NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 29th September 2018

Solway Sharks vs. Solihull Barons

Sutton Sting vs. Whitley Warriors

Fixture:    Solway Sharks  vs. Solihull Barons

Date:        29^th September 2018

Venue:     Dumfries Ice Bowl

Faceoff:  7:00 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Inviting Solihull Barons to the Dumfries Ice Bowl for the first time this season, Solway Sharks will head out onto the ice on Saturday with the aim to progress in the league standings, knowing that their visitors pose a great threat having achieved six points from their last five games. In their last campaign, the Sharks recorded three victories from four against the Barons in their regular season, before losing 9-7 to the side on aggregate in the league playoffs. Always extremely entertaining, it is unsurprising that contests between these two sides produce narrow score lines and last season was evidence of this with the Sharks first recording a 4-2 win in October on home ice before winning by the slimmer margin of 3-2 in December, in which Solway’s power forward Ross Murray clashed with Barons’ Captain Josh Bruce, each player dealt 2+2 for roughing with just seven seconds of the game remaining. Facing Solihull at the Dumfries Ice Bowl again in February, the Sharks triumphed by 5-2 before finally suffering a 5-3 defeat to Daniel Brittle’s outfit in March in another fiery fixture which saw the sides collectively rack up 38 penalty minutes; Barons’ defencemen Dave Rogers, forward Stephen Heape and blue liner Daniel Harrison amongst those punished for the home team.

On Saturday, Solway will hope that current top points scorers Rick Bentham, Steven Moore, Peter Gápa and Murray can be just as instrumental in this fixture as they have so far this season. At present, the quartet have collectively achieved 10 goals and 15 assists in 3 league games to allow the Sharks to contend to a high standard in their opening fixtures. Just last weekend, Alternate Captain Murray grabbed a hat trick against Nottingham Lions whilst Moore managed 4 assists in this encounter. In consequence, Solway will look to trouble Solihull’s defence in a bid to further their current league placement as they find themselves tied on 4 points with Sutton Sting, Blackburn Hawks and Billingham Stars going into this weekend’s fixture. However, currently sitting in fourth place, Solihull will hunt down two points to hold onto their league position as Brittle’s team prepare to make an impact on the road having so far suffered an away loss to Sutton Sting. In Solihull’s last five fixtures, Swedish forward Niklas Ottosson has contributed greatly to his team’s success, scoring 4 goals and 13 assists, whilst forward Luke Brittle has also been incredibly influential, notching 11 goals and 4 assists. As such, the duo will provide their team with the best chance of competing for a place in the NIHL’s top four, the Barons having finished just behind the Sharks last season.

Whilst Solway will seek maximum points from this game to build on recent performances, the Barons will travel to the Dumfries Ice Bowl in an effort to distance themselves from the close competition peering over their shoulder. Packed with pace and power, meetings between these two outfits are never uneventful, making this game one to watch when the sides faceoff on Saturday.

Fixture:    Sutton Sting vs. Whitley Warriors

Date:        29^th September 2018

Venue:     Ice Sheffield

Faceoff:  7:30 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Having last faced Sutton Sting in February 2017, the Warriors will prepare to once again confront Simon Butterworth’s team of strong contenders at Ice Sheffield on Saturday with expectations of a difficult encounter if the side’s work ethic and fortitude are anything to go by. Crowned champions of NIHL North’s Division Two at the end of their last campaign, the Sting deservingly gained promotion and they have already shown themselves to be strong opposition, recording two victories in their last five games, triumphing over both Solihull Barons and Billingham Stars. In the last four-game series between these two sides, the Warriors won three of those fixtures, recording two 4-2 victories at Hillheads before finding themselves on the wrong end of the same score line at Ice Sheffield in December 2016 which they followed up with a 5-2 away win in February. These clashes often highly competitive due to the fight, spirit and desire shown by both outfits, this game is expected to be another fierce battle as the two go head-to-head for the points once again.

