NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Round-up

Billingham Stars suffered a 5-1 road defeat to Sutton Sting on Saturday to remain in eighth place with six points from eight league fixtures. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking to the ice with a short bench of fourteen skaters, the Stars immediately found themselves challenged by Simon Butterworth’s twenty-man squad as the Sting went ahead in the contest with just 1:32 played; defenceman Jordan Griffin beating netminder James Flavell with support from forward Dominic Martin and Captain Scott Morris. Troubled by Sutton, the Stars found few opportunities to challenge shot stopper Warren Gilfoyle before incurring the first penalty of the game when blue liner Ben Davison was sinbinned for a slashing offence. Though unable to capitalise on this power play, Sutton doubled their lead thirty five seconds after Davison’s return to the ice when Morris netted following quick work from Martin and young forward Joseph Colton. Billingham were then awarded a power play on 19:13 when Sting’s Alternate Captain Craig Elliot was shown to the sin bin for tripping. Failing to capitalise, the Teessiders were punished when Elliot returned to the ice thirty eight seconds later to assist Slovakian Stanislav Lašček alongside defenceman Craig Wallis. A tripping call against Stars’ Captain Michael Elder then saw Sutton fritter away their second power play but the side added to the scoreboard again on 31:06 when versatile left winger Ryan Johnson achieved his fifth goal of the season; Elliot teaming up with Lašček for a second time to make a positive impact. The score line 4-0, Billingham replaced netminder Flavell with backup Mark Watson but Sutton scored a fifth just seventy five seconds after this switch, Lašček on target for a second time as Elliot linked up with Johnson to achieve his third assist of the game. Matters were made worse for Billingham when blue liner Darren Stattersfield sat out for interference just over two minutes later but, killing this penalty, the Stars then gained a power play when Griffin was punished for crosschecking on 37:36. Thirty one seconds before Griffin’s return to the ice, Sutton lost Elliot to the sin bin following a holding sticks offence. Momentum gallowed Elder to grab a goal for the Stars after building momentum early in the final stanza but it proved to be little more than a consolation, the scoreboard reading 5-1 when the final buzzer sounded.

Meanwhile, the weekend was a positive one for Solway Sharks who were able to achieve a 3-2 overtime victory over Whitley Warriors to keep pace with Sheffield Steeldogs at the top of the table.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Finding themselves up against Whitley’s strong line-up, the Sharks were made to pay for their failed attempts when Warrior DJ Good surpassed netminder Kyle Johnston on 6:11 following creative play from skilled left winger Ben Campbell. Though continuing to trouble Solway in this opening period, the Warriors lost Good to the sin bin on 16:52 to hand the home team a power play. However, maintaining Whitley’s offensive threat whilst on the penalty kill, Campbell reaped the rewards of his hard work with a shorthanded goal to present his team with a 2-0 lead before the first interval. During a goalless second period, Whitley’s defenceman Ross Connolly picked up 2+2 for crosschecking and interference fifty seven seconds into the middle stanza whilst Canadian Phil Edgar sat out for delaying the game on 30:20 to allow Solway the additional skater on two occasions but, struggling to beat shot stopper Richie Lawson, the Sharks headed in at the break on the wrong end of the 2-0 score line once again. Determined to alter their fortunes in the third stanza, the Dumfries outfit made a strong start when youngster Lewis Houston halved his team’s deficit after skilled play from fellow forwards Joe Coulter and Iain Bowie on 41:38. Beginning to test Lawson on a more regular basis, it was clear that the Sharks were growing into the game so it was little surprise when the side equalised with less than five minutes remaining, this time Captain Struan Tonnar finding Bowie who executed perfectly to push the game into overtime. With play even after the sixty-minute mark, Canadian Cale Tanaka pounced on Whitley’s stray pass on 63:13 to find forward Rick Bentham who fired home to secure maximum points for his side.

Speaking after this game, Head Coach Martin Grubb kindly shared his thoughts on the contest: “We knew this would be a difficult game and I thought Whitley started better than us and took their chances that came when were wasteful, especially on the power play. We started getting better near the end of the second but we had to make some changes to our systems in the third and the players stayed patient and executed to ensure we found a way to win. We needed to show some real character against a good team and I told the players we had to make sure we found a way to get the points and credit to the boys for sticking with the process.”

