NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 6th January 2018

Billingham Stars vs. Nottingham Lions

Solway Sharks vs. Whitley Warriors

Sunday 7th January 2018

Whitley Warriors vs. Solihull Barons

Sheffield Steeldogs vs. Solway Sharks

Telford Tigers vs. Billingham Stars

Fixture:    Billingham Stars vs. Nottingham Lions  

Date:        6^th January 2018      

Venue:     The Forum       

Faceoff:  5:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Preparing to play Nottingham Lions for the first time this season, Billingham Stars will go into this game with the belief that they can achieve two points, having claimed a 4-3 win over Blackburn Hawks last weekend. Due to a difficult start to their 2017-18 campaign, the Stars currently find themselves situated just one place above Matt Bradbury’s Lions after edging out of the league placement playoff spot last weekend. As such, Saturday’s meeting against Nottingham will be an incredibly important one for the Teessiders as they look to widen the margin between themselves and their opposition to ensure that they are not caught up in a relegation battle in the latter stages of the season. With two games in hand on the Lions, Billingham will be eager to make these fixtures count with the hope that last weekend’s victory will provide them with the momentum required to alter their fortunes, having so far recorded fifteen defeats from eighteen games.

Likewise, Nottingham Lions have managed just three wins from twenty games and have consequently found themselves constrained to the lower positions of the league table since September. Though not reflected by their present league position, the newly promoted outfit have fought hard so far this season to notch some respectable results, not least their victories over Solihull Barons, Whitley Warriors and The Dragons. As Nottingham’s encounters against the Barons and the Warriors were particularly closely contested, the Lions winning by a goal on both occasions, the Stars will be aware that Saturday’s visitors are more than capable of challenging difficult opposition, the side having demonstrated their excellent work rate throughout the first half of the season with a view to maintain it in the second. In effect, this clash will be a demanding one for both outfits as they set out to make a positive impact in their first game of the New Year and prepare to give their all to improve on their current league position. 

Fixture:    Solway Sharks vs. Whitley Warriors        

Date:        6^th January 2018      

Venue:     Dumfries Ice Bowl  

Faceoff:  7:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Set to play host to Whitley Warriors on Saturday evening, Solway Sharks will hope that they can build on last weekend’s monumental 5-4 overtime win against former EPL outfit Telford Tigers to continue to compete with those at the top of NIHL North’s Division One. Having played each other twice already this season, both sides have each taken a victory in front of their home crowd, with Whitley losing out by three goals to one at the Ice Bowl in their opening game of the season and the Sharks suffering a 4-2 road defeat at the end of October. Whilst forward Iain Bowie scored twice against the Warriors alongside Czech defenceman Marek Charvát in September and Whitley picked up a consolatory goal through Canadian import Philip Edgar, it was Sharks’ captain Struan Tonnar who opened the scoring at Hillheads a month later only for Edgar to grab two goals either side of efforts from captain Dean Holland and alternate captain Jordan Barnes. Trying to change his side’s fortunes, power forward Ross Murray sought a fight with Barnes in a bid to fire up his teammates at the end of the second period but, this tactic not having the desired effect in this instance, the Shark then turned his energy goalwards to complete his team’s scoring in the latter stages of the final stanza, though unable to change the overall outcome of the game.

Currently sitting in fourth position with twenty seven points, though having played three more games than that of Jason Hewitt’s third-placed Hull Pirates, Solway Sharks will be eager to collect as many points as possible as they continue to compete for the highest possible position in the league standings. The Warriors, meanwhile, will equally be chasing two points as Whitley strive to move ahead of the Solihull Barons prior to Sunday’s home clash against the outfit. In consequence, neither team will be prepared to lose out on the points with Martin Grubb’s Sharks aiming to take the momentum gained from last weekend’s win into this clash whereas their visitors will be eager to get back to winning ways after going two weeks without a game over the Christmas period. Meetings between these two outfits certainly have the potential to be of a fiery nature and this game may prove to be no exception as the rivals go head-to-head in what should be another highly entertaining encounter.

Looking forward to this fixture, Solway’s Head Coach Martin Grubb shared:

“Games against Whitley are always tight and I don’t expect this game to be any different. The Warriors have had a good season so far and beat us the last time we played so we will need to be ready as we look to improve on that result. We will work hard in practice, try to get some injured players fit and look for the two points.”