Whilst Whitley’s skilled and experienced core of offensive players will no doubt pose a threat to the Sting’s defence, with left winger Ben Campbell, defenceman Sam Zajac and forward DJ Good appearing particularly dangerous in front of goal of late, Sutton will turn to their own forward line which includes formidable Slovakian right winger Stanislav Lašček, versatile left winger Ryan Johnson and skilled youngster Brady Doxey. As Sutton currently sit in fifth position with four points from five games, the outfit will be aiming to climb the table in the coming weeks. Though losing 8-3 and 10-0 in a double header against Hull Pirates, the Sting narrowly missed out on points against Blackburn Hawks in a 3-2 defeat and recent victories are testament to the great progress they have made in the early stages of their 2018-19 campaign. The Warriors, meanwhile, remain in ninth place with a single point from last Saturday’s overtime loss to Solihull Barons after a difficult start to their season. 

Whilst Sutton will hunt down a victory to challenge Solihull for fourth position, the Warriors will seek out their first win of the season to give themselves a much needed boost. With the points much sought-after as a result, this game could be a tight contest between two highly competitive, hardworking outfits.

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

NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Round-up

Whitley Warriors earned the first point of their 2018-19 campaign at Hobs Moat Road last weekend in a 4-3 overtime loss to Solihull Barons on Saturday.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Icing against the Barons, Whitley were creative in the opening minutes of the first period but went shorthanded on 3:00 when defenceman Kyle Ross made way for holding. After working incredibly hard to kill this penalty, Whitley conceded just two seconds after returning to full strength, forward Andrew Whitehouse sending his team into the lead. Undeterred, the Warriors hit back just before the midpoint of the period, forward Callum Watson on hand to steer the puck into Daniel Brittle’s net courtesy of left winger Ben Campbell and stand-in Captain Shaun Kippin. An interference call against Barons’ Alternate Captain Marcus Maynard allowed the Warriors a power play but, even though they threw everything at Solihull, the visitors could not take the lead ahead of the first interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Resuming play, the Warriors were keen to build on a positive first period but Swedish forward Niklas Ottosson had other ideas and sliced a path down the middle of the ice to bury the puck in Richie Lawson’s net on 25:10 after picking up a pass from Luke Brittle. Sixty nine seconds later, Lawson was beaten again, this time forward Matthew Maurice opting for the same course to present his side with a 3-1 lead. Calling a timeout immediately after this goal, Player-Coach David Longstaff watched his team head back out onto the ice with his advice fresh in their minds only for Ross to sit out for a second time, tripping his offence on this occasion. Unable to execute on the power play due to some polished defensive work from the Warriors, Solihull were given a fantastic opportunity at the end of the period when both Whitley’s Alternate Captains Jordan Barnes and Martin Crammond incurred penalties in quick succession but the Warriors dug deep to prevent Solihull from extending their lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The third period getting underway, Whitley missed out on the chance to capitalise after a holding call against defenceman Dale White but an interference penalty for Solihull’s Captain Bruce allowed Longstaff’s men to make amends, the Warriors hitting the target just fifteen seconds later when defenceman Ross Connolly’s clinical pass to Campbell saw the left winger punish Bruce’s misdemeanour on 49:30. Very much back in the contest, the Warriors sought out an equaliser but suffered a setback when Barnes was made to serve a minor for elbowing. Fearing the possibilities of a comeback from Whitley, the Barons called a timeout only for their advantage to be brought to an end thirty seven seconds later when Maynard was sidelined for high sticks and Eaton joined his teammate following a hooking call. This gave the Warriors another important power play which enabled the Hillheads outfit to level the scoring with a fantastic goal from forward DJ Good who made the most of smooth passing play between Longstaff and Campbell to make it 3-3 to take his team into overtime. 

Overjoyed at taking their first point in Solihull since their 6-2 victory over the Barons in September 2015, Whitley took to the ice to see if they could claim maximum points but it was not to be as Brittle brothers Adam and Luke teamed up to grasp a win for their side just seven seconds from the end of the overtime period.