Achieving a point from this overtime loss, Whitley then accomplished their first home victory of the season on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Solihull Barons to earn themselves a three-point weekend.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

When a crosschecking penalty for Phil Edgar presented the Barons with a power play early in the first period, Solihull capitalised eighteen seconds before Whitley returned to full strength, forward Matthew Maurice slotting home following a neat pass from Slovakian Filip Supa. Killing David Longstaff’s interference penalty shortly after this goal, the Warriors began to gain momentum to test netminder Sam Hewitt but, despite their many attempts, Whitley failed to level the score line before the first interval. As both teams ran into penalty trouble early in the middle stanza, the Warriors were only able to find the net on 36:57 when Latvian defenceman Rolands Gritāns hit a low blue line shot to Hewitt’s left to make it 1-1. Unable to respond to this, the Barons began to let their frustrations show and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for Solihull’s Alternate Captain Marcus Maynard on 40:00 presented Whitley with the power play they needed to double their lead, this time Gritāns assisting Alternate Captain Sam Zajac who flicked the puck into the net with just thirty three seconds of the third period played. With the Warriors relentless in offence, the Barons opted for a timeout on 49:53 and returned to the ice with renewed vigour to place Whitley under pressure, though the home team continued to persevere in their quest to gain a two-goal lead. With time beginning to run out, Hewitt joined his team on the bench in place of an additional skater as Solihull sought to take the game into overtime. Despite this, the Barons were met with some frantic defending from the Warriors who eventually achieved the third goal they had been searching for when Zajac played the puck to Campbell who fired into the empty net to put the final result beyond doubt.

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

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 27th October 2018

Solway Sharks vs. Whitley Warriors

Sutton Sting vs. Billingham Stars

Sunday 28th October 2018

Whitley Warriors vs. Solihull Barons

Fixture:    Solway Sharks  vs. Whitley Warriors

Date:        27^th October 2018

Venue:     Dumfries Ice Bowl

Faceoff:   7:00 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Hosting Whitley Warriors at the Dumfries Ice Bowl for the first time this season, Solway Sharks will head out with the knowledge that they can defeat the Hillheads outfit after recording a 9-4 road victory over David Longstaff’s men last month. Also winning both home fixtures against the Warriors in their previous campaign, Solway will aim to maintain good form in front of their home crowd, having so far won three of the five league games they have played at the Ice Bowl this season. On the second weekend of their 2017-18 season, Solway worked hard to secure both points against the Warriors, achieving a 3-1 victory over Whitley in what was a closely contested encounter. This was then backed up by a second home win for the Sharks in January in which Solway triumphed by seven goals to three in another hugely entertaining fixture between two strong competitors. However, Whitley also recorded home victories over the Sharks in October and February, first succeeding against their visitors by four goals to two before collecting both points from a 3-1 win. Going into this game on the back of last Sunday’s 11-0 cup victory against Murrayfield Racers, having also defeated Billingham Stars on Saturday, Solway will hope to maintain this momentum to further their current league position as they continue to contend with former EPL outfits Telford Tigers, Sheffield Steeldogs and Hull Pirates at the top of the table. The Warriors, meanwhile, head into this fixture after a 9-1 away victory over Nottingham Lions, having only picked up points on the road to date. As such, Whitley have been most dangerous away from home and will look to avenge last month’s defeat to the Sharks to ensure their progression continues. 

Boasting a strong line-up following the addition of left wingers Cale Tanaka and Peter Gápa, defenceman Lewis Baldwin and forward Rick Bentham, Martin Grubb’s men will seek to gain as many points as possible in their quest for silverware success now that they find themselves in third place with just one point separating them from top spot. With this quartet contributing 44 points to Solway’s league effort so far, Whitley will certainly have their work cut out and that is without considering the impact of skilled Shark Steven Moore who has scored 5 goals and tallied 11 assists in 8 league fixtures to prove highly effective once again. The Warriors, on the other hand, will be hoping to triumph over the Sharks on the road with their last win at the Dumfries Ice Bowl recorded on the 23^rd January 2016 in what was an incredibly close 2-1 victory for Whitley. Aiming to approach this game with intensity and discipline, Longstaff’s line-up will be relying on top goal scorer Ben Campbell to find the net on Saturday whilst defenceman Sam Zajac and forwards Callum Watson, Shaun Kippin and DJ Good will all look to contribute where possible to ensure this fixture is a difficult one for Grubb’s highly competitive side.

