NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Round-up

As the 2018-19 NIHL North campaign got underway this weekend, rivals Billingham Stars and Whitley Warriors experienced very different season openers.

Putting last season behind them in spectacular style, the Stars got off to a strong start on home ice, first losing out in a 4-3 contest against defending champions Sheffield Steeldogs, before fending off a comeback from Solihull Barons on Sunday evening to claim two points on the road.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hosting the Steeldogs at The Forum on Saturday, Billingham were fired into the lead with just thirty four seconds on the clock when forward Jack Davies made the most of a neat pass from Captain Michael Elder. Though the Stars initially sought to cause problems for their opposition from the outset, the opening stages of the first period were peppered with penalties which ultimately led to Sheffield’s equaliser as new signing Nathan Salem drew level with a power play goal on 7:52 to mark his debut.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hindered by poor discipline, the Steeldogs could not regain their lead until 25:58 when Player-Coach Morgan netted on the advantage following an interference call against Lithuanian defenceman Edgar Protčenko. Less than two minutes after this goal, Sheffield’s forward Cameron Brownley was sidelined for hooking and Billingham capitalised with thirteen seconds of their advantage remaining, Alternate Captain Chris Sykes assisting Elder. Although gaining the additional man just over a minute later, the Stars were left to rue their missed chances as the Steeldogs returned to full strength to edge ahead; left winger Ashley Calvert making it 3-2 on 32:44. Realising that they must make every chance count against the tricky Teessiders, forward Andrew Hirst achieved his team’s third power play goal of the evening to present his side with a two-goal lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After the second interval, Billingham were assisted in their efforts on Dmitri Zimozdra’s net when Sheffield incurred two penalties in quick succession; blue liner Thomas Barry taking a seat for slashing just fifteen seconds before left winger Liam Charnock conceded 2+2 for tripping and crosschecking. Their five-on-three advantage extended when winger Adrian Palak made way for high sticks, the Stars seized their opportunity to claw back a goal as forward James Moss found the target on 48:47 to make it 4-3 following creative play from Sykes and goal scorer Davies. With such a narrow margin separating the two teams in the latter stages of the game, Billingham looked to convert one last power play to take the game into overtime as Salem warmed a seat in the sin bin for interference. However, despite the home team’s drive, Morgan’s men remained resolute to record a win in regular time.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia – Ian Hanlon

Travelling to Hobs Moat Road with much confidence on the back of a narrow defeat to last season’s title winners, the Stars were again first to score when Moss grabbed a power play goal on 8:23 as Barons’ Captain Josh Bruce served time for a late hit. Unable to retaliate with a goal of their own, Solihull’s frustration began to show and a slashing offence from young forward Cain Taylor prompted a fight between himself and forward Andrew Whitehouse to see both punished for fighting whilst Barons’ Alternate Captain Marcus Maynard received a penalty of 2+10 for a check from behind less than two minutes later.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The opening period a fiery one, the Stars were keen to build on their tentative 1-0 lead and did so with an unassisted effort from forward Jack Davies on 21:46. Fifty five seconds later, Billingham added a third to their tally through Protčenko but the Barons hit back against netminder James Flavell just eighteen seconds after this goal as Niklas Ottosson opted to go it alone to reduce his side’s deficit to two. Continuing to test Billingham’s defence, Solihull eventually grabbed a second as defenceman Daniel Harrison threaded a pass to Bruce who made it 3-2 to place his opposition on edge. Taking control of the game in response, the Teessiders regained their two-goal cushion thirty three seconds later, this time Sykes scoring with assists from line mates Callum Davies and Elder.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