After this positive performance, the Warriors returned to Hillheads on Sunday evening, only to concede a 5-2 defeat to Steven Duncombe‘s Blackburn Hawks.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The Warriors got off to a positive start in spite of an early penalty kill, taking the lead through forward Callum Watson with just 4:31 on the clock. Excellent netminding from Blackburn’s sixteen-year-old shot stopper Harrison Walker prevented the Warriors from increasing their lead in the first period, though the side were handed a power play before the break when Hawks’ two-way player Adam Barnes was sinbinned for slashing on 18:44. Though determined to achieve an equaliser as quickly as possible in the middle stanza, Blackburn were only able to level the scoring on 34:44 as forward Barnes made the most of his side’s 5-on-3 power play following hard work from Player-Assistant Coach James Neil and Alternate Captain James Royds. With both sides picking up minor penalties in the latter stages of the period, the Warriors’ failure to capitalise on their own 5-on-3 advantage was followed by a high sticks penalty for forward DJ Good with just twenty two seconds remaining in the period. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

With the Warriors unable to make their power play count on their return to the ice, the Hawks battled back to take the lead when Royds played the puck to forward James Riddoch who did not miss his mark. Less than two minutes later, Hawk Barnes added a third to this team’s tally only for the Warriors to retaliate quickly, Watson again the man on target. The score line 3-2, Blackburn were eager to recover their two-goal lead and did so seven seconds later, Lithuanian Danielius Nomanovas finding the net on this occasion with support arriving from Royds yet again. Frustrated at this sudden turn of events, the Warriors went on to concede a fifth and final goal as Barnes completed his hat trick; Royds with his fourth assist as he teamed up with forward Lee Pollitt on 45:01. Trying to get back into the game as the period came to a close, left winger Ben Campbell scrambled the puck into the net for Whitley but the goal was ruled out to spark a response from the Warrior, resulting in a two-minute misconduct penalty. Working hard to beat Walker in the final stages of the period, the home team realised that it was a long way back when they could not make their chances count. In the end, the Warriors were forced to accept their third home defeat of the season as the final buzzer called time on the game. 

Meanwhile, Solway Sharks achieved a 12-2 victory against Nottingham Lions at the Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday evening.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A flying start in this contest saw Solway take the lead less than four minutes in when Canadian Cale Tanaka snapped up his first league goal for the Sharks following support from skilled left winger Steven Moore. Working netminder Ashley Smith from faceoff, the Dumfries outfit doubled their tally on 5:19 when forward Iain Bowie linked up with Slovakian Peter Gápa who slipped past the Lions’ defence to find the target. Peppering Smith with shots throughout the period, Martin Grubb’s men strove to extend their lead whilst Nottingham countered in small bursts but without success. Picking up the first penalty of the contest, Solway’s shot stopper Jordan McLaughlin incurred a call for delaying the game to award his opposition a power play but, try as they might, Nottingham could not get onto the scoresheet before the break and headed in with a two-goal deficit.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Filing back onto the ice, Solway strove to add to their tally but it took more than five minutes into the second stanza for the side to make it 3-0, a neat interchange between Tanaka and Alternate Captain Ross Murray bringing Lewis Baldwin into play, the defenceman shooting from the top of the circles and the puck going in off the underside of the bar. Though this goal was followed by an interference penalty for Nottingham’s forward Thomas Palmer, the Lions were buoyed by their effective penalty kill and bagged themselves a goal just over a minute after returning to full strength as stand-in Captain Paul Stanley made it 3-1, sixteen-year-old forward Jack Parker and defenceman Kieran Raynor assisting. However, in spite of the Lions’ effort, Solway completed the period with two goals in quick succession, Murray scoring on 38:21 courtesy of Tanaka and Moore, before youngster Liam Stenton added to the scoreboard fifteen seconds ahead of the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia – Ian Hanlon

