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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