Whilst two points for the Sharks could see Solway leap to the top of the table alongside Sheffield should the Steeldogs defeat Nottingham Lions on Sunday, a loss would cause the Dumfries side to remain level on points with fourth placed Hull Pirates who do not have a league fixture this weekend. Likewise, a win for Whitley would enable the Hillheads outfit to stay ahead of Sutton Sting and Billingham Stars, meaning the Warriors will do everything within their power to be hailed the victors in this contest.

Fixture:    Sutton Sting vs. Billingham Stars

Date:        27^th October 2018

Venue:     Ice Sheffield

Faceoff:  7:30 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia – Ian Hanlon

Billingham Stars will make the trip to Ice Sheffield on Sunday to take on Simon Butterworth’s Sutton Sting for a second time this season, having lost 6-3 to the newly promoted side at The Forum a month ago. Due to the fact that they fell behind just fifty four seconds into this contest and were unable to recover, the Stars know that they will face a challenge on the road this weekend, not least because both teams currently find themselves with six points at present, although Billingham do have two games in hand on the Sting which they will hope to make the most of in the coming weeks. Maintaining discipline will be important for both teams, with six power play goals scored in the sides’ last encounter, four of which were conceded by the Stars. Struggling for form of late, Billingham have lost their last five games in all competitions, with their most recent victory an 8-4 win over tenth-placed Nottingham Lions. Requiring a win to get back on track, the Teessiders will set out to avenge their previous defeat against the Sting but this will be difficult as Sutton continue to surprise this season, accomplishing victories against Solway Sharks and Solihull Barons besides putting up a fight against Blackburn Hawks, Whitley Warriors and Sheffield Steeldogs in recent weeks. 

At present, Sutton’s most influential player is Slovakian right winger Stanislav Lašček who currently has 13 points from 9 league games whilst Alternate Captain Craig Elliot, forward Dominic Martin and versatile left winger Ryan Johnson all continue to impress in offence. Similarly, Billingham’s Alternate Captain Chris Sykes also has 13 points but tallied over the course of 7 league games, whilst Canadian Kevin Boyd is another of the Stars’ most creative players, notching 6 goals and 3 assists in just 5 league games. Situated in eighth place at present, the Stars are just two points ahead of Steven Duncombe’s Blackburn Hawks. As such, Billingham will search for a win to better their recent form. By comparison, Sutton’s mixed results suggest that the side will perhaps have more confidence heading into this fixture, not only due to September’s win over the Stars, but because the side have shown a fantastic work ethic in their efforts to challenge any outfit in NIHL North’s Division One. With both requiring two points to progress, the battle to be the best team on the night could be a fierce one and, though expected to be a close game given the sides’ current league positions, Sutton’s unpredictability could make this an uncomfortable encounter for the Stars, meaning the visitors will have to give their all to return home with a win.

Fixture:    Whitley Warriors vs. Solihull Barons

Date:        28^th October 2018

Venue:     Whitley Bay Ice Rink

Faceoff:  5:00 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Preparing to host Solihull Barons on Sunday evening, Whitley Warriors will take to the ice in search of their first home victory, having failed to pick up a single point at Whitley Bay Ice Rink so far this season. Setting out to avenge last month’s 4-3 overtime loss to Daniel Brittle’s men, the Warriors know that they have the ability to push the Barons to their limits, after making a comeback from 3-1 down in their previous fixture against the side. After taking the lead through forward Andrew Whitehouse with just over five minutes played, Solihull were disappointed to see Whitley achieve an equaliser courtesy of skilled forward Callum Watson and battled back early in the second period as Swedish import Niklas Ottosson and two-way player Matthew Maurice scored within sixty nine seconds of each other to present the Warriors with a two-goal deficit. Determined to fight for the points however, Whitley achieved two power play goals in the latter half of the third period to make it 3-3, taking the game into overtime as a result. Though defeated as forward Adam Brittle fired past netminder Richie Lawson with just seven seconds remaining, the Warriors were pleased to take something from the game after a difficult start to their season and they will look to better this performance at Hillheads on Sunday evening, having suffered a bad run of form on home ice of late.

