Wednesday 22 March 2017

NIHL Weekend Action

Tigers tear Warriors apart to creep away from relegation

Telford Tigers       7
Whitley Warriors   3

Travelling to Shropshire with a short bench as expected, Whitley Warriors were again missing several defencemen as experienced ‘D’ man Dan Pye, skilled blue liner Harry Harley and former recreational player Joe Stamp were unable to make the trip alongside forward Ben Richards and Under 20s Anthony Wetherell and Ross Douglass. Up against Telford’s twenty-man team which included skilled Slovakian import Karol Jets, hardworking forwards Adam Brittle, Callum Bowley and James Smith, not to mention strong netminder Daniel Brittle, the Warriors were aware of the challenge awaiting them with Telford as much in need of the points as themselves.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The first period underway, the Warriors were able to make a positive start to the game, working hard to gain possession against the Tigers who were equally eager to see their fair share of the puck. Maintaining this work ethic, it was not long before David Longstaff’s men opened their account through enforcer Andre Payette who, achieving his second league goal of the season, saw his unassisted effort beat Brittle to nudge his team into the lead. This goal appeared to spark some belief within the Warriors’ setup as, just fifty seven seconds later, Brittle was picking the puck from his net for a second time as forward Callum Watson threaded a pass to Longstaff who did not miss his mark to double Whitley’s tally. Their two-goal cushion far from a comfortable one with Telford showing determination to find a foothold in the game, it was little surprise when Daniel MacKriel’s men hit home approximately four minutes later as Adam Brittle’s unassisted shot was buried beyond netminder Richie Lawson to make it 2-1. Spurred on by their first goal of the game, the Tigers were soon searching for an equaliser and it was not long before it arrived, this time forward Matt Viney working with Brittle in the Warriors’ crowded defensive zone before finding Dale White who netted on 15:32 to reward his teammates’ perseverance. Disappointed to have undone their excellent work in the early stages of the game, the Warriors hoped to make it to the interval on level terms but the Tigers had other ideas, scoring with just eighteen seconds of the period remaining as Jets achieved his nineteenth league goal of the season courtesy of line mate Bowley. Trailing by a goal as they headed in at the break, the Warriors were frustrated to have lost their two-goal lead so quickly whilst the Tigers were overjoyed at their progress following a disappointing start.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Aiming for a better outcome at the end of the second period, the Warriors returned in search of a goal and were handed the perfect opportunity when Adam Brittle made way with just twenty seven seconds played for a high sticks offence which awarded the visitors a power play. Though striving for a goal, Whitley’s efforts were in vain as they struggled to beat Telford’s sturdy shot stopper, Brittle. This missed opportunity would be one that the Warriors would regret though as less than two minutes later the home side were again adding to the scoreboard, this time young defenceman Joseph Gilbert playing the puck to MacKriel who picked out forward James Smith to see the Tiger slot home on 24:20. Beginning to feel the points slip away from their grasp, the Warriors battled to carve a path through Telford’s defence but their efforts made little difference and it was not long after that the team’s frustrations spilled over as Payette grappled with Tigers’ captain Daniel Croft; the former earning himself 2+2 for roughing whilst the latter received just two minutes for the same offence. It was shortly after this incident that Whitley’s captain Dean Holland was shown to the sin bin for tripping but with only fifty four seconds of this penalty served, stand-in defenceman Martin Crammond joined his team mate for a slashing misdemeanour to see Telford’s advantage increase. It was not long after that Telford’s Conor Gordon found himself on the wrong end of a slashing call to disrupt the flow of play further, leaving his side shorthanded and the advantage with Whitley when Longstaff’s men returned to full strength. Shortly after the termination of Crammond’s penalty, the Warriors were dealt a further blow when experienced forward DJ Good was made to warm a seat in the sin bin for hooking. Despite this, Whitley continued to be incredibly effective on the penalty kill to prevent their deficit from spiralling out of control and, just twenty four seconds after this return to the ice, Good made up for his misdemeanour with an assist as he teamed up with Holland to see fellow forward Watson make his mark on the game. Closing the gap between themselves and the Tigers ahead of the break, the Warriors were hopeful that they could turn the situation around but knew that such a feat would not be without its difficulties.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Filing onto the ice for the final period of the game, the Tigers were hopeful that they could add to their lead whilst the Warriors were aware that they would need to put in an outstanding performance to defeat MacKriel’s resolute men. Continuing to battle with the home team at the beginning of the stanza, Whitley then found themselves shorthanded at the midpoint of the period when Payette made his way to the penalty box for roughing to once again provide the Tigers with the advantage. Whilst Telford were unable to make the most of this chance to extend their lead on the power play, it was not long after Payette’s return to the ice that the Shropshire outfit were able to convert their possession into a fifth goal, this time MacKriel setting up Bowley who successfully punished Lawson to increase the gap between his side and the Warriors. Trying to battle their way back into the game, Longstaff’s line-up found it difficult to test Brittle at the other end of the ice; the Tigers dominating shots on goal by fourteen to Whitley’s four. With the game heading towards its conclusion and no change to the 5-3 score line, the Warriors opted for a timeout on 58:38, making the decision to pull Lawson from his net in a bid to grab a goal and recover some lost ground. This decision quickly backfired on Whitley however, as it took just seven seconds for Bowley to claim an empty net goal, Jets linking up with the forward following White’s collection of the puck in Telford’s defensive zone. Their three-goal deficit signifying a loss, Lawson swiftly returned to the ice but the Warriors were rendered helpless twenty one seconds later when Bowley achieved his hat trick to make it 7-3 on 59:06, allowing his team to cruise over the finish line. 

