Season 26/27: Week 5 Report
BILLINGHAM STARS put up yet another dogged performance in National Ice Hockey League Moralee Division on Sunday evening but were ultimately undone by a lack of bodies in North Wales as Deeside Dragons retained their unbeaten start to the season with a 4-2 win.
Illness had ripped through the squad during the week, affecting practice and leading to some players travelling whilst still distinctly under the weather. Down to just four d-men, the lineup was further depleted close to face off as Tom Wakefield had to withdraw. Coming up against one of the League’s top teams under any circumstances was going to be a challenge, and the Stars might have expected a long night when they were caught in possession in their own zone in the fifth minute, the puck coming out to point man Jared Dickinson who found Colin Cromie in space for the wrist shot opener. It was Cromie again in the 12th minute, controlling with his skate before releasing past netminder Mark Turnbull for a 2-0 first period lead.
Billingham started the middle session on the power play, and immediately got one back through James Moss. Stars had warmed into the game but this point and putting the pressure back on the home side, their reward coming again on the power play in the 30th minute as Deeside netminder Curtis Warburton went the wrong way across his crease to anticipate a play that never happened, James Hellens electing to fire on net from the blue line.
Level pegging at the end of the second, the visitors were reduced to just three d-men as Will Thornton was forced out of the game. Billingham visibly tiring, it was perhaps inevitable that the Dragons would be able to carve out more opportunities and so it transpired as Theo Malone was left alone to go over Turnbull’s shoulder in the 48th minute. Matthew Barlow beat Turnbull stick side in the 57th minute to ensure the points stayed in North Wales, a brave battle from the Stars not enough to steal anything from Deeside.
Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was James Hellens.
Dragons Stats:
Colin Cromie 2+0; Matthew Barlow 1+1; Theo Malone 1+0; Jake Witkowski 0+2; MJ Clancy 0+1; Bailey Thomas 0+1; Jared Dickinson 0+1
SOG: Curtis Warburton 24 (10 / 9 / 5)
Stars Stats:
James Hellens 1+1; James Moss 1+0; Will Thornton 0+1; Rolands Gritāns 0+1; Michael Elder 0+1
SOG: Mark Turnbull 55 (20 / 19 / 16)
Weekend Results:
NIHL Moralee Saturday:
🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 2️⃣-3️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅 (L/C)
✈️ Hull Jets 1️⃣-6️⃣ Solihull Barons ⚜️
NIHL Moralee Sunday:
🐉 Deeside Dragons 4️⃣-2️⃣ Billingham Stars 💫
⚜️ Solihull Barons 7️⃣-4️⃣ Sheffield Scimitars 🗡️
🐾 Widnes Wild 6️⃣-4️⃣ Hull Jets ✈️ (L/C)
⚔️ Leeds Knights 2 3️⃣-8️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅
🦁 Nottingham Lions 1️⃣-3️⃣ Telford Tigers 2 🐯 (L/C)