Winning three league games from the eleven they have played to date, the Warriors will need to work hard against the Barons who currently sit one place above David Longstaff’s line-up with four regulation wins and an overtime victory to find themselves with 10 points from 10 games. Heading into this game on the back of defeats to former EPL outfits Hull Pirates and Telford Tigers, Solihull will prepare to pick themselves up with a successful road trip on Sunday. However, as the Barons are currently the second most-punished team in NIHL North’s Division One, maintaining discipline will be essential when they take to the ice on Sunday evening, having already conceded 15 power play goals; more than any other team in the league at present. By comparison, Whitley have shown excellent discipline, tallying just 154 PIMs in 11 league games and the side will therefore hope that this will be reflected in the score line on Sunday, having yet to reap the rewards of their hard work this season.

Having played just one less game than the Barons, Whitley will target maximum points on Sunday night to keep pace with Solihull who are only 3 points ahead of the Warriors at present. As such, the Barons will set out to increase the margin separating them from Whitley this weekend but this will not be an easy task with games between these sides often hard-fought.

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

NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Roundup

Solway Sharks accomplished a convincing 5-1 victory over Billingham Stars at the Dumfries Ice Bowl on Saturday evening to slip into third place, just one point behind current league leaders Telford Tigers.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia – Ian Hanlon

Shortly after faceoff, Solway were handed a power play when Billingham’s defenceman Andy Finn was sidelined for crosschecking and the Sharks made the most of their additional skater with just ten seconds of their advantage remaining, Slovakian Peter Gápa punishing the Star’s misdemeanour alongside left winger Steven Moore and forward Iain Bowie. With both netminders facing their fair share of shots, the Teessiders looked to get back on level terms when Sharks’ defenceman Michael Thomson received a minor for crosschecking but, as Solway remained strong on the penalty kill, Billingham were only able to find an equaliser forty three seconds after the Dumfries outfit returned to full strength, Lithuanian Edgar Protčenko netting after neat work from forward James Moss and Alternate Captain Chris Sykes. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Heading in at the first break with a goal apiece, the outfits returned to the ice with the same aim but it was the home team who were able to fire themselves into the lead courtesy of Bowie as Gápa turned assist alongside forward Joe Coulter on 23:18. With the Sharks taking control to pepper Billingham’s netminder James Flavell with shot after shot, the side finally broke down the Stars’ defence to make it 3-1 in the final two minutes of the second period, this time defenceman Lewis Baldwin and Canadian Cale Tanaka working together to assist Moore. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Having only registered four shots on Kyle Johnston’s net in the middle stanza, Billingham were keen to improve when they faced off for the third period and did so, challenging the Sharks’ defensive unit more frequently than before. However, Solway also had numerous chances to extend their lead further but allowed the visitors a power play when Alternate Captain Ross Murray was sinbinned for elbowing Protčenko on 49:29. Despite this, Solway battled against their opposition to ensure they did not concede and, just twenty four seconds later, the Sharks achieved a shorthanded goal when Moore linked up with Tanaka to make it 4-1. The game beginning to take its toll on the Stars, defenceman Matthew Campbell incurred a match penalty for fighting after his failed attempt to provoke Murray. This allowed Martin Grubb’s men to capitalise on the power play when blue liner Stuart Kerr passed to forward Scott Henderson who added a fifth goal to the Sharks’ tally. Disheartened, Billingham could not bounce back from this, even when Tanaka was shown to the sin bin for hooking to allow the Stars the additional skater on 56:20. The game all but over, Solway saw out the last moments of the encounter with confidence as a result of their 5-1 lead but Billingham completed the game with one less skater as defenceman Darren Stattersfield was made to sit out for roughing with just ten seconds left to play.

Whilst Solway sit in third place with twelve points from eight fixtures, the Stars find themselves in seventh, having notched three victories in seven games to remain level on points with Sutton Sting.