Slick Sharks outshoot Barons to collect silverware

Solway Sharks  4
Solihull Barons  1

Setting out to bounce back from last weekend’s road defeat against Blackburn Hawks, Solway Sharks invited Solihull Barons to the Dumfries Ice Bowl for one last time this season. Though taking to the ice without captain Struan Tonnar and two-way player Ben Edmonds, Solway were able to include stand-in captain Ross Murray who made his return from injury whilst first choice netminder Calum Hepburn took his usual place between the pipes having missed out on last weekend’s league contest. Meanwhile, Solihull Barons made the trip to Dumfries with their usual strong squad of sixteen skaters but were without usual netminders Josh Nicholls and Sam Hewitt as shot stopper Connor Ranby started in net with Michelle Franklin as backup.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Yet to lose a league game on home ice this season, Martin Grubb’s men headed out in search of a strong start to this contest in the hope that they could maintain their excellent form. Battling for possession against the Barons from faceoff, the Sharks were able to take control of the puck to set their sights on Ranby’s net. It was following some skillful play from Finnish import Kim Miettinen and creative left winger Steven Moore that young forward Daniel Abercrombie was able to present his team with the lead, slipping beyond Solihull’s defence to hit the target on 4:20. It was shortly after this goal that Baron Josh Bruce found himself sidelined for a crosscheck to award Solway a power play but, despite their numerous chances on Ranby’s net, the Sharks failed to make the most of this opportunity, allowing Perry Doyle’s men to return to full strength unscathed. The Sharks were persistent in their efforts to double their lead however, significantly outnumbering the offensive chances of the Barons to finally snatch their second of the game; this time Abercrombie working with Moore to setup forward Connor Henderson at the halfway point of the period to add to Solihull’s deficit. Continuing to dominate as evidenced by Solway’s twenty one shots on Ranby’s goal to the four attempts Hepburn was faced with, the Barons were glad to be given some reprieve when youngster Scott Henderson made way for interference on fourteen minutes to see Solihull try their luck in front of goal, though to no avail. Effective on the penalty kill, Solway were restored to five men and quickly assumed possession to find the back of the net for a third time as Abercrombie achieved his twentieth league goal of the season with support from fellow goal scorer Connor Henderson and hardworking winger Moore. Less than three minutes remaining, the Sharks continued to prove challenging opposition for their visitors who sought a goal to reduce their deficit but, in spite of efforts from the Barons’ top points scorers Niklas Ottosson, Joe Henry, and Thomas Soar to name but a few, the side were left with little hope as they headed in at the break.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Heading back onto the ice with a view to improve on their first period performance, Solihull were eager to grab a goal and it showed as they set out to test Sharks’ netminder Hepburn who had remained largely unchallenged in the opening period. With these increased chances on goal, the Barons appeared far more of a threat to Solway’s defence in the early stages of the second stanza, though the home team were certainly not short of their own opportunities to ensure Ranby was made to work at the other end of the ice. It was at the halfway point of the period that events again swayed in favour of the Dumfries outfit as Solihull’s defenceman Ryan Selwood was shown to the sin bin for roughing to hand Solway a power play which the side quickly took advantage of to score just forty one seconds later as Moore followed up his first period assists with a goal to add to his points haul; Miettinen and Abercrombie also grabbing their second assists of the game in the process. Now leading by four goals, the Sharks were aware of the threat posed by the Barons, the side having managed to turn around several similar situations to claim points this campaign. As such, Grubb’s men worked hard to keep Solihull at bay but the Sharks could not hold off Doyle’s determined team indefinitely as Bruce beat Hepburn to make it 4-1 ahead of the second interval, following linkup play from forward Andrew Whitehouse and blue liner Selwood.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Happy to hold onto their lead, the Sharks returned for the final period with the knowledge that the Barons would not give up the points easily and this proved to be the case as the visitors fought to double their tally with hopes that they could ignite a comeback. With both teams striving for their next goal, Solway’s forwards continued to work hard when in possession of the puck whilst import Ottosson sought an avenue for the opposition alongside line mate Soar. With neither side able to add to the scoreboard, it was not long before the sides clashed as young Shark Darren Stattersfield and forward Henry engaged in battle to earn themselves 2+2 for roughing with just over five minutes remaining in the period. It was not long after this that Head Coach Doyle opted to pull Ranby from his net to present his team with the additional skater but with play eventually switching to their own defensive zone, the Barons saw fit to reinstate their netminder. Time fast running out, damage limitation was top of Solihull’s priorities and it was not long after that the final buzzer eventually sounded on the Sharks’ victory; the Dumfries outfit then collecting the league silverware that they’ve worked so hard for this season. Reflecting on this game, Head Coach Martin Grubb observed: “We knew it would be a tough game as Solihull are a very good team and always come to play. I took the opportunity to take in the game from the stands with the playoffs in mind and Scott took over the bench. I thought we played really well on the puck, scored some really nice goals as we moved the puck around and we should have scored more but credit to Solihull as, after the first, they attacked us as much as they could but we were pretty solid as a group. We are determined to come into the playoffs in good form and this was an important win against a possible playoff opponent.”


