Weekend Preview: Match Week 26

BILLINGHAM STARS return to their quest to land the National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 title later today, but they will need an epic bounce back from last weekend’s Cup Final mauling to get past a talented Deeside Dragons outfit.

Deeside travel to the Forum today aiming to secure the points that will keep them ahead of Whitley Warriors and Hull Jets in mid table as the battle for the higher League placings hots up. Their current fourth place slot would see the Dragons able to choose when they would prefer home advantage in the playoff quarterfinals against however finishes fifth, so every point this month is critical. The Welshmen are 50/50 on the road this season but more than capable of turning on the style with talent throughout the squad. Deeside may well be able to ice Jared Dickinson this afternoon, the forward returning to the Dragons lineup after a lengthy absence following an alleged incident against Blackburn in January.

The past couple of weekends have certainly been ones to forget for the Stars, but they must refocus for today’s game and battle on with a League title on the line. If it could have gone wrong last weekend, it did – Billingham will be hoping that a season’s worth of bad luck is now behind them, however the injury list remains a long one and the Teessiders will not be able to ice a full squad today. Definitely missing this afternoon is Iain Brown, who Stars fans may not see again this season depending on how he recovers from a serious upper body injury sustained last Saturday. Shaun Galloway remains on the sidelines and Ben Greenhalgh has picked up a six-game suspension after a video review request picked up an infringement not called by the officials last weekend.

Billingham welcome Deeside Dragons to the Forum for a National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 fixture later today. Tickets are priced at £12.50 adults, £8 concessions, £38 family [2+2].

Weekend Fixtures/Results:

NIHL(N)1:

Blackburn Hawks 10 Widnes Wild 3

Whitley Warriors v Solihull Barons, Sunday 5pm

Billingham Stars v Deeside Dragons, Sunday 5.30pm

Widnes Wild v Blackburn Hawks, Sunday 6pm

Nottingham Lions v Hull Jets, Sunday 7.20pm