Weekend Roundup: Match Week 19

BILLINGHAM STARS made it three out of three derby wins this season in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1, ensuring top spot in the Moralee Cup qualification table with a 6-1 win over Whitley Warriors on Sunday in front of a full house at the Forum.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Both sides at approaching full strength and the Warriors on a high after securing a challenge series win over Edinburgh Cpaitals the previous evening, a closer tie than the two at Hillheads was expected. It looked like ‘business as usual’ for the home side in the opening stages however, as the Stars piled on the pressure and forced some early saves from Whitley netminder Dean Bowater. The breakthrough took some time to come, but inevitably it eventually came in the 12th minute, Iain Brown firing past the glove of Bowater to edge the hosts ahead. The goal sparked a response from the Warriors who started to make their physical presence known. The visitors got the equaliser in controversial fashion in the 15th minute, captain Michael Elder taking a forearm to the face from an offensive zone face off that went unpunished. Play moved immediately to the other end of the ice as Elder got off, and Jamie Ord was perfectly placed to pot home a loose puck out front.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Billingham moved up a gear in the second session and got the go-ahead goal in the 24th minute when Bowater gave up a big rebound that fell to Rolands Gritāns on the back stick for an easy tap-in. Just two minutes later Bowater dropped a shot at his feet and Elder was on hand to poke it under him for the third. The Stars were now in full control but could not add to the score line until the 38th minute when Gritāns broke clear at the blue line and put the puck into the top corner on the backhand for another highlight reel goal.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

The hosts never looked in danger of giving up a three-goal lead but still looked keen to make the game safe. They were made to wait until the 51st minute, Jack Emerson going bar down from the top of the slot with Jordan Barnes sitting out an interference call. Billingham finished the game in style, birthday boy Shaun Galloway shooting through traffic over a prone Bowater to round off the scoring in the 56th minute for 6-1 and another Teesside win in this season’s North East series.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Jack Emerson.

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 2+1; Michael Elder 1+1; Shaun Galloway 1+0; Jack Emerson 1+0; Iain Brown 1+0; Chris Sykes 0+2; James Moss 0+1; Andy Finn 0+1; James Hellens 0+1; Callum Wilkinson 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 33 (9 / 11 / 13)

Warriors Stats:

Jamie Ord 1+0; Jordan Barnes 0+1; Rihards Grigors 0+1

SOG: Dean Bowater 41 (10 / 20 / 11)

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1:

Hull Jets 4 Sheffield Scimitars 2

Widnes Wild 5 Solihull Barons 3

Deeside Dragons 2 Widnes Wild 5

Billingham Stars 6 Whitley Warriors 1

Nottingham Lions 2 Blackburn Hawks 3