Though Nottingham set out to get themselves back into the game, they did not get off to the best start, conceding in the early stages of the period as forward Scott Henderson made it 6-1 after neat work from Gápa and Stenton. The visitors’ situation was then exacerbated when Smith purportedly slashed Tanaka in the head to find himself ejected from the game, backup Luca Sheldon taking his place between the pipes. Placed on the power play, Solway immediately sought retribution and achieved it as Moore picked out Murray who notched his second goal of the evening. Though a slashing call against forward Rick Bentham levelled the playing field, Solway were unperturbed and claimed an eighth goal when a fantastic unassisted shot from Stuart Kerr beat Sheldon on 48:08. Buckling under the weight of Solway’s offence, the Lions leaked another goal as experienced blue liner James Hutchinson printed his name on the scoresheet after quick play between Gápa and Moore who was able to achieve his fourth assist of the evening. Eighty two seconds later, Tanaka netted to make it 10-1 which was closely followed by an eleventh as Gápa received the puck from ‘D’ man Kyle Horne to play in Henderson for a second time in the game. Calling a timeout on the back of this goal, Sharks’ Head Coach Grubb dispensed his tactics but shortly after resuming play, both teams lost a man to the sin bin, Captain Struan Tonnar and Lions’ blue liner Raynor considered guilty of roughing. Neither team were able to find the back of the net in the aftermath but, with the game in its final minutes, the Sharks incurred one last penalty as Stenton was shown to the sin bin for tripping. In spite of this, Solway hit the target one second later, Murray completing his hat trick on 58:55 with a shorthanded goal, right winger Ross Hancock playing the puck to his alternate captain after Tonnar gained possession. Unwilling to allow the home team the final say, Nottingham accomplished a power play goal just forty nine seconds from the final buzzer, forward Ruskin Hughes seeking a consolatory goal with help from Jakub Klima and Cameron Pywell. Outshooting their opposition by seventy eight to twenty two, the Sharks were pleased to achieve both points in what was ultimately a landslide victory.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Considering the Sharks’ win, Head Coach Martin Grubb observed: “I was happy with the energy we started with and it set the tone early for us against a very hardworking Lions team. We knew we would need to stay patient and wear them down and we did that and scored some nice goals. It was a game we were always in control of and it was nice to give our young players some extra ice time and they all got points which is pleasing. We will now take the confidence built and keep working to improve.”

In other news, Billingham Stars unfortunately lost 6-3 on home ice to newly promoted outfit Sutton Sting.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Getting off to the worst possible start, the Stars conceded just fifty four seconds after faceoff when Swedish defenceman Jonas Fredriksson surprised the Teessiders to present the Sting with an early lead. The score line 1-0, both teams picked up a minor penalty but, unlike Billingham, Sutton capitalised, Alternate Captain Craig Elliot on target with just eight seconds left of Andy Finn’s interference penalty. The remainder of the first period fragmented by penalties, the Stars were only able to pull a goal back on 23:24, Captain Michael Elder punishing Fredriksson’s tripping misdemeanour. Continuing to work hard in spite of four successive penalties, the Sting recovered their two-goal cushion when Stars’ experienced defenceman Richie Thornton was shown to the sin bin, allowing forward Dominic Martin to claim his team’s second power play goal of the evening.  A bench minor for too many men though saw Sutton’s lead reduced once again as Canadian Kevin Boyd made the most of his team’s advantage; youngster Ethan Hehir and Alternate Captain Chris Sykes assisting on 32:50. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Though Billingham were just one goal behind their opposition, the side incurred a sixth penalty as Finn made way for slashing to award the Sting a power play which ran over the interval. As such, Sutton tallied a fourth goal on their return to the ice, Alternate Captain Stanislav Lašček giving the home team cause for concern just fifty three seconds into the period. With a 4-2 lead, the Sting continued to put their opposition under pressure and netted a fifth just beyond the midpoint of the period, achieving their fourth power play goal of the game as Martin beat netminder James Flavell for a second time. Eight seconds later, Sutton lost defenceman David Pyatt to the sin bin but this made little difference to the outfit as Simon Butterworth’s team completed their scoring with a shorthanded goal from Brady Doxey to make it 5-2. Trying to respond, Billingham’s blue liner Ben Davison got on the scoresheet with an unassisted effort but it proved to be too little, too late for the Stars who were disappointed with this result.

Reflecting on Billingham’s start to their 2018-19 campaign, Head Coach Tom Brown shared: “We have a lot of work to do but I knew that coming in so to get the start we have had so far, it’s a step in the right direction.”

