting whilst Charnock picked up an additional two minutes for instigation and Whitley’s captain Holland also received two minutes for a crosscheck. With these penalties disrupting play, neither team could get on the scoresheet and went in at the break with nothing to show for their efforts in the opening stanza.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Continuing to serve their penalties in the second period, both Zajac and Charnock remained in the sin bin whilst their teams took to the ice in search of a goal to get ahead in the fixture. A tripping call against Steeldogs’ alternate captain Ashley Calvert only added to Sheffield’s penalty woes but, with Whitley unable to capitalise on their power play, the visitors returned to full strength to gain an advantage when referee Stewart felt that Whitley were at fault for the failure of two consecutive faceoffs, causing forward Ben Richards to be sent to the sin bin for delaying the game on 22:45. Working hard to battle against the Steeldogs’ attacking play, the Warriors saw off their opposition’s efforts to ensure that Sheffield could not make the most of their advantage. Continuing to pepper netminder Stones with shot after shot, the Warriors were able to match the intensity of their visitors to cause problems for Ben Morgan’s defence whilst the Steeldogs equally sought to break free of Whitley’s blue liners. An interference penalty for Sheffield’s forward Joe Cross allowed David Longstaff’s line-up to be awarded a power play on 29:11 but the Warriors could not make their chances count to continue to seek out their first goal of the game, narrowly outshooting Sheffield in this period by fourteen shots to thirteen. Despite the intensity and resolve of both teams, the Warriors were soon disappointed when Calvert opened his side’s account on 37:24 after Whitley’s defence lost possession of the puck in their own zone to see Morgan work with new signing Wood to assist their alternate captain which allowed the Steeldogs to go in at the interval with a narrow 1-0 lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Shortly after returning to the ice for the third period, Sheffield found themselves shorthanded as captain Lewis Bell found himself sinbinned for tripping on 43:52 to present the Warriors with the additional man. Unable to find the net with this advantage, the Hillheads outfit were then handed a five-on-three power play with forty six seconds of Bell’s penalty left to serve as alternate captain Tim Smith joined his team mate following a slashing call. Despite their clear advantage, the Warriors struggled to make their many chances hit home, allowing Sheffield to kill their penalties with success. With this power play providing the Warriors with some momentum, the side were then able to increase their intensity further when Holland was shown to the sin bin for boarding less than two minutes later. Feeling the injustice of this call, Whitley began to appear even more of a threat in front of goal and just sixty seconds after their return to full strength, the Warriors were able to draw level as forward Adam Finlinson buried the puck in the bottom corner of Stones’ net on 50:10 following build up play from forward DJ Good and blue liner Liam Smedley. Realising that the Warriors’ hard work was beginning to pay off, the Steeldogs appeared unnerved by this turn of events, causing a hit from Calvert on defenceman Josh Maddock to result in an interference penalty moments later. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

However, Whitley’s power play was short lived as just twelve seconds later, Canadian import Philip Edgar was sinbinned for crosschecking to level the playing field. This mattered little to the Warriors who, buoyed by their first goal of the game, worked quickly to grab a second, this time alternate captain Shaun Kippin collecting his rebounded shot to hit the target with assists from blue liners Kyle Ross and Zajac. Though both teams returned to full strength shortly after this goal, the Warriors maintained their intensity to grab a third just fifty seconds later, this time player-coach Longstaff working with alternate captain Jordan Barnes to play the puck to Kippin who rocketed a shot beyond Stones to make it 3-1. Creating a two-goal cushion, Whitley were eager to hang onto their lead but Sheffield had other ideas and searched for a way to punish Lawson who remained strong between the pipes to ensure that this was not possible. A slashing penalty for Warriors’ defenceman Ross piled the pressure onto Whitley’s blue line and forced the home team to defend their lead with fervour as the Steeldogs strove to get back into the game. Failing to snatch a goal on the power play, Sheffield then opted for a timeout immediately after Ross’ return to the ice, the side deciding to pull netminder Stones for the additional skater. Endeavouring to keep the puck out of their net, the Warriors achieved possession through Holland who weaved clear of the pursuing Steeldogs to fire a shot into their visitors’ empty net on 59:29 to wrap up Whitley’s 4-1 win over the league leaders.

Speaking after the Warriors’ fantastic victory, player-coach David Longstaff revealed: “It’s the first time in the three years I’ve coached Whitley that I’ve had every player available. I’ve always said we’ve got a very strong team when everyone plays but unfortunately we’ve never been able to do that. I thought it was a very even match, both teams put in a great performance and obviously we’re really pleased we edged the game.”

