REPORT: MATCH WEEK 29

BILLINGHAM STARS have a new National Ice Hockey League Moralee Division goal in sight after taking six points from Deeside Dragons over the weekend, a potential new League record of wins in a season now a possibility.

A short-benched Billingham travelled over to North Wales on Saturday with a busload of supporters following behind to celebrate the first game as newly crowned League champions. With the defensive unit missing key players, Tom Wakefield was drafted onto the blue line, a position that he has filled for the Buccaneers when required. The Stars seemed to have left their shooting sticks on the coach in the first period, despite having good opportunities to score they found themselves two behind at the interval as first Alex Parry in the 11th minute and then James Parsons in the 16th minute gave the home side the early lead.

Billingham’s usual slick passing game clicked within the first minute of the second session, Rolands Gritāns finding the back of the net to get the visitors under way. Matt Croyle in the Deeside net was certainly busier and needed to be on his game to keep the Stars at bay, but the hosts’ resistance was finally broken in the 36th minute when a loose pass from a Dragons defenceman left Chris Sykes and Iain Brown free out front, Sykes sliding the puck across to Brown for the one-timer at the far post.

Billingham did what they have done all season long in the 47th minute, a quick brace breaking the home side’s spirit as Michael Elder and then – just eight seconds later – Brown doubled up the Dragons. Callum Wilkinson was perfectly placed to capitalise on the rebound on the power play in the 51st minute, then Elder rounded off an excellent trip out for the large travelling contingent when he squeezed his effort in at the far post in the 54th minute, 2-6 the final score.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Tom Wakefield.

Dragons Stats:

James Parsons 1+1; Alex Parry 1+0; Charles Phillips 0+1; Ross Kennedy 0+1; Jake Witkowski 0+1

SOG: Matt Croyle 40 (13 / 17 / 10)

Stars Stats:

Iain Brown 2+2; Michael Elder 2+1; Rolands Gritāns 1+1; Callum Wilkinson 1+0; Chris Sykes 0+4; James Moss 0+1; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; James Hellens 0+1

SOG: Jacob Hammond 44 (16 / 12 / 16)

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Back at the Forum for the first home game since the Moralee Cup final, Deeside arrived with a short bench themselves whilst Billingham were able to welcome back Stuart Jackson from Great Britain bandy hockey action. A home crowd starved of hockey for three weeks was treated to a goal fest as the Stars ran riot. Conner McNulty got the scoring underway in the eighth minute on the penalty kill, combining with James Moss to strip the defence of the puck in the zone and Moss stick handling to feed McNulty for the low backhand past Croyle. Less than two minutes later, Lucas Dowdle put a Shaun Galloway rebound into an unguarded net before the Dragons pulled one back in the 13th minute, Jake Witkowski given too much room on the breakaway to beat Jacob Hammond stick side. The pendulum swung back the way of the hosts in the 15th minute, Elder speeding down the right wing and squaring to Brown who one-timed under Croyle. A quick reaction goal with 23 seconds left made the score line more comfortable as Moss batted in a McNulty effort that came back off the plexi behind the net.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

The second session turned into the Iain Brown show as he equalled the League scoring record in the 25th minute with the last touch to convert on the power play. A rare moment of joy for Deeside in the 26th minute, Garry Simpson with a nice finish for their second of the game, but the puck would be heading into Brown’s collection as he was fed by Sykes for the breakaway and far corner finish in the 27th minute that sealed his place in history – a hat trick on the night and his 66th goal of the season. A three-on-one breakout in the 28th minute saw Lucas Dowdle feed Galloway for the seventh before Charles Phillips pulled one back in the 31st minute. The Stars were not done however, a Sykes backhand in the 33rd minute seeing the end of Matt Croyle before Brown beat new goaltender Phil Pearson for his fourth of the game and 100 League points in the 36th minute.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

The game over as a contest, the third period was just a matter of how many more could Billingham rack up. Gritāns was quick off the mark with a power play rebound effort just 12 seconds into the session. Jared Dickinson notched a power play marker from the blue line in the 46th minute, but less than two minutes later the rare sight of Darren Stattersfield powering forward on the penalty kill saw his determination rewarded as his second attempt to get a shot off beat Pearson for a short-handed goal. Hammond gave way for Jack Wakefield to get some minutes between the pipes with seven minutes remaining. Stattersfield bagged his second – and doubled his season’s goal tally – in the 54th minute, a goal assisted by Sykes for his 100 points, before Gritāns whipped in the 14th goal for the home side in the 56th minute. There was time left for Witkowski to grab a consolation effort in the 58th minute, but the 14-5 final score told its own story as the Stars made it 32 wins from 35 League games played.

Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Darren Stattersfield.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Stars Stats:

Iain Brown 4+2; James Moss 2+1; Rolands Gritāns 2+1; Darren Stattersfield 2+0; Chris Sykes 1+6; Conner McNulty 1+2; Shaun Galloway 1+1; Lucas Dowdle 1+1; Michael Elder 0+4; Tommy Spraggon 0+2; James Hellens 0+2; Callum Wilkinson 0+2

SOG: Jacob Hammond 46 (18 / 15 / 13); Jack Wakefield 7

Dragons Stats:

Jake Witkowski 2+1; Garry Simpson 1+1; Charles Phillips 1+0; Jared Dickinson 1+0; James Parsons 0+2; Dalton Thompson 0+1; Michael Clancy 0+1; Ross Kennedy 0+1

SOG: Matt Croyle 30 (12 / 18); Phil Pearson 22 (6 / 16)

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1 Saturday:

🐉 Deeside Dragons 2️⃣ - 6️⃣ Billingham Stars 💫

🏹 Whitley Warriors 3️⃣ - 1️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾

⚔️ Leeds Knights 2 0️⃣ - 4️⃣ Hull Jets ✈️

NIHL N1 Sunday:

🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 3️⃣ - 8️⃣ Solihull Barons ⚜️

💫 Billingham Stars 1️⃣4️⃣ - 5️⃣ Deeside Dragons 🐉

✈️ Hull Jets 7️⃣ - 5️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾

🦅 Blackburn Hawks 7️⃣ - 1️⃣ Whitley Warriors 🏹