REPORT: MATCH WEEK 6

BILLINGHAM STARS turned in two massive performances in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 at the weekend to pick up all six points on offer as they defeated League leaders Hull Jets and avenged their only loss of the season to Solihull Barons.

A trip to Humberside is a tricky one for any team in the League, Hull boasting an enviable home record over the course of the last season. Coupled with their position at the top of the table, Billingham knew they would need to be at their very best to get anything from Saturday’s game. A not-quite full strength Stars squad took to the ice to face a home roster that boasted talented Latvian Vlads Vulkanovs, and Rhys Edwards who did not travel with the National side Hull Seahawks.

Billingham got off to the perfect start. After absorbing some early pressure, the visitors began to pin their hosts back into their own zone and edged ahead in the sixth minute when captain Michael Elder, without a clear passing option, chose instead to stickhandle into a dangerous position on the near post and lift the puck over Zack Brown in the Jets net on the backhand. Hull were gifted an equaliser in the 15th minute when a missed tripping call behind Brown’s net set the Jets away on a two-on-one break, the Stars having committed too many men forward on a power play, Scott Morris with the short-handed finish. The goal only seemed to stir Billingham and they were back in front less than two minutes later, Iain Brown tapping home a Shaun Galloway rebound from close range. The Stars then extended their lead 90 seconds later, Elder collecting in the neutral zone for a two-on-one break, choosing not to use his wingman Chris Sykes and instead picking his spot over Brown’s shoulder from the top of the slot.

Billingham kept up the relentless pressure in the middle stanza and were three ahead in the 23rd minute when Brown drifted into space on the power play and rifled low past his namesake. The visitors were in full control but could only add one further marker before the buzzer, Conner McNulty knocking the puck in from close range just before the halfway point.

The third period was a little more end-to-end as Hull attempted to salvage some pride. Rolands Gritāns set up Callum Wilkinson for a tap-in in the 43rd minute before Vulkanovs finally got himself on the score sheet a minute later. Gritāns was on the receiving end of the set-up dead on 50 minutes as he finished James Moss’ pass, but the last word went to the hosts as Edwards tipped home on the power play in the 53rd minute to make the final score 3-7, an unexpectedly comfortable win in a rink that few take points from.

Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Iain Brown.

Jets Stats:

Rhys Edwards 1+0; Vladislavs Vulkanovs 1+0; Scott Morris 1+0; Boris Giba 0+2; Ethan Daintith 0+1; Kieran Beach 0+1

SOG: Zack Brown 38 (17 / 10 / 11)

Stars Stats:

Iain Brown 2+0; Michael Elder 2+0; Conner McNulty 1+2; Rolands Gritāns 1+0; Callum Wilkinson 1+0; James Moss 0+2; Tommy Spraggon 0+2; Joe Dowdle 0+1; Shaun Galloway 0+1; Lucas Dowdle 0+1

SOG: Jacob Hammond 24 (8 / 5 / 11)

Back at the Forum on Sunday, the Stars had to do without Conner McNulty who was needed back at Kilmarnock Thunder, whilst Solihull turned up with a full bench looking for a repeat of their victory in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago.

It looked as though the hosts may be in for a long night as the Barons opened the scoring in the fourth minute, an unfortunate bounce in the neutral zone giving the visitors numbers and that man Niklas Ottosson was on hand for the tip in at the far post. Caught on the offensive in the ninth minute, Billingham fell two behind as high man Ottosson made no mistake. A response was needed before the game got away from them, and Sykes found the smallest of spaces over Solihull netminder Graham Laverick’s shoulder in the 11th minute to pull one back on the power play.

A three-goal blast in the space of less than two minutes in the second period turned the game on its head. A rocket from Ben Greenhalgh in the 28th minute to level the game started the sequence, swiftly followed by a glorious snipe from Gritāns. Sykes picked his spot from the face off to make it 4-2 and the shellshocked Barons were looking at damage limitation as the home side threatened to run riot.

Sykes’ hattrick came in the 46th minute, his third just as accurate as the previous two lasers. Solihull very briefly threatened a comeback when Alex Whyte struck in the 49th minute, but Joe Dowdle was awarded the hosts’ sixth 90 seconds later to restore the advantage. James Hellens blasted into the bottom corner in the 54th minute before Brown kept up his scoring streak when his 57th minute effort bobbled over the line to complete a highly satisfying win and maximum points from two of the expected challengers for silverware.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Chris Sykes.

Stars Stats:

Chris Sykes 3+2; Iain Brown 1+1; Rolands Gritāns 1+0; Ben Greenhalgh 1+0; James Hellens 1+0; Joe Dowdle 1+0; Michael Elder 0+4; Lucas Dowdle 0+2; Callum Wilkinson 0+1

SOG: Jacob Hammond 38 (10 / 9 / 19)

Barons Stats:

Niklas Ottosson 2+1; Alex Whyte 1+0; Dan Mulcahy 0+1; Phil Mulcahy 0+1

SOG: Graham Laverick 42 (13 / 14 / 15)

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1 Saturday:

🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 2️⃣ - 8️⃣ Deeside Dragons 🐉

✈️ Hull Jets 3️⃣ - 7️⃣ Billingham Stars 💫

⚔️ Leeds Knights 2 5️⃣ - 2️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾

🦁 Nottingham Lions 0️⃣ - 4️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅

NIHL N1 Sunday:

🐉 Deeside Dragons 9️⃣ - 1️⃣ Sheffield Scimitars 🗡️

🏹 Whitley Warriors 9️⃣ - 2️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾

💫 Billingham Stars 8️⃣ - 3️⃣ Solihull Barons ⚜️

🦁 Nottingham Lions 4️⃣ - 9️⃣ Hull Jets ✈️

Jets Stats:

Stars Stats:

Stars Stats:

Barons Stats:

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1 Saturday:

NIHL N1 Sunday:

PREVIEW: MATCH WEEK 6

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