Weekend Roundup: Match Week 6

BILLINGHAM STARS got back on the bus for a first National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 trip of the season to Widnes Wild on Sunday, and their clinical finishing was rewarded with a comprehensive 1-9 victory to remain at the top of the table.

Travelling to Merseyside bolstered by the return of Rolands Gritāns and netminder Thomas Brown, the Stars were quick off the mark with captain Michael Elder sniping the opener just 39 seconds into the game. That advantage was doubled in the tenth minute, Alex Preston getting the better of Wild goaltender Harrison Walker as Widnes struggles to find any way past the returning Brown between the Billingham pipes. The home side were made to rue their various chances when Gritāns bagged a third just 13 seconds from the buzzer.

The restored top line of Elder, Chris Sykes and Gritāns especially causing headaches for the hosts, the Stars had to bide their time in the second session as Widnes tried to haul themselves back into the game. The ever-dangerous Gritāns surged up the boards in the 27th minute, dropped the puck to Sykes and got himself in the perfect position to receive the return pass and one-time past Walker for 0-4. Undeterred, the Wild stuck to their plan but could not unlock Brown. They were vulnerable to the counterattack however, and in the 32nd minute Lewis Hall chased a loose puck from the neutral zone into the corner and found Iain Brown fresh from the bench who shot low past Walker. An absolute rasper from James Moss in the 36th minute meant game over for the home side, but they did eventually reply through Matt Barlow with 15 seconds to go. Not content to let that go, Elder responded from the face off to make it 1-7 just 9 seconds later.

Walker was replaced by Phil Pearson for the final twenty, the change seeming to galvanise the hosts who continued to push for further consolation markers. They were awarded a somewhat soft penalty shot in the 47th minute but Andrew Hopkins saw his effort saved by Brown. A minute later and Billingham were back on the offensive, Elder bagging his hat trick. Gritāns got his own hat trick marker from a face off in the offensive zone in the 56th minute. Pearson’s stint ended prematurely through injury in attempting to stop Gritāns’ effort, Walker having to return to the ice for the final four minutes but with no further additions to the score.

Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Rolands Gritāns.

Wild Stats:

Matt Barlow 1+0; Joey Coulter 0+1

SOG: Harrison Walker 23 (10 / 11 / 2); Phil Pearson 8

Stars Stats:

Rolands Gritāns 3+3; Michael Elder 3+1; James Moss 1+1; Iain Brown 1+1; Alex Preston 1+0; Chris Sykes 0+2; Tommy Spraggon 0+1; Shaun Galloway 0+1; Jack Emerson 0+1; Lewis Hall 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 36 (10 / 17 / 9)

Weekend Results:

NIHL N1:

Sheffield Scimitars 3 Nottingham Lions 5

Solihull Barons 6 Whitley Warriors 2

Sheffield Scimitars 5 Hull Jets 2

Widnes Wild 1 Billingham Stars 9

Blackburn Hawks 3 Solihull Barons 9

Nottingham Lions 4 Deeside Dragons 10