REPORT: MATCH WEEK 19

BILLINGHAM STARS put Sheffield Scimitars to the sword in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 on Saturday, a 1–15 rout showing the League’s basement side no mercy as Billingham’s short bench ran riot.

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

Less than three lines were available for the first game of 2025 at IceSheffield, the Stars missing several key players as they sought to keep the momentum going from a double derby victory weekend in the festive break. The home side caught their guests cold and were off the mark with just 18 seconds on the clock, Aiden Dancer with a perfect shot from the high slot over the shoulder of Billingham netminder Mark Turnbull. But as has proved to be the case so often this season, that was as good as it got for the opposition as the Stars moved up a gear and were level before the three-minute mark, Iain Brown with a wrist shot into the top corner to give Scimitars goaltender Scarlett Richardson no chance. Two goals in the sixth minute gave Brown a hattrick in 2 minutes 45 seconds and already the match felt beyond the hosts. Rolands Gritāns fired home a power play marker in the seventh minute, then the period was rounded off in the 19th minute by Chris Sykes who’s assist on the first goal put him in second place on the all-time Billingham points leaderboard.

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

There would be no let-up in the middle session for the beleaguered Scimitars. Sykes tapped in his second at the far post after being set up by Gritāns in the 23rd minute, then less than two minutes later the puck deflected off James Moss’ skate for 1-7. Both sides changed their netminders either side of the halfway mark, Jack Wakefield replacing Turnbull in the 28th minute before Nick Winters came on for Richardson in the 33rd minute. A nice finish from Gritāns in the 38th minute saw Winters picking the puck out of the back of his net for the first time, the period just 11 seconds from the buzzer when Ben Greenhalgh rifled home number nine.

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

The Stars added a further six to their tally in the final stanza. Sam Dowd went high in the 47th minute before Gritāns secured his hattrick with a one-handed goal three minutes later. Brown fired into the middle of the net in the 53rd minute, then Moss blasted a one-timer between the post and Winters’ arm two minutes later. Gritāns and Greenhalgh netted one apiece in the closing minutes, a 1-15 final score beefing up the goal difference whilst – most importantly – clinching three more points and keeping Billingham’s lead at the top of the table at 12.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Sam Dowd.

Scimitars Stats:

Aiden Dancer 1+0; Simon Williams 0+1; Joe Matthewman 0+1

SOG: Scarlett Richardson 26 (18 / 8); Nick Winters 28 (7 / 21)

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 4+3; Iain Brown 4+0; James Moss 2+4; Chris Sykes 2+4; Ben Greenhalgh 2+1; Sam Dowd 1+2; James Hellens 0+3; Michael Elder 0+2; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; Shaun Galloway 0+1; Darren Stattersfield 0+1; Callum Wilkinson 0+1

SOG: Mark Turnbull 9 (8 / 1); Jack Wakefield 6 (2 / 4)

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1 Saturday:

🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 1️⃣ - 1️⃣5️⃣ Billingham Stars 💫

✈️ Hull Jets 6️⃣ - 1️⃣ Whitley Warriors 🏹

🦅 Blackburn Hawks 🔟 - 2️⃣ Deeside Dragons 🐉

NIHL N1 Sunday:

🏹 Whitley Warriors OFF Blackburn Hawks 🦅

⚜️ Solihull Barons OFF Deeside Dragons 🐉

🐾 Widnes Wild OFF Nottingham Lions 🦁