Season 26/27: Week 2 Report

WHAT WILL ALMOST certainly turn out to be Billingham Stars’ toughest weekend in National Ice Hockey League Moralee Division yielded an unlikely point as they overcame all the odds to take reigning champions Blackburn Hawks to overtime and penalty shots in the away leg of their home-and-home series.

On Saturday in Lancashire, just 11 skaters iced with Jack Wakefield taking over between the pipes with both Jacob Hammond and Mark Turnbull unavailable. The champions – on their banner-raising night – wanted to put on a show for their home fans and had the majority of the play in the opening exchanges but could not unlock Wakefield and a resolute Stars defence. Billingham managed to test Dmitri Zimozdra in the Hawks net in numerous forays forward but the first period closed out scoreless

An outstanding all-round effort in the middle session, and especially from Jack Wakefield, kept the score at 0-0. Indeed Stars could have moved into a shock lead had opportunities for Tom Wakefield and James Moss been converted. But no goals would mean a more tense third period than perhaps the home side expected.

The stellar rearguard action continued in the third stanza until the deadlock was finally broken in the 53rd minute by the visitors, Michael Elder beating Zimozdra on the breakaway. The response from the shellshocked hosts took exactly a minute, Elmeri Hällfors finally getting past Wakefield to send the game to overtime.

The five additional minutes could still not separate the sides so the contest was decided on a penalty shootout, Hällfors with the only score to take the additional point, but all the plaudits going to the away side who battled through to grab probably the biggest point they’ll earn this season.

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

Hawks Stats:

Elmeri Hällfors 2+0; Adam Barnes 0+1; Luca Maiuri 0+1

SOG: Dmitri Zimozdra 23 (9 / 5 / 6 / 3)

Stars Stats:

Michael Elder 1+0; Matthew Pickup 0+1

SOG: Jack Wakefield 61 (14 / 19 / 26 / 4)

Billingham were at least able to welcome back Darren Stattersfield and Callum Wilkinson on Sunday in their home opener back at the Forum, but the heroics of the previous evening had clearly taken their toll. That coupled with a full-strength Hawks outfit out to make up for the disappointment of last night’s game and perhaps the result was inevitable.

Blackburn were on the board within four minutes, Andy McKinney capitalising on a defensive lapse to go round Wakefield. It was two before the ten-minute mark, Josh Milnes with his first in a Hawks jersey.

The onslaught continued in the second session, Garry Simpson, James Riddoch and the ever-dangerous Hällfors taking the game beyond the home side who had nothing left in the tank to respond with.

Matty Cross, Milnes again and James Royds had taken the score to 0-8 before Matty Pickup fired home nicely beyond the recently installed Niks Trapans, the cheers that greeted the late consolation more than justified for a team that had given everything for 125 minutes to earn a well-deserved and unexpected first League point.

Man-of-the-Match for Stars was Matty Pickup.

Stars Stats:

Matthew Pickup 1+0; James Moss 0+1

SOG: Jack Wakefield 47 (11 / 14 / 22)

Hawks Stats:

Joshua Milnes 2+1; Andy McKinney 1+2; James Riddoch 1+1; Elmeri Hällfors 1+1; Matty Cross 1+0; Garry Simpson 1+0; James Royds 1+0; Jack Brammer 0+2; Charlie Thompson 0+2; Adam Barnes 0+2; Luca Maiuri 0+2; Owen Dell 0+1; Regan Kidd 0+1

SOG: Dmitri Zimozdra 30 (12 / 13 / 5); Niks Trapans 3

Weekend Results

NIHL Moralee Saturday:

🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 5️⃣-6️⃣ Leeds Knights 2 ⚔️ (after overtime)

🦅 Blackburn Hawks 2️⃣-1️⃣ Billingham Stars 💫 (after penalty shots)

🐯 Telford Tigers 2 7️⃣-4️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾

NIHL Moralee Sunday:

🐉 Deeside Dragons 1️⃣2️⃣-2️⃣ Sheffield Scimitars 🗡️ (L/C)

💫 Billingham Stars 1️⃣-8️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅

✈️ Hull Jets 3️⃣-2️⃣ Leeds Knights 2 ⚔️ (L/C)

🐾 Widnes Wild 8️⃣-3️⃣ Telford Tigers 2 🐯

🦁 Nottingham Lions 3️⃣-8️⃣ Solihull Barons ⚜️

Weekend Results

Season 26/27: Week 2 Preview

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