Credit: Carly Lambert
BILLINGHAM STARS took three from six in their quest for National Ice Hockey League Moralee Division points last weekend, a home double header not quite yielding the maximum return that they had hoped for.
Credit: Carly Lambert
Saturday saw the arrival of Telford Tigers 2 on Teesside, a team on the up after a huge home-and-home series win against Deeside Dragons the previous weekend. Saturday also introduced the Forum faithful to another bright new talent from the junior ranks in 16-year-old Jacob McConnell, and he was very much part of the action from the beginning as he hit the ice for his first shift with only two minutes gone. It was the visitors who had the larger share of the play in the first session however, and at the end of the first twenty the teams were separated by a solitary marker from Lewis Conroy who broke clear in the third minute to go through Jacob Hammond’s pads and edge the Tigers ahead.
Credit: Carly Lambert
It looked like Telford might take control of the game when Bryce Irwin finished a swift counter less than a minute into the second period, but an immediate response from Lucas Dowdle got the home side on the board. Rolands Gritāns found James Moss for the one-timer in the 24th minute to tie the game, before that man Moss again was out front to slap home in the 30th minute. The sides would do into the dressing rooms level however, Kyle Ferguson on hand to pot home in the 39th minute.
Credit: Carly Lambert
Telford moved ahead in contentious fashion in the 49th minute, a missed slash on Matty Pickup not called and Irwin scoring on the following face off play. Stars looked to have got at least a point when James Hellens was the man in the right place at the right time on the back stick, but with only 66 seconds remaining another missed call, this time a trip on Michael Elder, was immediately followed by James Smith netting at the near post. 4-5 the final score, Billingham with reasons to feel aggrieved perhaps but a promising showing against an in-form team nonetheless.
Man-of-the-Match for Stars was James Moss.
Stars Stats:
James Moss 2+0; James Hellens 1+1; Lucas Dowdle 1+0; Rolands Gritāns 0+3; Michael Elder 0+2; Will Thornton 0+1; Callum Wilkinson 0+1
SOG: Jacob Hammond 53 (21 / 15 / 17)
Tigers 2 Stats:
Bryce Irwin 2+1; James Smith 1+2; Lewis Conroy 1+0; Kyle Ferguson 1+0; Ryan Leese 0+1; Brodie Jesson 0+1; James Mather 0+1; Tyler Somerton 0+1; Dan Mitchell 0+1; Liam Preece 0+1
SOG: Luca Tessadri 37 (11 / 12 / 14)
Credit: Carly Lambert
Nottingham Lions were the visitors on Sunday evening, and as they were in the Midlands a few weeks’ ago, they arrived short benched. After the disappointment of the previous evening, an early goal was just the tonic that Billingham needed and they got it when Moss forced a rebound past netminder Harvey Kembery in the fourth minute. That lead was doubled in the 11th minute, Moss taking his time to go around Kembery for his fourth goal of the weekend.
Credit: Carly Lambert
Nottingham battled hard to get back into the game in the middle session, creating chances and thwarting the Stars attack. Neither side could stretch the twine however, and the match would go into the third period still finely poised.
Credit: Carly Lambert
The points were finally settled on the power play in the 48th minute, Callum Wilkinson with the deciding touch close out front to finish a long range Hellens effort. Pickup etched his name on the scoresheet slamming home a loose puck in the 56th minute before Elder put the icing on the cake with 77 seconds to go, 5-0 the final score and a first shutout of the season for Hammond.
Man-of-the-Match for Billingham was Jacob Hammond.
Credit: Carly Lambert
Stars Stats:
James Moss 2+1; Michael Elder 1+1; Matty Pickup 1+0; Callum Wilkinson 1+0; James Hellens 0+1; Rolands Gritāns 0+1; Stattersfield 0+1
SOG: Jacob Hammond 39 (14 / 16 / 9)
Lions Stats:
SOG: Harvey Kembery 51 (20 / 16 / 15)
Credit: Carly Lambert
Weekend Results:
NIHL Moralee Saturday:
💫 Billingham Stars 4️⃣-5️⃣ Telford Tigers 2 🐯
✈️ Hull Jets 7️⃣-5️⃣ Widnes Wild 🐾
🦅 Blackburn Hawks 9️⃣-2️⃣ Nottingham Lions 🦁 (L/C)
🗡️ Sheffield Scimitars 4️⃣-1️⃣1️⃣ Deeside Dragons 🐉 (L/C)
NIHL Moralee Sunday:
💫 Billingham Stars 5️⃣-0️⃣ Nottingham Lions 🦁
⚜️ Solihull Barons 2️⃣-8️⃣ Blackburn Hawks 🦅
🐾 Widnes Wild 8️⃣-1️⃣ Leeds Knights 2 ⚔️ (L/C)