Meanwhile, Whitley Warriors achieved their third victory of the season on Sunday with a 9-1 win over Nottingham Lions at the National Ice Centre.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After taking the lead through Latvian defenceman Rolands Gritāns just forty eight seconds after faceoff, Whitley Warriors dominated and doubled their tally when winger Adam Perrie fired the puck top corner from the Lions’ goal line after hard work from forward Callum Watson on 5:19. Whilst a slashing penalty for versatile defenceman Phil Edgar presented Nottingham with a power play, Matt Bradbury’s men were unable to make the most of their additional skater as Whitley cleared their lines effectively to protect shot stopper Richie Lawson. The Warriors then added a third shortly after returning to full strength when Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes beat Nottingham’s netminder Alan Levers to make it 3-0, clinical play in the Lions’ defensive zone resulting in forward Shaun Kippin playing the puck from behind the net to assist his line mate.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Handed a power play early in the second period when Lions’ forward Paul Stanley made way for a tripping offence on 24:05, the Warriors added a fourth goal to Nottingham’s deficit when Edgar rocketed a shot beyond Levers after collecting the puck from Alternate Captain Sam Zajac in Whitley’s defensive zone. Both teams then ran into penalty trouble as Captain Dean Holland was sinbinned for a late hit before Nottingham’s Joseph Gretton made way for roughing. Eventually restored to full strength, the Warriors continued to search for a fifth goal and came close when forwards Watson, Kyle Ross and Niall Ryder teamed up to force a save from Levers. However, as play halted, a fight broke out between Barnes and Gretton which saw a furious exchange of punches before the Warrior pulled the Lion to the ice. Twenty nine seconds after these players received 2+2 for fighting, David Longstaff’s men made it 5-0 as long-serving forward DJ Good linked up with left winger Ben Campbell who achieved his second goal of the game. Though Whitley continued to attack, penalties disrupted the flow of play for both teams, meaning neither side could find the net in the latter stages of the middle stanza.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Rewarded another power play when Lion Marc Levers headed to the sin bin for slashing on 42:05, Whitley punished Nottingham’s misdemeanour with a goal as Kippin converted a slick pass from Edgar to make it 6-0 less than four minutes in. Thirty six seconds later, Campbell utilised his skill to outmanoeuvre Nottingham’s defence and achieve his second of the game following hard work from Holland and Ross. Calling a timeout on 44:25, the Lions opted to switch netminder Levers with sixteen-year-old backup Massimo Agostini whilst the Warriors allowed second choice Jordan Boyle some ice time in place of Lawson. Moments later, Watson went toe-to-toe with defenceman Callum Medcalf and conclusively defeated his opponent before both players were sinbinned for fighting; Captain Elliot Perrin also receiving a ten-minute misconduct penalty in the process. These penalties were closely followed by a clipping offence from defenceman Kieran Raynor on Ross which saw him ejected from the game to award Whitley a five-minute power play. Making the most of this opportunity, Campbell completed his hat trick after a precise pass from Player-Coach David Longstaff just past the halfway point in the stanza. A holding penalty for Nottingham’s blue liner Jamie Hovell then extended the Warriors’ advantage to allow Campbell to achieve his third consecutive goal of the period with an assist from Gritāns. Leaving it late to beat Whitley’s defence, the Lions were finally able to register a goal with just thirty one seconds remaining as top points scorer Ruskin Hughes capitalised on the hard work of Marc Levers with assistance from Czech forward Jakub Klima.

The score line 9-1, Whitley now sit in sixth place with seven points from eleven games whilst the Lions remain at the foot of the table, having yet to pick up a point from the ten fixtures they have played so far.   

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

       

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 20th October 2018

Solway Sharks vs. Billingham Stars

Sunday 21st October 2018

Nottingham Lions vs. Whitley Warriors

Fixture:    Solway Sharks  vs. Billingham Stars

Date:        20^th October 2018

Venue:      Dumfries Ice Bowl

Faceoff:  7:00 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Preparing to host Billingham Stars at the Dumfries Ice Bowl following last weekend’s 5-3 road win against the Teessiders, Solway Sharks will look to utilise momentum gained in their most recent victory to continue their progression in the league. Having so far lost twice to the Stars in September’s cup fixtures, Solway are more than aware of the threat that Billingham pose but, having already taken steps to avenge these defeats, Martin Grubb’s men will seek further retribution in front of their home crowd on Saturday evening. Their first result of October a 5-3 cup win against Blackburn Hawks, Solway then achieved a hard-fought 6-3 road victory over Nottingham Lions before finding themselves on the wrong end of the same score line against Sutton Sting. As such, the Sharks are placed second with ten points from seven games, just two points behind current league leaders Hull Pirates who do not play their next league fixture until 4^th November. This presents Solway with the chance to go top of the table if they can keep pace with close contenders Sheffield Steeldogs who, level on points with the Sharks, have two games in hand. Billingham, by comparison, find themselves in seventh place with six points from six games, having won just one game this month. Defeating Nottingham Lions by eight goals to four on home ice, the Stars have since suffered three consecutive losses, enduring cup defeats to former EPL outfits Sheffield Steeldogs and Telford Tigers before missing out on two points to Solway last Sunday. In consequence, the Stars will be just as eager to improve on recent form as Solway will be to build on their previous league win.