Fixture:    Whitley Warriors vs. Solihull Barons    

Date:        7^th January 2018    

Venue:     Whitley Bay Ice Rink     

Faceoff:  5:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Following their road trip to Dumfries on Saturday, Whitley Warriors will return to Hillheads to take on Solihull Barons for the second time this season, having endured a 5-2 road loss against the side in November. Currently just a point behind the Barons, although with the potential to be ahead of the outfit going into this fixture, Whitley Warriors will strive to take full advantage of Solihull’s recent points deduction to move into sixth place in the hope that they can continue to compete with Division One’s challenging opposition for the remainder of their campaign. In their previous encounter against the Barons, Whitley conceded a goal within the seventh minute of play but responded with an equaliser sixty four seconds later to make the clash a difficult one for the home team. The second stanza peppered with penalties, it was only in the final period that the Barons’ attacking play could really make a difference, the side scoring three goals in just under nine minutes. Though the Warriors were able to retaliate with a second goal courtesy of alternate captain Shaun Kippin, David Longstaff’s line-up were subsequently punished for pulling netminder Richie Lawson when Barons’ forward Andrew Whitehouse grabbed an empty net goal to secure his team’s victory. 

Whilst out to avenge this defeat, the Warriors will also know that this task will be no mean feat, particularly as Solihull will be aiming to recover from their recent points deduction with a win on the road. Boasting a strong roster which includes forward Thomas Soar, Swedish import Niklas Ottosson and captain Josh Bruce, not to mention Brittle brothers Luke, Daniel and Adam, the Barons continue to be tough competition despite a difficult start to the season which culminated in the departure of Head Coach Daniel MacKriel. Losing three of their last five games, Solihull will look to improve on their recent form, knowing that they are more than capable of collecting two points against the Warriors on the road this weekend, meaning Whitley will have to display the fortitude that they have shown in recent home games to ensure they triumph over their visitors.

Considering Whitley’s double header, Warriors’ player-coach David Longstaff shared:

“We face two hard games and we have most of our players playing, although some are sick so have not been training. I would expect two pretty close games, hopefully.”

  

Also, reflecting on his side’s season so far and looking ahead to Sunday’s road trip, Barons’ forward Adam Brittle acknowledged:

“We have had a mixed season so far. We strung a good run together from mid-October but performances were indifferent in December. With the controversy surrounding the Telford game behind us and a good break over Christmas and the New Year, we hope to get back to playing the way we know we can. The Warriors will be a big test of character for the team. It’s always tough going up to Whitley and this year is no different. The Warriors have improved their team again this year and ran us close on home ice so we expect Sunday to be one of our biggest challenges of the season so far. It’s always a physical, fast-paced game in a momentous rink where the fans can get right behind their team. It is up to us to make sure that doesn’t happen by eliminating the early pressure and taking our chances as they arise. To come away with anything from the Bay on Sunday, as a team, we all need to be ready from the start.”

Fixture:    Sheffield Steeldogs vs. Solway Sharks  

Date:        7^th January 2018    

Venue:     Ice Sheffield

Faceoff:  5:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Travelling to Ice Sheffield for the first time this campaign, Solway Sharks will prepare to confront the Steeldogs following November’s overtime loss to the former EPL team in which the Dumfries outfit snapped up the lead within forty six seconds through blue liner Kyle Horne, only for their visitors to snatch it back again with goals from Slovakian import Adrian Palak and forward Cameron Brownley. Equalising just over a minute after Brownley’s goal however, the Sharks were able to take the game into overtime and finally conceded defeat when skilled Slovakian Milan Kolena netted forty three seconds later. Still two points clear of Telford Tigers at the top of the table, the Steeldogs will be hoping that they can claim four points on home ice this weekend against The Dragons and the Sharks to increase this margin, particularly as close rivals Hull Pirates sit just three points behind the outfit and will also have their sights set on the top spot. 

Knowing that their loss to the Steeldogs was a narrow one when they last played the side, Solway will be spurred on with the knowledge that they are more than capable of contending against the best in the league should they play with a similar work rate to that which they exhibited against the Tigers last Saturday. Accomplishing twenty seven points from nineteen games, the Sharks will look to build on their present league position this weekend, though their opposition currently have two games in hand. With neither team ready to hand over the two points which could make all the difference when the end of the season approaches, this game is certain to be another challenging encounter for both sides as the Sharks look to bridge the gap between the former EPL outfits and the long-established NIHL teams.

