Weekend Roundup: Match Week 18
BILLINGHAM STARS got the new year off to the best start in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 as they eased to a 2-6 win on the road at Sheffield Scimitars on Saturday.
Credit: Dave Arrowsmith
Billingham were able to ice a squad almost at full strength as James Moss and Rolands Gritāns made welcome returns. A sizeable contingent of travelling Teessiders saw the Stars take control from early in the game, but a lack of quality in front of Nick Winters’ net thwarted their attempts to make the pressure count. That was until the 15th minute, when Tommy Spraggon fed Chris Sykes who fired home from close range to move the visitors ahead, a second assist on the goal going to netminder Thomas Brown. Two minutes later a speculative wrist shot from Iain Brown at the top of the circle found it’s way through a crowd and into the roof of the net to give Billingham a two-goal cushion at the break.
Credit: Dave Arrowsmith
The hosts needed an early response and they got it less than two minutes into the second session through Jacon Brammer perfectly placed on the back stick to convert on the power play. Unfortunately for Sheffield the goal kicked their guests into another gear and the following minutes saw some of the Stars most impressive plays of the season. Iain Brown bagged his second bang on 26 minutes with a highlight reel marker in the top corner from out wide. Jack Emerson popped up in the 27th minute to register the fourth before two goals either side of a Scimitars timeout in the 29th minute saw the home side chasing shadows. First Sykes finished a spell of total dominance with Billingham camped out in the Sheffield end, then Moss poached a goal on his return finishing another slick passing move. The Scimitars were able to capitalise on another power play in the 36th minute when Thomas Dermott rifled home from the dot in the 36th minute, but the period belonged to the Stars and the gap at the interval looked insurmountable.
Credit: Dave Arrowsmith
Perhaps guilty of coasting the final twenty, Billingham lost their momentum and seemed content to pass the puck around rather than make many concerted efforts at goal. They were able to give Jack Wakefield the final ten minutes between the pipes, but with no further additions to the score line, the match ended 2-6 with another two points in the Billingham bag.
Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Alex Preston.
Credit: Dave Arrowsmith
Scimitars Stats:
Jacob Brammer 1+0, Thomas Dermott 1+0; Tyler Nixon 0+1; Sam Rodgers 0+1
SOG: Nick Winters 19 (12 / 7); Hayden Oates 21 (10 / 11)
Stars Stats:
Iain Brown 2+1; Chris Sykes 2+0; James Moss 1+0; Jack Emerson 1+0; Tommy Spraggon 0+2; Rolands Gritāns 0+1; Thomas Brown 0+1; Michael Elder 0+1; Callum Wilkinson 0+1; Alex Preston 0+1
SOG: Thomas Brown 13 (6 / 5 / 2); Jack Wakefield 3
Credit: Dave Arrowsmith
Weekend Results:
NIHL N1:
Sheffield Scimitars 2 Billingham Stars 6
Hull Jets 6 Widnes Wild 3
Blackburn Hawks 5 Deeside Dragons 7
Whitley Warriors 5 Sheffield Scimitars 2
Deeside Dragons 6 Blackburn Hawks 3
Solihull Barons 6 Widnes Wild 5 (after overtime)
Nottingham Lions 3 Hull Jets 4 (after overtime)