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

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 22nd September 2018

 Solihull Barons vs. Whitley Warriors

Solway Sharks vs. Nottingham Lions

Sunday 23rd September 2018

 Whitley Warriors vs. Blackburn Hawks

Billingham Stars vs. Sutton Sting

Fixture:    Solihull Barons vs. Whitley Warriors

Date:        22^nd September 2018

Venue:     Hobs Moat Road

Faceoff:  5:15pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Readying themselves for their first trip to Hobs Moat Road this campaign, Whitley Warriors will be under no illusion as to the difficulty of the task which lies ahead on Saturday evening, David Longstaff’s line-up having lost out in three of their last four encounters against Daniel Brittle’s men. Losing by five goals to two on the road last November, the Warriors battled for a 5-3 win on home ice after establishing a two-goal cushion which was cancelled out by goals from Solihull’s Swedish import Niklas Ottosson and left winger Josh Bruce, before Alternate Captain Marcus Maynard edged his team in front to cause Whitley some anxiety but the home side showed resilience to grab both points in the end. Struggling to contend with the Barons’ strength across all areas of the ice, the Warriors also recorded a 5-4 overtime loss at Hillheads and a 7-3 road defeat, meaning the side will expect no less than a challenge from Solihull this weekend.

A strong unit last season, Solihull finished fifth in the league table, claiming 41 points from 36 games and the Barons will no doubt aim to better the performances of their previous campaign having re-signed the core of their team over the summer months with the exception of forward Thomas Soar who parted ways with the club in April due to work commitments. Whilst Player-Coach Daniel Brittle could once again feature between the pipes to ice alongside his brothers Luke and Adam, the Barons also have at their disposal skilled forwards Elliot Farrell, Matthew Maurice and Andrew Whitehouse, not to mention Swedish forward Ottosson, Slovakian Filip Supa and Captain Bruce. Hoping to match this offensive unit, the Warriors will deploy left winger Ben Campbell who has exhibited impressive skill in recent games, scoring 4 goals and 4 assists to provide his team with a fighting chance during some incredibly difficult opening fixtures. However, it is unfortunate that due to an injury sustained against Solway Sharks last Sunday that Whitley’s experienced defenceman Sam Zajac will be highly unlikely to feature. Currently the team’s second highest points scorer with 1 goal and 6 assists in 4 league games, Zajac is fantastically influential on the ice and his absence was certainly felt following his second period departure. 

Whilst a win for Whitley is very much needed to give the team a confidence boost as they continue to search for the first points of their 2018-19 campaign, a victory for Solihull would allow the Barons to bounce back from last weekend’s surprise defeat to Sutton Sting which saw the side lose 5-4, despite the fact that they had established a 4-1 lead early in the middle period of this game. Often packing a punch as well as pace and power, contests between these two challengers always make for an interesting watch and Saturday should prove no different.

Fixture:    Solway Sharks  vs. Nottingham Lions

Date:        22^nd September 2018

Venue:     Dumfries Ice Bowl

Faceoff:  7:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Set to face off against Nottingham Lions at the Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday evening, Solway Sharks will be prepared for an unpredictable contest in which Matt Bradbury’s men will no doubt show fortitude, resilience and determination after a tricky start to their campaign which has left the outfit at the foot of the league table. Last season, Solway picked up all eight points against the Lions, though score lines against the outfit varied greatly. In their first trip to the National Ice Centre in September, the Sharks recorded a 5-3 victory after falling behind by three goals to one just past the halfway point of the game. Two weeks later, Solway again triumphed over the Lions, this time winning by the slightly wider margin of 6-2; Captain Struan Tonnar, forward Iain Bowie and experienced defenceman James Hutchinson amongst those on the scoresheet for the Sharks. However, after putting in some strong defensive performances to increase their chances of taking something from these games, Nottingham suffered two heavy defeats to the Dumfries outfit in November, first enduring a 9-1 loss at home before finding themselves beaten 15-0 on the road. 

Whilst Solway earned themselves a fourth place finish last season, the Lions were able to showcase their hard work on occasions, recording some narrow defeats to the toughest teams in the league, including a respectable 4-2 loss to Sheffield Steeldogs, and the side also accomplished a 3-2 win against Whitley Warriors at Hillheads in November. This season, the Sharks again possess a great deal of offensive threat in Slovakian left winger Peter Gápa, Canadian Cale Tanaka, former Hawk Rick Bentham and skilled left winger Steven Moore to name but a few whereas Nottingham will once more rely on the strong work ethic of their assiduous defence to ensure they can take something from this clash. 

With both teams currently requiring two points to further their progression in NIHL North’s Division One, a win for Solway Sharks could see the outfit move away from eighth position now that they are tied on two points with Solihull, Sutton and Blackburn. Meanwhile, a victory for Nottingham may allow the outfit to move away from the foot of the table ahead of Sunday’s game against Solihull should Whitley Warriors lose out to the Barons on Saturday. These fixtures often unpredictable but engrossing, fans can expect both sides to give their all, whatever the final outcome of the game.