Acknowledging the strengths of Sunday’s opposition, Grubb added:

“Sheffield are a team who are very strong and have lots of skill, speed and depth so we will need to execute our game plan to perfection. We proved last weekend that we can beat the ex-EPL teams and hopefully that gives us confidence as we look to compete and take the points on offer.”

  

Meanwhile, considering this clash, Steeldogs’ captain Lewis Bell admitted:

“We have had a busy schedule recently with a lot of cup fixtures in our increasingly tight group so we haven’t really been able to look too much into the future as far as fixtures go. However, as always, we are aware Solway are one of the strongest teams in the league, as seen by their recent win over Telford, so we’ll be ready for another tough, close game against them.”

  

Fixture:    Telford Tigers vs. Billingham Stars      

Date:        7^th January 2018   

Venue:     Telford Ice Rink    

Faceoff:  6:00pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After Saturday’s home clash against Nottingham Lions, Billingham Stars will prepare to make the lengthy journey to Shropshire to take on Tom Watkins’ Telford Tigers. Previously facing the outfit on home ice at the end of September, the Teessiders put up a strong fight against their visitors and subsequently found themselves unlucky to lose out to the side by a single goal. Establishing a two-goal lead in the first period, the Stars then conceded on the power play early in the second stanza before Telford equalised ahead of the interval. Though the score line was tied at 2-2 going into the third, it was not long into the final period that the Tigers took the lead for the first time in the game. Despite this setback though, the Stars remained determined to hit back with another as player-coach Michael Bowman levelled the scoring to put Telford to the test, although, in the end, this would not be enough as Billingham were disappointed to concede in the fifty second minute when forward Joe Miller made it 4-3 to secure the points for his team.  

Aware that they proved to be challenging opposition against Telford once already this season, the Stars can take encouragement from their previous performance against the Tigers in spite of their loss and will set out to make life difficult for the side in the hope that they can take something from this game. Meanwhile, Watkins’ men will be aiming for maximum points on Sunday with the objective of displacing Sheffield Steeldogs from the top spot in the coming weeks as the outfit continue to target silverware to ensure a successful season in NIHL North’s Division One. With both teams ready to battle their way to a win, it can only be hoped that this game is as entertaining as the last meeting between these two sides with much at stake at either end of the table.

Prepared for Billingham’s double header, Stars’ captain Michael Elder reflected:

“We had a great end to the year last weekend with our 4-3 win over Blackburn after a bad run of results. We know it wasn’t good enough but it was only a matter of time before we got that win we needed. We are going into this weekend with a bit more jump in our steps and things have looked good this week. Hopefully, we can start this year off the same way we ended the last one with two points on Saturday and then it’s onto a tough road game in Telford on Sunday. Who knows what can happen.”

Reflecting on last weekend’s defeat to Solway Sharks and looking ahead to Sunday’s upcoming fixture against Billingham Stars, Tigers’ forward and Player of the Month Scott McKenzie shared:

“You know what, Solway deserved to win last weekend. We weren’t at the races and got punished for a poor performance. Compared to the Southern teams, we barely played over Christmas. We got a good break and feel refreshed, ready for the rest of the season. We have a tough challenge ahead of us but of course, we are up for whatever comes our way.”

  

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

NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks bite back as Tigers take overtime loss

Telford Tigers      4

Solway Sharks         5  (OT)

