Weekend Roundup: Match Week 13

BILLINGHAM STARS had perhaps their best weekend of the season thus far in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 as they put their nearest title rivals to the sword.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

Second-placed Solihull Barons were the visitors to the Forum on Saturday, a top-of-the-table clash predicted to be close. Keen to assert their authority early, the hosts got the breakthrough they wanted with just 73 seconds played, Chris Sykes beating Barons netminder Graham Laverick down low from a face off in the offensive zone. Solihull showed that they had come to battle however as they more than matched their opponents, Sam Chandler firing over a crowd and goaltender Thomas Brown for a deserved equaliser in the 12th minute. Billingham were sparked back to life and regained the lead three minutes later when Rolands Gritāns eventually beat Laverick after several kick saves. A Stuart Jackson bullet from the point with less than two minutes remaining to the buzzer provided a little breathing space going into the second session.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

In a scrappy middle period, Billingham repeatedly fell foul of the officials and were forced to kill a run of five penalties. It wasn’t until the dying seconds that James Hellens found the roof of the net from close range with the Stars on a rare power play to extend the lead.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

The home side stepped on the gas in the final stanza, Gritāns rifling home in the 42nd minute when there appeared to be little threat from the Latvian. In the 45th minute, Sykes found himself in the perfect position on the back stick to receive the pass from Gritāns and tap into a largely unguarded net. Undoubtedly the goal of the game came three minutes later as Gritāns backhanded through his legs and into the roof of Laverick’s net for his hat trick. Alex Preston rounded off the Stars’ scoring in the 52nd minute, his tight angle shot going in off Laverick’s skate. That prompted the Billingham bench to swap in Mark Turnbull for Thomas Brown, and he could do little to stop a late consolation blasted home by Bailey Challans. 8-2 the final score, more importantly two points to extend the gap over the chasing pack.

Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Tommy Spraggon.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 3+1; Chris Sykes 2+4; James Hellens 1+0; Stuart Jackson 1+0; Alex Preston 1+0; Michael Elder 0+6; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; Joe Dowdle 0+1; Jack Emerson 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 26 (9 / 11 / 6); Mark Turnbull 3

Barons Stats:

Sam Chandler 1+0; Bailey Challans 1+0; Brandon Anderton 0+1; Matt Maurice 0+1; Daniel Haid 0+1; Jordan Jolly 0+1

SOG: Graham Laverick 39 (17 / 15 / 7)

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

A trip to Hillheads is no longer one that the Stars dread, however a tough encounter against Whitley Warriors was expected on Sunday, in the event it did not work out that way. Travelling up the A19 with defenceman Patriks Grigors back in the squad and cover in the form of debutant Chris Lutz, Billingham started the game on the front foot and sought to dominate their local rivals. Controlling possession, it took until the eighth minute for the visitors to open the scoring, Adam Finlinson providing the power play opportunity with a cross checking infringement and Michael Elder forcing the puck home just seconds into the penalty. Two minutes later a horror show in defence for the home side allowed a quick-thinking Jack Emerson to poke the puck under Warriors netminder Ryan Wardell for the second. Content to play possession hockey, the Teessiders moved further ahead with under two minutes left in the first period, a shot in from Lewis Hall on the goal line rebounding in off Wardell’s skate.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Whatever was said in the home side’s dressing room in the interval was nullified in the first minute of the second session as Gritāns fired home from the first attack following the opening face off. The hosts responded and battled to find a breakthrough, restricting Billingham to few quality opportunities until the final two minutes when former Whitley man Gritāns flicked the puck high into Wardell’s net on the backhand from close range.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Gritāns’ second hat trick of the weekend was secured with another wonderful goal in the 46th minute, a breakout move finished one-handed after pulling Wardell across his crease. Warriors finally got on the scoresheet through a Harry Harley slapshot on the power play in the 48th minute, but the Stars were not quite done and Sykes slapped home – similarly on the power play – in the 54th minute to restore the six-goal advantage. A dreadful evening for the hosts was summed up with a little over three minutes to play when a mistake from Wardell let in Iain Brown to put the puck into an empty net on the wraparound, 1-8 the final score in a very one-sided local derby.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Rolands Gritāns.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Warriors Stats:

Harry Harley 1+0; Kyle Ross 0+1; Adam Finlinson 0+1

SOG: Ryan Wardell 37 (12 / 12 / 13)

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 3+0; Chris Sykes 1+3; Jack Emerson 1+1; Michael Elder 1+1; Lewis Hall 1+0; Iain Brown 1+0; Tommy Spraggon 0+2; James Hellens 0+2; Joe Walls 0+1; Thomas Brown 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 25 (8 / 7 / 10)

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1:

Billingham Stars 8 Solihull Barons 2

Whitley Warriors 1 Billingham Stars 8

Solihull Barons 5 Hull Jets 3

Widnes Wild 2 Deeside Dragons 4

Blackburn Hawks 8 Nottingham Lions 4