Fixture:    Whitley Warriors vs. Blackburn Hawks

Date:        23^rd September 2018

Venue:     Whitley Bay Ice Rink

Faceoff:  5:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking on Blackburn Hawks at Hillheads for the first time this season, Whitley Warriors will prepare for another challenging encounter against Steven Duncombe’s side who overcame their 5-1 defeat to Hull Pirates on the opening day of the season with a narrow 3-2 win over Sutton Sting last Sunday. Narrowly losing out by three goals to two in their opening home encounter against the Lancashire outfit last season, the Warriors went on to record a heavier 6-2 defeat in October. However, David Longstaff’s men were able to recover from these defeats to record successive victories against Blackburn in January, first notching a 5-2 road win before triumphing by six goals to two on home ice the following evening. So far this season, the Warriors have yet to achieve a win, instead suffering several heavy defeats including a 9-4 loss to Solway Sharks last weekend. Demonstrating their offensive prowess in spite of some disheartening results, the skill of left winger Ben Campbell, defenceman Sam Zajac and Captain Dean Holland has made up for a depleted defence in  Whitley’s opening contests. Blackburn, meanwhile, have managed to claim 2 points from 2 games as the side embark on their quest to improve on last season’s seventh place finish which saw Duncombe’s men end the season with 33 points from 36 games, just 3 points adrift of the Warriors.

Strengthening their team over the summer months, Blackburn will surely benefit from the addition of imports Danielius Nomanovas and Petr Valusiak, whilst two-way player Adam Barnes and former Dragons’ defenceman Ross Kennedy could also make a huge impact should they ice on Sunday. Besides the addition of these players, the Hawks have once again secured the services of experienced defenceman and Player-Assistant Coach James Neil who made his debut with the Lancashire outfit last season, racking up 6 goals and 23 assists in 34 games to finish as the Hawks’ fourth highest points scorer of their 2017-18 campaign. Also returning for another season is blue liner Luke Boothroyd who has been named captain whilst ‘D’ man Bobby Streetly and young forward James Royds will fulfil the role of alternate captains this season. Hoping to combat Blackburn’s strong leadership, Whitley will look to utilise their skill and maintain a high level of intensity throughout the game to ensure they have the best chances of victory.

Whilst a home win for Whitley would mean a great deal to players and fans alike, the Hawks will be hoping for two points to build on their current league position, the side sitting in fifth place with two games in hand on close competition Sutton Sting. With these outfits having formed a fierce rivalry in recent seasons, these fixtures often prove fast-paced and feisty and, as such, this encounter is expected to be another intriguing contest between two longstanding NIHL teams.

Fixture:    Billingham Stars vs. Sutton Sting

Date:        23^rd September 2018

Venue:     The Forum

Faceoff:  6:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking on Sutton Sting for the first time this season, Billingham Stars will prepare for a tough game with the knowledge that Simon Butterworth’s team has never been one to give up points easily. When the Stars and the Sting faced each other in their 2016-17 campaign, Sutton were able to record a victory over the Teessiders, just edging the contest by four goals to three at Ice Sheffield. The Stars, however, were keen to avoid a repeat of this result and went on to win their three remaining games against the side, managing an 8-6 win on home ice in December before triumphing 5-3 in January. Playing the side again in March, Billingham claimed a further two points against Sutton on the road in a season which saw the Sting finish sixth (just one place above the league placement playoff place) before the club requested relegation to NIHL North’s Division Two. As a result of this, Billingham will hope that this game will be one that they can control but recent results show that the Sting should not be underestimated.

