Weekend Roundup: Match Week 22

BILLINGHAM STARS made it 15 NIHL wins on the bounce on Sunday as they once again put Widnes Wild to the sword, netminder Mark Turnbull shutting out the Merseysiders whilst the forward lines did the business at the other end of the ice.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Although back in seventh place, Widnes had seen an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks and a closer game was expected than any of the previous three encounters between the two sides this season. Harrison Walker returned to netminding duties and a full squad arrived on Teesside with high hopes of springing a surprise. Unfortunately for the Wild, Billingham were in no mood to take it easy on them and pinned their guests into their own defensive zone for long spells as they tried to unlock Walker. Wild gifted their hosts an opportunity in the ninth minute when Bez Hughes was called for holding, and the Stars finally got the goal that seemed almost inevitable a minute later, Iain Brown keeping the puck in the offensive zone then circling back towards the net to finish the play by forcing the puck past Walker’s skate at the back post. Further indiscipline put the home side back on the power play soon after, and Rolands Gritāns took full advantage with a little over 12 minutes gone. Despite almost constant pressure, Billingham were unable to add to their tally before the first interval buzzer.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Little seemed to change in the second session, Widnes restricted to rare forays forward with any shots on target dealt with comfortably by Turnbull. The home side extended their lead in the 28th minute with their third consecutive power play marker, Jack Emerson ripping one from the circle. Gritāns one-timed his second from close range and on one knee in the 32nd minute, before a defensive error let in Alex Preston for the snipe past Walker a minute later to take the game far out of the Wild’s reach.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

A final period littered with minor penalties saw the Stars capitalise with two further power play goals, Brown tapping home at the back stick in the 52nd minute before Chris Sykes got himself on the score sheet with a shot through Walker’s skates a few minutes later. Billingham had to see off several 5-on-3 kills in the closing minutes to preserve Turnbull’s shutout, but with Widnes struggling to cause too many headaches, the buzzer sounded on a resounding 7-0 victory and the Wild probably glad to see the back of the series this season.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Mark Turnbull.

Stars Stats:

Iain Brown 2+1; Rolands Gritāns 2+0; Jack Emerson 1+1; Chris Sykes 1+0; Alex Preston 1+0; Michael Elder 0+4; James Moss 0+3; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; Callum Wilkinson 0+1

SOG: Mark Turnbull 30 (11 / 11 / 18)

Wild Stats:

SOG: Harrison Walker 50 (16 / 16 / 18)

Weekend Results:

NIHL(N)1:

Sheffield Scimitars 2 Nottingham Lions 6

Hull Jets 3 Blackburn Hawks 8

Billingham Stars 7 Widnes Wild 0

Solihull Barons 6 Deeside Dragons 3

Blackburn Hawks 6 Hull Jets 2

Nottingham Lions 4 Sheffield Scimitars 2