In spite of the Stars’ loss to Solway last Sunday, young forward Ethan Hehir was able to shine against the Sharks, bagging himself 2 assists to take his tally to 4 points in 5 league games. Similarly, Billingham’s current top points scorer Chris Sykes demonstrated his offensive ability with a goal and an assist whilst Lithuanian defenceman Edgar Protčenko managed the same feat in his effort to get his team back on track in what was a difficult contest. Hoping to improve on last weekend’s performance, the Stars will set out to make the most of their goal scoring prowess but Solway will ensure that Billingham will not go unchallenged as Sharks Rick Bentham, Scott Henderson and Steven Moore will look to impress once again, the trio having collectively contributed 4 goals and 3 assists in their most recent encounter with the Stars. Likewise, young forward Lewis Houston also made a positive impact, assisting both Captain Struan Tonnar and Bentham to facilitate his team’s victory. With little separating the close rivals of late, this game promises to be another highly competitive clash.

Whilst a win for Solway would ensure that they at least go level on points with league leaders Hull Pirates, the Stars require two points to go ahead of Sutton Sting. As such, neither team will want to miss out on the chance to advance in the NIHL North standings with such fine margins between league positions at present.

Fixture:    Nottingham Lions vs. Whitley Warriors

Date:        21^st October 2018

Venue:     National Ice Centre

Faceoff:  5:30 pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing off against Nottingham Lions on Sunday evening, Whitley Warriors will prepare for a testing fixture against Matt Bradbury’s men with the knowledge that their visitors will more than put up a fight in their quest for the points. Making the step up to NIHL North’s Division One last season, the Lions proved difficult competition for many teams, including David Longstaff’s line-up who were one of three outfits to concede defeat to the side. Nottingham’s final league position in March was certainly not reflective of the Lions’ determination and perseverance and, as such, Whitley will be more than aware of the difficulties of the clash awaiting them. Winning three of four games against Nottingham last season, the Warriors accomplished a 4-1 win over the side in September which was backed up with a 5-2 road victory one month later. Events took an unexpected turn however, when the Lions troubled Whitley at Hillheads last November, the side battling back through Alternate Captain Marc Levers and forward Joseph Aston after the Warriors had taken the lead through Canadian forward Philip Edgar in the fourth minute of play. Disappointed to lose both points to the newly promoted outfit, the Warriors then made amends for their performance with a more convincing 5-0 victory against Nottingham in February. Consequently, the Warriors’ 3-2 loss against the Lions will serve as an important reminder as to the challenges that their opposition will pose ahead of this encounter as they set out in search of another two points. 

Besides recruiting several key players this summer, including Czech forward Jakub Klima, netminder Ashley Smith and former Hawk Thomas Parkinson, the Lions also secured the re-signing of influential top points scorer Ruskin Hughes and fellow forward Cameron Pywell who, together, have accomplished 11 goals and 8 assists in 9 league games to date. Though the Lions have yet to achieve a point so far this season, Bradbury’s side will surely feel that they have a chance of contending for their first league points in front of their home crowd on Sunday, having recorded far narrower defeats to Billingham Stars and Solway Sharks in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Warriors will seek a win to build on their latest road performances which have seen Whitley take a point from Solihull Barons in a 4-3 overtime loss before recording a 4-1 victory over Sutton Sting and a 4-2 win over Steven Duncombe’s Blackburn Hawks. These their only points of the season so far, the Warriors cannot afford to allow the Lions to gain the upper hand in this game if they are to progress this season.

Whilst a win would see the Warriors distance themselves from ninth-placed Blackburn Hawks who do not have a league fixture this weekend, Nottingham will search for two points in their efforts to move away from the foot of the league table in the coming weeks. Likely to be another hard-fought battle between two tough teams, this game will no doubt prove to be another interesting match-up, not least because last season’s unpredictable encounters between these outfits showed that tenacity and a strong work ethic can get results, both of which these teams continue to exhibit in spite of their current league positions.