Signing Swedish defenceman Jonas Fredriksson from Åmåls SK, besides adding former Sheffield Senators Dominic Martin and Craig Elliot in their efforts to strengthen their roster over the summer, Sutton have managed to hold onto influential captain Scott Morris, who achieved 71 points in 33 games for the Sting last season, as well re-signing Slovakian Stanislav Laščcek who bagged himself a hat trick against Solihull Barons last weekend. Also returning for the 2018-19 campaign is skilled prospect Joseph Colton who fulfilled the role of alternate captain for his club last season, tallying 30 goals and 47 assists in 34 games to prove impressive for his club. Amongst those Stars looking to counter the offensive presence of Sutton’s top points scorers will be Captain Michael Elder, Alternate Captain Chris Sykes and new addition Kevin Boyd. Already, Boyd has 3 assists to his name and he will look to add to this when he takes to ice against the Sting for the first time on Sunday evening. So far, Boyd appears to be an excellent acquisition for Billingham and, alongside long-serving Stars Elder, Sykes and Alternate Captain Callum Davies, will no doubt prove a real threat against Sutton’s netminder Warren Gilfoyle.

Whilst a victory for Billingham would mean that the side could extend the gap between themselves and the close competition sitting in mid-table at present, Sutton require two points to build momentum ahead of next weekend’s clash against Whitley Warriors. With the Stars and the Sting both strong outfits, this game will be a meeting between two incredibly stubborn competitors who will prepare to give their all as they strive to accomplish as much as they possibly can within Division One this season.

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

NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Round-up

Whitley Warriors conceded their fourth consecutive defeat with a 9-4 loss against Solway Sharks on Sunday.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After a promising start which saw the Warriors test Solway’s netminder Kyle Johnston on several occasions, Whitley were placed on a lengthy penalty kill which began when Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes made way for high sticks on 3:11. Killing this penalty with success, the Warriors went shorthanded for a second time when Captain Dean Holland was sinbinned for tripping just over a minute before blue liner Josh Maddock joined his teammate to serve a penalty of 2+10 for boarding. Despite their enhanced advantage, the Dumfries outfit failed to capitalise with the additional man but fought back to beat netminder Richie Lawson, although this effort was ruled out after the suggestion that the puck had been kicked into the net. Relieved, the Warriors were glad to be given the chance to open the scoring and did so, forward Shaun Kippin teaming up with Player-Coach David Longstaff to successfully thread a pass to Barnes who netted on 16:22. Doubling their lead with just eleven seconds of the first period remaining, forward DJ Good made the most of clever play from left winger Ben Campbell to provide his team with a 2-0 lead, Alternate Captain Sam Zajac also bagging an assist.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A high sticks offence against Sharks’ Alternate Captain Ross Murray in the early stages of the second period saw Holland sidelined again and Solway took just twenty seconds to capitalise on the power play through forward Rick Bentham. Immediately regaining composure, Kippin unleashed a fantastic shot which beat Johnston after receiving a pass from Zajac but, shortly after this goal, the power shifted to the Sharks when a hit from Solway’s Captain Struan Tonnar went unpunished, leading Whitley’s forward Callum Watson to instead incur an interference penalty just moments before Longstaff was made to serve a minor for charging. Scoring on the power play after Whitley returned to four men, the Sharks accomplished their second of the game on 26:50 as Bentham hit home another, though assist Lewis Baldwin was credited with the goal. Finding themselves with more possession and control than before, the Sharks equalised just after the halfway point of the game, Murray picking out young defenceman Liam Stenton who hit a long range shot from just inside the blue line to see the puck trickle beneath Lawson. Sensing that the points were there for the taking, forward Iain Bowie fired his team into the lead on 32:18 to make it 4-3 and, just over a minute later, Bentham went bar down to achieve his hat trick, youngster Lewis Houston with the assist. Conceding these goals in quick succession, the Warriors gained a 5-on-3 power play when Murray was joined by Gápa in the sin bin. Failing to make the most of this advantage, Whitley were greatly disappointed when Baldwin’s unassisted shot ended up in the back of Lawson’s net to see the visitors add to their tally whilst shorthanded. This goal brought about a change of netminder for the Warriors as Lawson was pulled from his post to allow backup Mark Turnbull some ice time. Five seconds later, Whitley’s winger Adam Perrie made an impact, bulleting the puck into the net to make it 6-4 heading into the third period. Despite this, the home side were dealt another blow before the break when Zajac was forced off the ice through injury following a spectacular defensive effort.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Though striving to close the gap between themselves and the Sharks, the Warriors struggled to maintain intensity as Watson headed to the sin bin for slashing on 42:11. Punishing their opposition with just four seconds of their advantage remaining, the Sharks achieved full control of the game, Bentham again the man on target before Gápa made it 8-4 courtesy of Bowie. Completing their scoring prior to the fifty minute mark, Solway fittingly ended with a goal from Bentham who was able to notch his fifth of the evening with support from defencemen Ben Coughtrie and Kyle Horne. Replacing Turnbull with Lawson in the process, Whitley went on to enjoy successive power plays but having lost pace in the third period, Longstaff’s line-up resigned themselves to another defeat, leaving Solway to celebrate on the final buzzer.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Speaking after this contest, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb kindly shared: “Games at Hillheads are always tough and we knew both teams wanted to get league points on the board. I thought we started okay but, as the first period wore on, we became wasteful in possession, failed to take our power play chances, made too many defensive errors and we were punished for it. We had to make a few adjustments to our system, made sure we didn’t panic and played our game. I thought we played well for forty minutes and dominated the game. I like the character we showed; we took our chances and created plenty more with our work rate. It was nice to show the depth we had. It was great for Liam Stenton to get his first senior goal and we are pleased with a good win. Everyone at the club would like to wish Sam Zajac a speedy recovery after what looked like a really sore one on Sunday night.”

