Season 25/26: Week 17 Report

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

BILLINGHAM STARS got reacquainted with local rivals Whitley Warriors over the festive weekend as the two sides battled it out for the Christmas Cup. A win for each side in their own rink, but the silverware went to Tyneside as the Warriors took advantage of another third period collapse to run away with Sunday’s second leg and take the Cup 10-6 on aggregate.

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

Saturday at the Forum saw the return of Mark Turnbull between the pipes, and Chris Lutz stepping up from the Buccaneers to help plug a few of the holes in the Stars lineup. The hosts looked the hungrier in the opening exchanges and found themselves a goal to the good within three minutes, Michael Elder following up Will Thornton’s effort to register the 16-year-old’s first point for the Stars. Into the eighth minute on the power play and a nice snipe from Joe Walls was too much for former Billingham netminder Thomas Brown. Just over a minute later and Iain Brown’s low shot past his cousin prompted a timeout from the visitors. Although the Stars kept up the pressure, the words from the bench seemed to have the desired effect and the tide was stemmed for the remainder of the period.

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

A far quieter middle session burst into life in the 37th minute when Adam Wood skated from his own zone and took his chance, Turnbull unable to get a glove up in time. The gap was back to a single marker in the 39th minute, a Harry Harley shot from the point straight from an offensive zone face off creeping through.

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

Both sides threw a little more caution to the wind in the third stanza and the chances came at both ends. Callum Wilkinson lifted his shot over a crowd in the 47th minute, but the home side were pegged back again through a fine finish into the top corner from Olly Jardine on the power play in the 51st minute. The final ten minutes saw no more goals but a fight between Walls and Matthew Betham in the 52nd minute meant ‘Big Joe’ could claim a rare Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight), the game itself left finely poised at 4-3 going into the second leg at Hillheads.

Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Joe Walls.

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

Stars Stats:

Joe Walls 1+1; Michael Elder 1+0; Callum Wilkinson 1+0; Iain Brown 1+0; James Moss 0+1; Will Thornton 0+1; Joe Dowdle 0+1

SOG: Mark Turnbull 44 (14 / 14 / 16)

Warriors Stats:

Adam Wood 1+0; Harry Harley 1+0; Oliver Jardine 1+0; Dean Holland 0+1; Cameron Ware 0+1; Matty McDonald 0+1; Ben Richards 0+1

SOG: Thomas Brown 39 (15 / 7 / 17)

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

More injury trouble meant the Stars had to travel up the A19 once again missing Turnbull, former Warriors goaltender Ryan Wardell called upon to back up Jack Wakefield as at Nottingham the previous weekend. Darren Stattersfield was also ruled out, so another patched-up Billingham outfit took to the ice in front of a healthy crowd on Tyneside. Despite the circumstances, things looked good for the visitors in the first session. After weathering an early storm, two goals in two minutes put the Stars in the driving seat, excellent hands from James Moss took him past the defence and a backhand into the roof of Josh Crane’s net was goal one in the 14th minute, followed swiftly by a lovely power play move that pulled Crane across his crease and left Chris Sykes with the easy finish. Whitley on the power play in the 18th minute and Ben Richards forced the puck under Wakefield to narrow the advantage.

Another comparatively quiet second period followed, the only goal coming on a contentious power play for the hosts punished from a very tight angle by Kyle Ross in the 28th minute.

A single goal advantage for Billingham going into the final twenty was overturned in some style by the Warriors, the tone set with two goals in the first 81 seconds of the period. First an awkward bounce off the boards fell to Richards whose slapper from the point slid in at the far post. This was almost immediately followed by a Cam Ware effort from the right circle that sailed straight past Wakefield and put Whitley ahead on aggregate for the first time. Richards finish at the back stick in the 45th minute secured his hat trick, then the home side made sure of the trophy through Anth Wetherell in the 54th minute and a fourth for Richards from out front in the 59th minute. 7-2 on the night meant a 10-6 aggregate win for the Warriors, a boost for the Tynesiders going into the business end of their Scottish National League campaign.

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

Warriors Stats:

Ben Richards 4+0; Kyle Ross 1+0; Anth Wetherell 1+0; Cameron Ware 1+0; Adam Wood 0+3; Dean Holland 0+2; Ross Douglass 0+2; Harry Harley 0+1; Oliver Jardine 0+1; Ethan Dunn 0+1

SOG: Josh Crane 35 (10 / 15 / 10)

Stars Stats:

James Moss 1+1; Chris Sykes 1+0; Iain Brown 0+2; Patriks Grigors 0+1

SOG: Jack Wakefield 42 (14 / 16 / 12)

Credit: SLSportsPhotos

Weekend Results

NIHL Moralee Saturday:

🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 1️⃣ - 1️⃣4️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅

NIHL Moralee Sunday:

🦅 Blackburn Hawks 6️⃣ - 4️⃣ Sheffield Scimitars 🗡️