Making the lengthy trip to Shropshire to take on Telford Tigers, Solway Sharks had at their disposal a strong line-up which included captain Struan Tonnar, forward Connor Henderson and young prospect Duncan Speirs whilst sturdy netminder Calum Hepburn assumed his place between the pipes ahead of young backup shot stopper Lewis Dolan. Meanwhile, Tom Watkins’ outfit boasted their usual compact but highly skilled squad as they took to the ice with Canadian captain Jason Silverthorn, alternate captain Rick Plant, retiring forward Joe Miller and former Dragons’ player-coach Scott McKenzie in their ranks.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Though finding themselves up against tough competition as they confronted former EPL side Telford Tigers, Solway were as equally determined as their opposition to find the back of the net and, as such, it was little surprise that this led to a stalemate forming in the early stages of the game with both netminders tested but neither defeated. Their work rate undeniable, Solway soon found themselves with the lead as Connor Henderson teamed up with Scott Henderson to see fellow forward Daniel Abercrombie achieve his fifth league goal of his campaign on 8:25. Just over two minutes later though, the Tigers were able to hit back as Silverthorn netted to make it 1-1 when Plant was integrated into play by defenceman Daniel Mitchell. Though the two sides continued to be very evenly matched, Telford were eager to demonstrate their edge and did so as Miller beat Hepburn on 16:59 courtesy of McKenzie. Having lost their lead, Solway then appeared to suffer a further setback when netminder Hepburn sustained an injury which prompted the physio onto the ice. Composing himself, Hepburn resumed his position for the final moments of the period which saw no further addition to the scoreboard, allowing the Tigers to head in on the right side of the 2-1 score line.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Working hard to increase their offensive play on their return to the ice, the Sharks got off to an excellent start as they looked to build pressure around netminder Denis Bell in their quest for an equaliser. However, with just under six minutes of the second stanza played, Solway found themselves shorthanded when Connor Henderson made way for roughing to see his opposition gain the advantage. Though effective on the penalty kill, the Sharks were disappointed to concede just as Henderson’s penalty terminated, Silverthorn accomplishing his second of the evening as Plant teamed up with experienced defenceman Jonathan Weaver to assist. Just twenty two seconds later though, it was the turn of the visitors to go on the power play as Silverthorn was sidelined for high sticks to award the Sharks the additional man. Taking full advantage of Silverthorn’s misdemeanour, Solway’s forward Speirs was able to beat Bell following a neat pass from captain Tonnar to take his side within a goal of the opposition. Shortly after scoring, the Sharks were forced to change injured netminder Hepburn for backup shot stopper Dolan, the youngster making his senior debut for Solway as a result. In spite of Hepburn’s injury, Grubb’s men were spurred on to draw level on 31:11, this time Connor Henderson hitting home with support from Czech import Vaclav Kolarik. The two teams continuing to compete closely in their quest for the points, both sides strove to make an impact in front of goal but it was to the Sharks’ dismay that Telford were able to find a fourth before the second interval, defenceman Adam Jones printing his name on the scoresheet after some creative play from Miller and versatile blue liner Daniel Rose on 38:40. Ahead by four goals to Solway’s three, the Tigers were aware that there was still much competition left in this game and that they would need to maintain their work rate to keep their visitors at bay.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to the ice with hopes that they could continue to contend to the high standard that they had shown in the first two periods of the game, Solway Sharks hunted for a fourth goal, all the while battling against their tough opposition as they looked to beat Bell to equalise. Unrelenting in their show of determination, the Dumfries outfit soon reaped the rewards of their resolve when left winger Steven Moore played the puck to Czech defenceman Marek Charvát who achieved his twelfth league goal of the season in the process to make it 4-4. The game tied, Telford then saw Miller go excruciatingly close as his shot was met by the post and both teams began to labour for the puck in search of a winning goal. With neither side able to find the back of the net though during a period of end-to-end hockey, the final buzzer brought with it overtime. Play rapid between zones, it was clear that the ambition to claim the winning goal had not diminished any and, though both teams showed much desire to achieve it, it was Solway who were able to grab the winner; forward Iain Bowie collecting the puck from Connor Henderson to pick out Charvát with a long range pass from the Sharks’ defensive zone which allowed the Czech defenceman to slip the puck around netminder Bell to seal his team’s 5-4 win.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Reflecting on Solway’s positive result, Sharks’ Head Coach Martin Grubb shared: “We knew going into tonight’s game that it would be very tough as Telford are highly skilled, well-coached and play at a good tempo. Getting off to a good start was important and taking the lead settled us down but then we made a couple of mistakes, were punished and found ourselves 3-1 down. We had to replace Calum Hepburn halfway through with an injury and Lewis Dolan did great on his senior debut, and this helped us get back in the game. The third was end-to-end and a good hockey game. We had to dig deep to ensure we took the game to overtime and I was delighted with how the boys played to get the win. I felt we deserved it for our work rate and discipline against a top team.”