Meanwhile, Billingham Stars can be pleased with their start to their NIHL North league campaign after finding themselves in fourth place following their 6-2 victory over Nottingham Lions on Sunday evening.

Taking an early lead through Captain Michael Elder who found himself on the scoresheet following neat work from Canadian Kevin Boyd and ‘D’ man Darren Stattersfield, Billingham enjoyed possession on the power play just eighteen seconds later when Lions’ left winger Ben Wood was sinbinned for interference. Unable to add to their goal count in spite of their additional skater, the Stars were handed a second chance when forward Ruskin Hughes made way for elbowing on 6:18 but the Teessiders could not beat netminder Alan Levers with the advantage. Continuing to persevere however, the Stars surpassed Nottingham’s defence once again as Alternate Captain Chris Sykes found the target, this time Boyd teaming up with experienced defenceman Richie Thornton to assist with almost three quarters of the period played. Shortly after this goal, the Lions’ discipline let them down again but, fortunately for the home team, Billingham’s power play fell short to see Nottingham head in just two goals down at the first interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The Stars returned to the ice for the middle stanza and stunned Nottingham with a third goal just thirty eight seconds in when Elder unleashed a spectacular shot courtesy of fellow forward James Moss, though this goal was mistakenly awarded to Jack Emerson. Soon after this goal, both teams ran into penalty trouble, forward Paul Stanley considered guilty of charging whilst Stars’ defenceman Andy Finn sat out for interference just over a minute later. Fifty five seconds after returning to the ice, Stanley earned himself 2+10 for boarding and the Stars were quick to punish the Lions, blue liner Ben Davison outwitting his opposition as Stattersfield and Boyd picked up their second and third assists respectively. This period more even than the first with Nottingham testing Stars’ shot stopper Mark Watson on a more regular basis, Billingham recognised that their opposition were unwilling to give up on the points and hit back with a fifth goal eight seconds before the break, Sykes snatching his second of the encounter with support arriving from Alternate Captain Callum Davies.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The score line 5-0, Nottingham were aware that they needed to respond quickly if they were to take anything from this clash and working hard to test Watson, the side reaped their rewards with a goal on 47:41, defenceman Callum Medcalf threading a pass to Hughes who hit home to chip away at his team’s deficit. Just after the halfway point in the period, Matt Bradbury’s men were given cause to hope for more out of the game when a late hit from Boyd allowed the Lions a power play. Forward Thomas Parkinson converting this advantage following creative play between Jacob Klima and Cameron Pywell, Nottingham were then awarded another power play when Stars’ defenceman Thomas Keeley was sinbinned for a late hit. This advantage increased to a 5-on-3 situation as Boyd was sidelined for high sticks, and the Lions called a timeout in an effort to go within a goal of their opposition. Despite this, Nottingham’s efforts fell short of their mark and instead, the Stars returned to full strength to add a final goal to their tally, Elder again on target as Callum Davies and Moss assisted on 56:48. Unable to come back from this, the Lions recorded a 6-2 defeat to Billingham who continue to go from strength to strength in their efforts to contend with the competition this season.

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