The score line 4-2 going into the third period, Billingham did not want to let the points slip from their grasp against a team they failed to win against last season but Solihull were as equally eager to make a comeback and were handed the perfect opportunity when a slashing penalty was called against Taylor. Punishing the Stars for their misdemeanour on 42:51, Harrison printed his name onto the scoresheet as Bruce linked up with Whitehouse to assist. Running into trouble again after icing too many men, Billingham’s successful penalty kill was in vain as Solihull achieved an equaliser after their visitors’ return to full strength, forward Luke Brittle the man on target. Going all out to prevent overtime, Tom Brown’s team fired themselves into the lead courtesy of promising youngster Ethan Hehir on 51:19 which saw the upper hand shift back to the Stars. Time running out, the Barons became aware of their need to produce another equaliser so it was little surprise when tempers flared with just over three minutes of the period remaining. With several players involved in the fracas, referee Paul Brooks had his work cut out as he dealt punishments to both teams; Solihull’s Swedish forward Ottosson and Stars’ defenceman Tom Keeley incurred a penalty of 2+2 for fighting, Maynard and Jack Davies were each ejected for third man in and Moss received a match penalty for fighting. Seeing out the remainder of the game subsequent to these penalties, Billingham carried both points over the line to claim the first victory of their 2018-19 campaign.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

By comparison, Whitley Warriors suffered a double defeat over the weekend,  the Hillheads outfit beaten 8-1 by Hull Pirates on the road before recording an 8-2 loss to Telford Tigers at home on Sunday.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Making the trip to Hull Arena on Saturday evening, Whitley fell behind in the game following a goal from right winger James Archer but David Longstaff’s line-up withstood the Pirates’ early attacking play to head in at the first interval with just one goal separating the two teams. Determined to cancel out Hull’s lead, former Elite League left winger Ben Campbell snatched himself a goal courtesy of former Guildford teammate Dean Holland just under three minutes into the middle stanza. A second goal for the home team, delivered by Davies, bolstered the Pirates’ confidence and Player-Coach Jason Hewitt was able to bag himself two goals to widen Whitley’s deficit to three before the final stage of the contest. Applying pressure to the Warriors’ blue line a little after the halfway mark in the period, the Tigers then bombarded Richie Lawson’s net with three goals in less than three minutes when forward Lee Bonner successfully struck two unassisted efforts before right winger Chamberlain linked up with defenceman Chris Wilcox to allow Hewitt to secure his hat trick. As the Warriors switched netminders to hand backup shot stopper Mark Turnbull some ice time in the latter stages of the game, the puck found its way to Wilcox after a faceoff win, allowing the defenceman to make a pass to forward George Crawshaw who added one last goal to the Pirates’ tally much to Whitley’s disappointment. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Confronted with an equally challenging fixture against Telford Tigers at Hillheads on Sunday, the Warriors made use of third choice netminder Rory Dunn as a skater in an attempt to bolster their depleted line-up. Disappointing power plays in the first half of the opening stanza saw Whitley punished by Captain Jason Silverthorn who bagged his side a shorthanded goal to put the Warriors on the back foot in spite of some early attempts on Denis Bell’s net. Making amends, David Longstaff’s line-up finally capitalised with the additional man when Jack Watkins headed to the sin bin for high sticks, the home team equalising through forward Callum Watson who netted with support from Alternate Captain Sam Zajac on 15:49. Remaining composed, the Tigers reclaimed their lead through forward Scott McKenzie who scrambled the puck past shot stopper Richie Lawson after frantic play in front of the net.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Quick off the mark in the second period, Silverthorn made it 3-1 just forty four seconds in with a superb shot assisted by forward Rick Plant and defenceman Daniel Rose. Striving to battle back from this, the Warriors could not break down Telford’s creative play and conceded a fourth goal when Silverthorn rocketed a shot past Lawson to achieve his hat trick on 28:51. Replacing Lawson with backup Mark Turnbull in response to this goal, the Hillheads outfit were hit again just thirty two seconds later when Watkins fired his way onto the scoresheet to take his team’s tally to five. Struggling to get back into the game, Whitley chipped away at their deficit with a goal from Captain Dean Holland in the final minute of the period, left winger Ben Campbell carving out the opportunity to maintain possession before picking out Zajac who notched his second assist of the evening.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Despite setting out to close the gap early in the third period, Whitley found their deficit increased to four when Plant reaped the rewards of his hard work on 47:58 to put the contest well and truly out of the Warriors’ reach. Building on their 6-2 lead, Plant worked with winger Warren Tait to assist Joseph Hazeldine shortly after the side returned to full strength following a roughing call against Adam Taylor. In full control, Telford concluded their scoring just seventeen seconds later as right winger Andrew McKinney hit home to resign Whitley to another heavy defeat.

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