Stars dazzle Hawks to shoot into eighth place

Billingham Stars     4

Blackburn Hawks     3

Facing off for their last game of 2017, Billingham Stars lined up with a squad of nineteen players which included top points scorer Chris Sykes, captain Michael Elder and sturdy netminder James Flavell as the Teessiders set out in search of two all-important points to end their year on a high. By contrast, Blackburn Hawks made the trip to The Forum with fifteen skaters which included forward Rick Bentham, Slovakian import Jozef Ištocy and youngster James Royds whilst player-coach Steven Duncombe opted to coach only from the bench for this fixture.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Taking to the ice for the first period, the Stars were keen to make a positive impression in front of a home crowd from the outset with the aim to move away from the league placement playoff place ahead of the New Year. With both sides working hard in the opening moments of this game to establish possession and create some chances in front of goal, it was much to Billingham’s disappointment that they were the first to fall behind as Hawks’ latest signing Kim Miettinen surpassed the Stars’ defence with 8:19 on the clock, following support from Matt Viney and Bentham. Continuing to place Flavell under a great deal of pressure, managing twenty one shots to Billingham’s eleven, Blackburn looked increasingly likely to score but were prevented from doing so by the Stars’ strong defensive work. Battling in spite of the Hawks’ plucky attacking play, it was not long before the Teessiders’ perseverance paid off, Latvian import Deniss Baškatovs finding the target on 15:23 to make it 1-1 courtesy of Sykes and defenceman Andy Finn. Spurred on by this goal, the Stars were able to double their tally just eighteen seconds later, this time forward Scott Ward netting to add to Blackburn’s woes following a pass from young forward Alex Preston. Unable to equalise before the break, the Hawks filed from the ice, trailing by this slender margin whilst Billingham were more than happy with their lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning to the ice with a determination to get back on track, Duncombe’s men set their sights on a second goal which was quickly delivered by Bentham on 21:10 after Viney worked with Royds to provide the forward with the perfect opportunity to capitalise. The score line 2-2, play began to even out with both Stars’ netminder Flavell and Hawks’ shot stopper Stuart Ashton seeing off chances from their opposition. Though the contest was now incredibly close and both teams persisted in their efforts for the points, it was the home team who were able to reclaim the lead, Preston firing past Ashton on 35:08 when youngster Ethan Hehir supplied the puck to his teammate after receiving a pass from blue liner Ben Davison. Just over a minute later, Sykes achieved his eighteenth goal of his league campaign on the breakaway assisted by player-coach Richie Thornton and Latvian defenceman Artūrs Ozols. Stunned by their sudden change of fortunes, the Hawks strove to chip away at their two-goal deficit ahead of the break but without success, allowing the Stars to file from the ice at the second interval with a 4-2 lead.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Aiming to stay ahead of the Hawks in this contest, Billingham looked to pick up from where they left off whilst Blackburn sought to increase their attacking play to recover some lost ground. This play resulting in a stalemate between the two outfits, it was not until 48:30 that the next goal was scored as the visitors notched their third of the evening through Ištocy; Bentham and forward Lee Pollitt on hand to assist on this occasion. Just over two minutes later, Ištocy then found himself sinbinned for boarding as referee Andrew Miller made his first penalty call of the game to place the Stars on the power play. Regardless of this advantage, Billingham could not capitalise and, around four minutes after his team returned to full strength, Duncombe opted for a timeout with the hope that Blackburn could draw level in the latter stages of the period. Despite the words of their player-coach though, the Hawks were unable to make the desired impact and it was to the Teessiders’ relief that the final buzzer sounded to confirm their 4-3 victory.

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

NIHL Weekend Preview

WEEKEND

PREVIEW

NIHL NORTH DIVISION 1 (MORALEE)

Saturday 30th December 2017

Telford Tigers vs. Solway Sharks

Billingham Stars vs. Blackburn Hawks

Fixture:    Telford Tigers vs. Solway Sharks

Date:        30^th December 2017  

Venue:      Telford Ice Rink

Faceoff:  5:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

After last weekend’s 5-2 victory over Billingham Stars, Solway Sharks prepare to confront former EPL team Telford Tigers for the third time this season, having so far lost out twice to Tom Watkins’ men. Following a 5-3 road defeat to the Tigers mid-September, in which Shark Iain Bowie was able to claim a hat trick against the Shropshire outfit, Solway then suffered a second loss to the side on home ice, this time conceding three unanswered goals to miss out on the points again. Over the course of these two games, Tigers’ Canadian captain Jason Silverthorn, alternate captain Rick Plant and right winger Joe Miller collectively contributed thirteen points to appear at the heart of their team’s success in these encounters. Also on the scoresheet in Telford’s first game against the Sharks was experienced defenceman Jonathan Weaver who has recently made his return to the side after a lengthy ban and he will no doubt shine again as he takes to the ice on Saturday.

