Weekend Roundup: Match Week 3

BILLINGHAM STARS racked up the miles over the weekend as their five-game stint on the road continued with tough trips to Blackburn and Solihull in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

Saturday’s encounter over the Pennines saw the Stars come up against a Blackburn Hawks outfit looking to maintain an unbeaten start to the season handed to them by a 5-0 award for the previous weekend’s game at Solihull, the Barons having iced a suspended player to wash out their victory. The first minute saw two big chances for the home side go begging, but they did not have to wait much longer to see the opening goal as Bobby Streetly’s top shelf effort opened the Hawks’ account in the third minute with Billingham looking towards the referee for a tripping call on Joe Walls that never came. The Stars were back on level terms in the sixth minute, a surge from the defensive zone by Tommy Spraggon whose drop pass was blasted home by James Moss. The visitors moved ahead in the 16th minute as Rolands Gritāns found the top corner despite pressure from his marker. The period was to end honours even however, Adam Barnes sniping one past Thomas Brown in the Stars net as the Billingham defence gave the former Leeds Knight far too much room to pick his spot.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

It was the home side who found the net first once again in the middle session, Tate Shudra breaking down the left wing and beating Brown on the fly in the 24th minute. The lead lasted ten minutes as Billingham piled on the pressure, eventually the second line combined perfectly for Shaun Galloway to finish and set up a tense final twenty.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

The Stars were quick off the mark in the final period, Joe Dowdle firing into an empty net with Blackburn netminder Ben Keddie prone just 26 seconds into the session. Billingham falling somewhat bizarrely foul of the referee far more than their hosts, Jacob Lutwyche made it all square on the powerplay in the 43rd minute. But the Stars were not to be denied, and Gritāns sniped what proved to be the game winner past Keddie’s blocker in the 47th minute to send both points back to Teesside and a large contingent of travelling fans home happy.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

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

Hawks Stats:

Tate Shudra 1+2; Jacob Lutwyche 1+0; Bobby Streetly 1+0; Adam Barnes 1+0; James Riddoch 0+2; Matthew Cross 0+1; Charles Phillips 0+1; Davids Jurinenoks 0+1

SOG: Ben Keddie 34 (12 / 13 / 9)

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 2+0; James Moss 1+1; Joe Dowdle 1+0; Shaun Galloway 1+0; Chris Sykes 0+2; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; Stuart Jackson 0+1; Iain Brown 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 43 (16 / 13 / 14)

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

Sunday’s long bus trip to the Midlands would prove to be just as close. As the previous evening, Billingham found themselves on the back foot early on as Daniel Mulcahy opened the scoring for the home side in the sixth minute. A niggly first stanza was characterised by a litter of minor penalties, and with ‘bus legs’ also not helping, the Stars could not find a response before the buzzer.

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

An early interference call against Chris Sykes got the second session started in the wrong way for the visitors, however Billingham built their momentum once back at full strength and got their just reward when James Moss bagged the equaliser in the 26th minute. Their joy was to be short lived as long-time nemesis Niklas Ottosson moved the hosts back in front just four minutes later, but the Stars’ reply was much quicker this time as Sykes levelled the game back up a few minutes later. Billingham’s penalty woes continued and – as Lewis Hall sat out a tripping minor – Solihull took full advantage as Richard Crowe notched a powerplay marker in the 36th minute. The second session ‘finished’ with 1:53 remaining due to an injury to Thomas Brown, thankfully this did not prove serious and Brown was able to return to the ice. Once the game got back underway, the Barons extended their lead with Mulcahy’s second of the evening with 65 seconds of the second period left on the clock.

Credit: Keith & Jenny Davies

The third session began immediately after the buzzer sounded for the official end of the second period once the teams had changed ends, Chances had been few and far between throughout and so it proved in the final twenty. Although Sykes bagged his second with 11 minutes left to narrow the gap, Billingham could not find the equaliser and Solihull held out for the win.

Man-of-the-Match for the Stars was Thomas Brown.

Barons Stats:

Daniel Mulcahy 2+1; Niklas Ottosson 1+2; Richard Crowe 1+1; Philip Mulcahy 0+3; Jacob Smith 0+1

SOG: Graham Laverick 39 (13 / 10 / 16)

Stars Stats:

Chris Sykes 2+0; James Moss 1+0; Shaun Galloway 0+1; Rolands Gritāns 0+1; Michael Elder 0+1; Stuart Jackson 0+1; Iain Brown 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 36 (14 / 14 / 8)

 Weekend Results:

NIHL N1:

Blackburn Hawks 4 Billingham Stars 5

Hull Jets 4 Deeside Dragons 1

Sheffield Scimitars 3 Solihull Barons 5

Whitley Warriors 4 Widnes Wild 1

Deeside Dragons 2 Whitley Warriors 4

Nottingham Lions 3 Sheffield Scimitars 4

Solihull Barons 4 Billingham Stars 3

Widnes Wild 0 Blackburn Hawks 5