Weekend Roundup: Match Week 10
BILLINGHAM STARS shrugged off an extended National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 break with a four-point weekend to remain top of the table.
Basement side Sheffield Scimitars were the visitors to the Forum on Saturday evening and the Stars got off to a flyer, Michael Elder shooting from a tight angle and getting the deflection off Scimitars netminder Brandon Stones’ skate for the opener after just 12 seconds. Showing no signs of sluggishness, Billingham doubled their lead just three minutes later. Rolands Gritāns finding himself alone in front of the net, he waited for Stones to commit before going round him and backhanding into the roof of the net. Sheffield seemingly with no answer to the home side’s intensity, a soft point shot from Stuart Jackson found its way through traffic and past Stones’ skate into the far corner, the hosts 3-0 up with just over seven minutes gone. A hooking call on Joe Walls before the interval did not slow the Stars down, Gritāns with a high shot to beat Stones in the 19th minute, the short-handed effort putting the home side out of sight.
After the ruthlessness of the first twenty, the second session was an entirely different as Billingham eased off and their guests came back into the game. Sheffield were unable to find a way past Thomas Brown in the Stars net however, and the period ended without further addition to the score.
The Teessiders continued to look too comfortable in the final stanza, but were at least able to add to their tally, Gritāns with his hattrick marker on 44 minutes to ensure the points were safe.
Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Rolands Gritāns.
Stars Stats:
Rolands Gritāns 3+1; Michael Elder 1+2; Stuart Jackson 1+0; James Hellens 0+2; Chris Sykes 0+1; Thomas Brown 0+1; Lewis Hall 0+1
SOG: Thomas Brown 32 (7 / 11 / 14)
Scimitars Stats:
SOG: Brandon Stones 47 (15 / 17 / 15)
An emotional trip to Nottingham followed on Sunday as the Stars paid their respects to Adam Johnson with the laying of a wreath in Bolero Square before taking on the Lions in a late face off encounter. Billingham were relatively quick to get going once again as Gritāns picked up where he left off the previous evening with a goal in the sixth minute. The visitors struggled thereafter to get past an in-form Luca Sheldon between the Lions pipes despite dominating possession, Gritāns solitary marker all that separated the two sides at the buzzer.
The home side seemed much more switched on in the second period and were back on level terms in the 25th minute through Jack Crowston. A boarding call against Tommy Spraggon in the 34th minute was duly punished less than a minute later as Toby Fisher edged Nottingham ahead. The goal sparked the Stars back to life and a goal credited to Iain Brown in the 36th minute put the game back at all square going into the final twenty.
Clearly wanting to make sure their long trip was a fruitful one, Billingham got their noses back in front in the 42nd minute, no mistaking Iain Brown’s marker this time as the Canadian fired home the go-ahead goal. Gritāns on the powerplay in the 50th minute put a little daylight between the sides, but the Lions did not give up easily and it wasn’t until Chris Sykes fired into the empty net with Sheldon pulled in the dying seconds that the points were firmly in the Teessiders’ pocket.
Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Shaun Galloway.
Lions Stats:
Jack Crowston 1+0; Toby Fisher 1+0
SOG: Luca Sheldon 42 (19 / 14 / 9)
Stars Stats:
Rolands Gritāns 2+1; Iain Brown 2+1; Chris Sykes 1+0; Andy Finn 0+1; Shaun Galloway 0+1; Jack Emerson 0+1
SOG: Thomas Brown 15 (2 / 7 / 6)