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

NIHL North

NIHL Weekend Round-up

Solway Sharks made up for Saturday’s 6-3 home defeat to Sutton Sting with a 5-3 victory over Billingham Stars at The Forum on Sunday.

Playing host to Simon Butterworth’s Sutton, Martin Grubb’s men found themselves greatly challenged by the Sting who matched the Sharks from the outset. With both netminders Jordan McLaughlin and Warren Gilfoyle equally tested for much of the first period, Solway were only able to take the lead on 17:34 when young forward Scott Henderson skated straight down the wing after picking up the puck in the Sharks’ defensive zone to beat Gilfoyle with a low shot stick-side. However, the opposition would not be outdone and retaliated thirty nine seconds before the first interval as forward Dominic Martin made the most of a pass from Captain Scott Morris to level the scoring.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

A slashing offence from Alternate Captain Ross Murray resulted in a successful penalty kill for Solway early in the second stanza and the Sharks were handed an advantage of their own shortly afterwards when Sutton’s Latvian defenceman Niks Veiss earned himself 2+10 for a check from behind on 27:26. Stamping out the Sharks’ power play, the Sting returned to full strength with renewed vigour and beat McLaughlin, this time defenceman Craig Wallis capitalising on the hard work of fellow ‘D’ man Peter Tóth and Alternate Captain Stanislav Lašček. This goal was closely followed by a penalty for Gilfoyle which provided Solway with an opportunity to build momentum on the power play and Slovakian Peter Gápa slotted home shortly after the visitors returned to full strength to make it 2-2 ahead of the final period.

After returning to the ice, forward Scott Henderson received an interference penalty to hand Sutton the power play they needed to regain their lead on 43:18, Alternate Captain Craig Elliott snatching a goal following link-up play between Morris and left winger Ryan Johnson. This goal sparked an immediate response from the Sharks who equalised just fifteen seconds later when Captain Struan Tonnar slapped the puck high into Gilfoyle’s net after hard work from youngster Lewis Houston and forward Rick Bentham. Undeterred by this minor setback, the Sting were spurred on by their ability to compete with Solway and, continuing to show resilience, the visitors fired themselves ahead yet again when Martin achieved his second goal of the game with a superb unassisted effort to surpass McLaughlin who was subsequently switched with shot stopper Kyle Johnston on 47:47. Scoring their fifth goal of the contest just fifty four seconds later when Martin teamed up with youngster Joseph Colton to assist Morris, Sutton prompted a timeout from the home team but it was not long after resuming play that Houston headed to the sin bin for a late hit. Awarded a power play as a result, Butterworth’s men made it 6-3 with just eleven seconds of their advantage remaining, Elliott bagging his second goal of the evening following a precise pass from Lašček. A clipping penalty for Tóth moments after this goal made no difference to the score line as Solway failed to punish the blue liner for his offence. Unable to battle back from this despite their best efforts, the Sharks saw out the final two minutes of the game shorthanded as Solway resigned themselves to their 6-3 defeat.