Sharks make comeback to pluck points from Hawks

Blackburn Hawks      2

Solway Sharks            3

Making the trip to Lancashire with fifteen skaters, Solway Sharks boasted a skilled line-up which included Czech defencemen Marek Charvát and Vaclav Kolarik, captain Struan Tonnar, alternate captain Ross Murray and sturdy shot stopper Calum Hepburn whilst Blackburn Hawks took to the ice with a squad which equalled their visitors in number; forwards Rick Bentham, Aaron Davies, Jozef Ištocy and Corey Stones available for this clash alongside Finnish defenceman Kim Miettinen and blue liner Bobby Streetly.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing off against Blackburn Hawks, Solway Sharks aimed to collect another two points from the Lancashire outfit, having achieved a road victory against Steven Duncombe’s team just last weekend. Whilst the Sharks began the period with confidence as they set out to beat Blackburn’s starting netminder Niks Trapans, the Hawks strove to counter their visitors’ creative play by setting their sights on shot stopper Calum Hepburn’s net. With neither team able to open their account in the early stages of the period, the Sharks looked to take advantage of their first power play which arrived on 13:33 courtesy of Hawks’ forward Matt Viney who was sidelined for crosschecking. Failing to make this opportunity count however, Solway watched their opposition return to full strength but did not let up in front of goal, the side striving to get ahead in the game but without success as Blackburn battled to challenge Hepburn who worked as equally hard to keep the home team at bay. With neither side able to find the back of the net in this period despite their many efforts, the contenders headed in at the first break with the deadlock intact; the Sharks having outshot their opposition by fifteen to ten in this stanza.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Determined to make a better start to their second period, Blackburn aimed for a goal on their return to the ice and accomplished a 1-0 lead on 21:46, forward Rick Bentham the man on target as Stones linked up with Miettinen to assist his teammate. Less than two minutes later, a tripping penalty against Trapans saw Solway claim their second power play of the evening but again the Dumfries outfit were unable to punish the Hawks’ misdemeanour though they had many efforts on goal. With Blackburn carving paths through Solway’s defence in their bid to double their lead, the Sharks’ play was inhibited by the home team who were steadfast in their objective to remain ahead in the contest. A little after the halfway point in the period, Stones incurred 2+10 for a check to the head which floored two-way player Jordan Buesa to see Solway gain the advantage once again. Working hard to run down the clock whilst shorthanded, the Hawks were relieved to return to full strength after Stones’ minor penalty was served, only for Bentham to find himself sinbinned for slashing less than two minutes later. Undeterred by this setback, Blackburn were restored to five men and netted just fifteen seconds later when defenceman Bobby Streetly played the puck to experienced forward Aaron Davies who accomplished his fourteenth league goal of the season to make it 2-0 on 38:40. Struggling to recover their lost ground after a positive first period, the Sharks were disappointed to file from the ice with a two-goal deficit at the second interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Recognising their need to get back into this game before the score line skipped away from them, Solway looked to grab a goal in the opening moments and, awarded a power play on 44:44 when Bentham made way for delaying the game, the Sharks were provided with an opportunity to create some strong offensive opportunities, though they were unable to alter the scoreboard. Losing discipline, Bentham returned to the ice only to be shown to the sin bin for a slashing offence just fifty three seconds later to allow Martin Grubb’s men their sixth power play of the game. Whilst it first appeared that the Dumfries outfit would not pull back a goal in this instance, the Sharks were able to score with just nineteen seconds of Bentham’s penalty remaining as forward Connor Henderson received the puck from Czech defenceman Marek Charvát to see Buesa print his name on the scoresheet just before the fifty-minute mark. Building on this foothold, Sharks’ captain Struan Tonnar levelled the scoring for his team just over four minutes later following neat play from power forward Murray and ‘D’ man Kyle Horne. This equaliser prompting a timeout from the Hawks who were disappointed to have let their lead slip, Duncombe’s men looked to get ahead in this fixture once again but were hindered by Solway’s fortitude as their visitors worked hard to take the lead for the first time in this contest; Tonnar teaming up with Murray on this occasion to send Czech defenceman Marek Charvát through on goal with success on 57:06. Frustrated to have suffered a setback of this nature so late in the game, Blackburn attempted to rally to at least send the encounter into overtime but, even after pulling shot stopper Trapans from his net in favour of the additional skater in the final minute, the Hawks could not find a way past Hepburn to concede a narrow 3-2 defeat on sixty minutes.

Commenting after this game, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb admitted: “After last weekend’s game we knew we would be in for a tougher night and we’d have to be ready to dig deep and this was the case. We started well enough but then we got outworked in the middle period and that gave the Hawks confidence and a lead to play with but the one thing we have is character and we needed to show all of that tonight. They will probably be wondering how they haven’t managed to win that game but we kept going right until the end and it was a big character win.”