The Sharks, meanwhile, will look to combat Telford’s clinical offensive play and will hope to compete as they did in their first clash with the Tigers, the Dumfries outfit having managed to bounce back from two goals down to draw level by the end of the first period before answering their opposition’s third goal to head in at the second interval with the score line tied at 3-3. Though losing out in the final stanza, the Sharks were able to compete to a high standard against the Tigers with alternate captain Ross Murray, left winger Steven Moore, defenceman Kyle Horne and Czech import Vaclav Kolarik working to assist Bowie’s hat trick. As both games concluded with respectable score lines and the Sharks avoided heavy defeats, Martin Grubb’s side will aim to make this contest a challenging one for the Tigers, knowing that if they execute more of their chances, the points could be theirs. Should this be the case, Solway will go within a point of Telford who currently sit in third place whilst a victory for the Tigers will allow the side to displace Hull Pirates from second position; the duo are currently tied on twenty eight points. As a result, this game is set to be a competitive one with much to gain for the team who is able to surpass their opposition and achieve maximum points.

Fixture:    Billingham Stars vs. Blackburn Hawks

Date:        30^th December 2017  

Venue:      The Forum

Faceoff:  5:30pm

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Facing Blackburn Hawks for the seventh time this season, having already played the Lancashire outfit four times in the NIHL National Cup competition and twice in their league campaign, Billingham Stars will take to the ice against familiar opposition in the hope that they can bring their seven-game losing streak to an end; their most recent victory a 6-5 win over Steven Duncombe’s men last month. Though the Stars have managed to claim maximum points twice against Blackburn in the cup competition, the Teessiders have yet to taste success against the Hawks in the league this season, though the side came close on the opening weekend of their campaign when they lost out by a single goal on the road. More recently, Billingham faced Blackburn on home ice and were disappointed to record a 5-3 defeat having first taken a two-goal lead. Though this encounter was certainly not short of goals, it was, however, lacking discipline as the sides racked up the penalty minutes, this physical style of play resulting in forwards Josh Nertney and Lee Pollitt dropping the gloves whilst ‘D’ men Darren Stattersfield and Bobby Streetly went on to clash in the final minute of the game.

Heading into this latest contest, both teams will aim to stay out of the sin bin to increase their chances of success. Whilst Billingham continue their search for some much-needed points to move away from ninth place and ahead of Nottingham Lions, Blackburn will equally give their all to achieve a win knowing that they could begin to push for fourth place, though this will depend on Friday evening’s result against Sheffield Steeldogs and also Solway Sharks’ performance against Telford Tigers on Saturday. Also, the Hawks find themselves ahead of sixth-placed Solihull due to the Barons’ recent points deduction, meaning Duncombe’s team will surely set out to take advantage of this latest development, besides making their three games in hand count, to ensure that they do not fall behind the outfit as they have in recent weeks. In their last four games, Blackburn’s chief points scorers have been forwards Rick Bentham, with four goals and eight assists, Aaron Davies, with a tally of three goals and four assists, and Matt Viney, with his contribution of two goals and three assists. By comparison, Billingham’s standout players have been alternate captain Chris Sykes, Latvian forward Deniss Baškatovs, captain Michael Elder and forward James Moss who, together, have delivered nine goals and eleven assists over the course of their team’s last four fixtures. As such, both teams are more than capable of posing a threat in front of goal but whether or not the Stars can match that of the Hawks will only become clear on Saturday as Billingham pin their hopes on a positive result prior to the New Year.  

