Weekend Roundup: Match Week 5

BILLINGHAM STARS skated out on home ice in National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 for the first time in six games on Sunday evening but could not overcome a determined Blackburn Hawks unit, going down 3-5.

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Still without Thomas Brown, Patriks Grigors and Callum Wilkinson, and with Rolands Gritāns unavailable, Billingham welcomed back Jack Emerson from injury and Andy Finn after a considerable break from hockey. In front of a large crowd, a tight first twenty ensued with chances for both sides but Mark Turnbull and Ben Keddie in the opposite net stood firm until the always dangerous Tate Shudra finally unlocked Turnbull with less than two minutes to go with a shot from the circle into the top corner.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

Blackburn were quicker out of the blocks going into the middle session and doubled their advantage with less than two minutes played as Charles Phillips put away a Josh Crawley rebound with Turnbull a little slow to react. The Stars needed a response but were hampered by a hand pass minor dished out to Joe Dowdle in the 26th minute. Chris Sykes snatched his opportunity however, breaking from the defensive zone and skating clear of the chasing pack to finish high past Keddie blocker side to narrow the gap. The home side were back on level terms in the 33rd minute, Ben Greenhalgh with his second in two games when he was given time to pick his spot from just inside the blue line. Billingham then moved ahead a few minutes later, James Moss threading his way through the Hawks defence after an Iain Brown set-up and tapping through the five-hole. Blackburn should have been all square in the 37th minute but Turnbull made a magnificent double save to keep his side in front. It would not be for long however, Hawks scoring a shorthanded goal of their own with mere seconds left on the clock, a two-on-one breakaway sniped into the roof of the net by Shudra to leave the teams with everything to play for in the final stanza.

Credit: Dave Arrowsmith

The third period was tight as neither side wanted to give away chances that might prove fatal to their hopes of snatching the game. With the match so finely poised, it would take something special to get past either netminder and so it proved, Phillips’ shot from the point in the 57th minute flying past a screened Turnbull to nudge the visitors ahead. Desperate to force the game into overtime the Stars pulled Turnbull but lost possession when Michael Elder’s stick was slashed out of his hands in the neutral zone, Shudra skating in unchallenged for an empty net goal and his hat trick marker with 31 seconds remaining.

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

Credit: Colin Edwards, CJE Photos

Stars Stats:

James Moss 1+1; Ben Greenhalgh 1+1; Chris Sykes 1+0; Iain Brown 0+2

SOG: Mark Turnbull 44 (11 / 17 / 16)

Hawks Stats:

Tate Shudra 3+1; Charles Phillips 1+1; Josh Crawley 1+0; Jacob Lutwyche 0+2; Aaron Davies 0+1; James Riddoch 0+1

SOG: Ben Keddie 52 (10 / 24 / 18)

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1:

Hull Jets 3 Blackburn Hawks 2

Deeside Dragons 6 Sheffield Scimitars 0

Billingham Stars 3 Blackburn Hawks 5

Solihull Barons 3 Hull Jets 0

Widnes Wild 5 Whitley Warriors 2