Stars win war with Lions in overtime battle to snatch points

Billingham Stars       6 (OT)

Nottingham Lions     5

Heading out onto the ice for the second game of their double header against Nottingham Lions, Billingham Stars had at their disposal seventeen skaters, including captain Michael Elder, Player of the Month Chris Sykes and Latvian forward Deniss Baškatovs whilst netminder Mark Watson took his place between the pipes due to the absence of usual first choice shot stopper James Flavell. Meanwhile, Nottingham Lions journeyed to The Forum with fifteen skaters and lone netminder Thomas Hovell whilst captain Elliot Perrin joined his side for this trip after missing out on Saturday’s game.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hoping for a four-point weekend heading into this contest, Billingham Stars were faced with Matt Bradbury’s resolute Lions who were eager to avenge Saturday’s result against the Teessiders and consequently made a strong start to the game by immediately seeking to attack Watson’s net in their efforts to open the scoring. Looking to counter, Billingham strove to battle with the Lions’ positive play but failed to edge ahead of their visitors. A slashing penalty for Stars’ defenceman Matthew Campbell on 13:27 saw Nottingham awarded a power play but working hard to keep the puck out of Watson’s net, Billingham returned to full strength with the score line unchanged. Though both Stars’ alternate captain Sykes and Latvian forward Baškatovs continued to work hard to see their efforts fail to make an impact in the first period, the Lions were pleased to have matched Billingham’s shot count to go in at the break with the game tied at 0-0.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Setting their sights on Hovell’s net after their return to the ice, the Stars got off the mark early in the second stanza as Sykes achieved his thirty fifth league goal of the season with support arriving from fellow forward James Moss and captain Elder on 21:08. Dismayed to have conceded after an even first period, the Lions did not take too long to retaliate, the outfit hitting the target just over four minutes later as Czech import Jakub Pniok won possession from a faceoff to play the puck to forward Ruskin Hughes who bagged himself a goal to even the scoring. Bouncing back from this setback, the Stars then regained their lead shortly afterwards as Baškatovs buried a shot beyond Hovell on 28:02 following neat work from blue liner Andy Finn. Just under two minutes later, the puck was again in the net but for Nottingham on this occasion; Hovell passing to defenceman Luke Smith who assisted alternate captain Paul Stanley’s effort to make it 2-2. Determined to restore their lead as quickly as possible, the Stars then added another to their tally when Sykes grabbed his second of the evening just thirty seven seconds later, Elder working with Callum Davies to assist. Soon after, an interference penalty against alternate captain Davies saw the Lions gain a power play and, whilst unable to convert their chances, the outfit were able to equalise for a third time moments after the Stars’ return to full strength; Stanley notching his second of the game after linkup play between alternate captain Marc Levers and young forward Joe Humphries on 34:24. Spurred on by this goal, the visitors then added a fourth to their tally just over two minutes later to take the lead for the first time in the game, this time Stanley turning assist alongside Humphries to see Levers print his name on the scoresheet. Unnerved to find themselves trailing by four goals to three, the Stars then went shorthanded when forward Jack Davies incurred a slashing penalty in the final two minutes of the period to hand the Lions an advantage ahead of the third stanza. Unable to make this count however, Nottingham were forced to content themselves with their narrow 4-3 lead whilst Billingham were disappointed at this sudden change in their fortunes.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to the ice for the final period, the Lions were keen to pick up from where they left off and wasted little time in testing netminder Watson, though they were unable to extend their lead. Striving for an equaliser, Billingham began to work hard to try their luck against Hovell and eventually found a way past the netminder on 46:42 as young defenceman James Hellens threaded the puck to Sykes who slotted home to complete his hat trick. Delighted to be back on level terms, the Stars then rallied to reclaim their lead forty four seconds later as Sykes received the puck from Elder to allow Davies to beat Hovell. Calling a timeout as a result of the Teessiders’ two quick goals, the Lions sought to find yet another equaliser and, after much perseverance, the side were finally able to achieve it on 52:13 as Levers notched his second of the game; Humphries and Stanley again with the assists. The score line tied at 5-5 as a result, the Stars dug deep in their efforts to regain the lead but the Lions were as equally eager to bag both points and sought a winning goal of their own. However, in spite of both teams offensive play, neither side could achieve a lead before the final buzzer sounded. As such, the game trickled into three-on-three overtime which lasted all of fifty two seconds; Baškatovs providing a game-winning goal following a pass from blue liner Finn to see his team collect two points from their 6-5 victory whereas the Lions were awarded a point for their valiant overtime defeat.  

Reflecting on his team’s latest success, Player of the Month Chris Sykes shared: “Another four point weekend for the Stars. Four in a row and we are on a roll! It feels good. This season has been such a weird one for us all at the Stars but it’s nice to get back-to-back wins and four-point weekends. The Lions gave everything and ran us close on Sunday at home into overtime but we got the win and we now move onto a tougher weekend coming up.”

NIHL Northern Trio would like to take this opportunity to pass on condolences to the family and friends of Frankie Sherwood who sadly lost his battle with cancer this week.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

       

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