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

NIHL Weekend Action

Sharks snap up victory over sinking Stars

Solway Sharks     5

Billingham Stars  2

Taking to the ice against close rivals Billingham Stars, Solway Sharks lined up with seventeen skaters which included two-way player Josh Grieveson, junior defenceman Ben Coughtrie and young forward Lewis Houston; captain Struan Tonnar and forward Scott Henderson, on the other hand, were unavailable for this encounter. The Stars, meanwhile, managed to make the trip to Dumfries with a squad of eighteen players, including youngsters James Hellens and Ethan Hehir whilst forward Josh Nertney, alternate captain Callum Davies, backup netminder Mark Watson and defencemen Andy Finn, Ross Hanlon and Thomas Keeley missed out on the clash.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Searching for two much-needed points to turn their fortunes around, Billingham set out to create an early lead and were handed the perfect opportunity when referee Robin Elliot called ‘D’ man Kyle Horne to the sin bin for tripping to see the Sharks hand their visitors a power play. Aware that this was an opportunity that they could not afford to pass up, the Stars took just twenty seconds to find the net on the advantage, captain Michael Elder beating shot stopper Calum Hepburn with less than five minutes played, courtesy of alternate captain Chris Sykes and Jack Davies. It did not take long for the Sharks to respond to this goal as the side then found themselves on the power play moments later when Stars’ forward Alex Preston made way for holding. Receiving a pass from Czech defenceman Vaclav Kolarik, young forward Daniel Abercrombie hit back with an equaliser on 6:18 to cancel out Billingham’s positive start to the game. Keen to build on this goal, Solway then added a second to their tally just forty four seconds later, this time left winger Steven Moore reaping the rewards of his hard work with support from blue liner Scott Cooper to make it 2-1 on 7:02. Chasing the game as a result of this goal, Billingham looked to bounce back with some offensive opportunities of their own and were handed the advantage once more as Grieveson found himself sidelined for slashing at the halfway point in the period. In spite of this power play though, the Stars could not convert their efforts and it was not long after that they regretted their missed chances; Solway snatching their third of the evening through Moore with 13:12 on the clock, following passing play between forward Duncan Speirs and alternate captain James Hutchinson. With the Sharks beginning to dominate in Billingham’s defensive zone, firing in eighteen shots on James Flavell’s net as opposed to the seven aimed at Hepburn, the home team continued in their efforts to extend their lead but were unable to do so ahead of the break, the interval arriving in time to see the Dumfries outfit go in on the right side of the 3-1 score line whilst Billingham filed from the ice with hopes that they were not yet out of the contest.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Returning for the second period, the Stars set their sights on the target and looked to create chances whilst Solway sought to maintain possession to remain ahead in the game. With just under six minutes of the stanza played, Speirs was made to warm a seat in the sin bin for tripping to again award Billingham the additional man but, try as they might, the Stars could not find the target and watched as their opposition returned to full strength unscathed. With play more even than that of the first period and both netminders working at either ends of the ice, the Sharks were made to wait for their next goal; Speirs eventually hammering the puck beyond Flavell on 37:49 to achieve the seventh league goal of his campaign after receiving a pass from Czech defenceman Marek Charvát who was incorporated into play by Moore. The score line 4-1, Billingham were frustrated to feel yet another game slip from their grasp and went in at the break knowing they had much work to do if they were to be in with a chance of taking anything from this clash.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson

Picking up from where they left off in the second stanza, the Sharks returned to the ice aiming to secure their lead and did so as blue liner Stuart Kerr fired himself onto the scoresheet close to three minutes in, Moore teaming up with Cooper to assist on this occasion. Frustrations beginning to show, Sykes was directed to the sin bin to serve a minor for misconduct but the alternate captain did not let this hold him back and instead channelled his energies into grabbing a goal to make it 5-2 just over the halfway point in the period with help from Elder and Latvian defenceman Artūrs Ozols. Shortly afterwards, a tripping penalty for forward Connor Henderson placed the Stars on the power play but the Sharks worked hard to kill the penalty and see off Billingham’s increasing attacking play. With the Stars beginning to lose hope as the period drew to a close, the side were handed the additional man once again as Charvát found himself sinbinned for boarding with just over a minute remaining in the game. Unable to make their efforts count, the Teessiders then opted to pull their netminder in a bid to enhance their advantage but it proved too little, too late, allowing the Sharks to celebrate their 5-2 victory when the final buzzer sounded.

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