Aiming for a quick recovery subsequent to this loss, the Sharks travelled to The Forum to take on Billingham Stars who only had thirteen skaters at their disposal; two less than that of their visitors. However, this did not prevent the Stars from achieving a lead early in the first period, as Alternate Captain Chris Sykes teamed up with youngster Ethan Hehir to help Canadian Kevin Boyd onto the scoresheet with just under five minutes played. A holding sticks penalty for forward James Moss presented Solway with the power play they needed to level the scoring, Rick Bentham equalising courtesy of fellow forwards Scott Henderson and Connor Henderson. Eager to regain their lead, the Stars netted their second of the evening just past the midpoint of the period, this time Hehir assisting Lithuanian defenceman Edgar Protčenko after an initial pass from blue liner Darren Stattersfield to allow Billingham to file from the ice with a narrow 2-1 lead at the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Failing to capitalise on Protčenko’s hooking penalty as the middle stanza unfolded, Solway continued to search for a second equaliser and achieved it on 26:24 as Bentham turned assist for Scott Henderson alongside hardworking Alternate Captain Ross Murray. It took just sixty seconds for the Stars to retaliate however, as Sykes made it 3-2 following build up play from young defenceman James Hellens and Protčenko. Shortly after this goal, Solway were handed a power play but again struggled to beat netminder James Flavell to miss out on the chance of a third equaliser. With the period in its final stages, both teams ran into penalty trouble as a slashing penalty for Alternate Captain Michael Bowman was followed by a hooking penalty for experienced defenceman James Hutchinson twenty nine seconds later. This punishment did not hinder the Sharks though as Captain Struan Tonnar drew level on 37:19 to make it 3-3 after a neat pass from forward Lewis Houston.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Incurring a penalty six seconds before the second interval when blue liner Stuart Kerr received a minor for slashing, Solway began the third and final period on the penalty kill but this made little difference to the Dumfries outfit who gained the lead for the first time in the contest as left winger Steven Moore collected the puck from ‘D’ man Kyle Horne to achieve a shorthanded goal. The momentum with Solway as they piled the pressure onto shot stopper Flavell, the Sharks established a two-goal lead on 45:26 to bewilder Billingham as forward Rick Bentham capitalised on clinical play between forwards Scott Henderson and Houston to leave the Stars chasing the game. With just over half of the period played, defenceman Andy Finn picked up a penalty to see the home team go shorthanded but Solway could not extend their lead further in spite of their advantage. It was not long after the Stars returned to full strength though that Sharks’ Slovakian left winger Peter Gápa was sent to the sin bin. However, Billingham’s ‘D’ man Stattersfield soon followed suit to put the Stars on the back foot once again. With time running out for the Teessiders, the outfit endured a further setback when Sykes was sidelined for tripping, the only consolation being that Solway’s defenceman Kerr was simultaneously punished for a dive. Having had seventeen shots to Billingham’s seven in this period, Solway saw out their 5-3 victory with success to move into second place with ten points from seven league games. Billingham, by comparison, sit in seventh place with six points from six games.

Last but not least, Whitley Warriors lost out to Telford Tigers for a third time this campaign on Sunday evening with a 7-1 defeat at Hillheads.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Though posing a real threat to Telford’s sturdy netminder Denis Bell in the opening minutes of the first period, Whitley went unrewarded for their efforts as the Tigers took the lead, clinical passing between Alternate Captain Jonathan Weaver and winger Warren Tait resulting in a goal for forward Jack Watkins on 5:15. The Warriors again throwing themselves into offence, left winger Ben Campbell continued to combine with forwards Callum Watson and Kyle Ross but Whitley were perplexed once more when Canadian Doug Clarkson doubled his side’s lead with assistance from right winger Andrew McKinney and young defenceman Joseph Hazeldine. Offered some reprieve with a power play when Watkins tripped Kippin on 13:13, the Warriors could not hit back with a goal and it was not long after Telford’s return to full strength that the side believed that they had added a third to their tally when the puck clipped the metalwork. No goal given, the Tigers did not give up and Clarkson made it 3-0 on 18:37, McKinney assisting alongside forward Adam Taylor on this occasion.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Resuming play in the second period, the Tigers appeared to be the stronger of the two teams and it showed when Captain Jason Silverthorn punished a defensive error to assist youngster Daniel Mitchell. A fifth goal soon followed as Clarkson played a precise pass to McKinney who fired beyond Jordan Boyle to see the netminder replaced by fellow shot stopper Richie Lawson on 27:21. When Telford failed to make the most of a tripping penalty against Latvian Rolands Gritāns just over two minutes later, play switched in Whitley’s favour as the side bombarded Bell’s net; defenceman Liam Smedley trying his luck with a blue line shot whilst Captain Dean Holland worked with Campbell to create chances. Following these efforts, Kippin fired the puck wide of its mark and Sample chased down Watson’s rebounded effort at the end of the second period to come close to scoring.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Fifty five seconds into the third period, Telford made it 6-0 as Clarkson achieved his hat trick with a shot from Whitley’s goal line to beat Lawson from a tight angle. A bench minor for too many men less than four minutes later provided Whitley with a power play but the Warriors were only able to open their account on 51:02 when Kippin found the target courtesy of Player-Coach David Longstaff who played the puck into the centre of Whitley’s offensive zone to find his line mate; Alternate Captain Jordan Barnes also assisting. Despite their best efforts to add a second to their tally, the Warriors’ attempts were not enough to surpass Bell and the Tigers rounded off their scoring with Clarkson’s fourth of the evening which was calmly slotted past Lawson on 58:51 to confirm Whitley’s 7-1 defeat.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

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