Short benched Stars shoot down Sutton’s playoff hopes

Sutton Sting            2
Billingham Stars    5

Making the trip to Ice Sheffield with a view to trial their performance on a larger ice pad, Billingham Stars were without several key players, including forwards James Moss, Jack Watkins, Callum Davies and Scott Ward besides defencemen Scott Cooper, Callum Read and Matthew Campbell. The Sting, on the other hand, were able to ice an incredibly strong squad of nineteen skaters besides excellent netminders Dmitri Zimozdra and Zack Brown. Heading out in search of victory, the Stars were eager to grab a win against the Sting having already lost out on the road to the side this season but the Teessiders knew that this would be a difficult task, with this Sutton’s final game of their campaign and the side in with a chance of qualifying for playoff weekend whilst simultaneously at risk of relegation.


Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Aiming for no less than a victory despite their short bench, the Stars opened the game with a decent spell of possession to challenge netminder Zimozdra who dealt with Billingham’s early attacking play to ensure the visitors did not snatch an early lead. It was not long after the Teessiders’ initial attempts on goal that Sutton’s experienced defenceman James Goodman headed to the sin bin following a slashing offence to see his team go shorthanded. Working hard to create chances in front of goal, Stars Chris Sykes and Dennis Boström set their sights on Suttons net but were unable to beat Zimozdra whose saves were exceptional as he assisted his team’s completion of a successful penalty kill. Opportunities for Sykes, Boström and Swedish import Daniel Palmebjörk arose once more as the Stars persisted in their efforts to take the lead but again Billingham failed to put the puck in the back of the net. Whilst the Stars saw several chances fall their way as player-coach Michael Bowman continued to work tirelessly in his pursuit of a goal, the Sting were not without opportunities of their own; captain James Spurr and his team working hard to battle with their visitors for possession whilst defenceman Ryan Johnson narrowly missed out as netminder Mark Watson was called into action. The Sting’s hard work was soon cast aside however, as a roughing penalty for former EPL forward Lloyd Gibson placed the home side on the back foot to award Billingham a power play. Buoyed by this advantage, the Stars were eager to capitalise and did so just two seconds before the break, Bowman disappointing the Sting with his eleventh league goal of the season following help from ‘D’ man Ross Hanlon and Swedish import Palmebjörk.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Having waited so long for their first goal of the game, Terry Ward’s men were eager for another and it showed as the side quickly doubled their lead on 23:23, this time Boström linking up with Bowman to see his player-coach print his name on the score sheet for a second time in the clash, counteracting the Sting’s positive start to the period in the process. Following this goal, the Stars were able to bombard Zimozdra with shots as the side continued their excellent work ethic against Sutton’s steadfast defence but it took over ten minutes for Billingham to add to the Sting’s deficit as Boström fired beyond Zimozdra to make it 3-0 when Bowman turned assist alongside Sykes. Recognising their need to bounce back from this goal, the Sting were quick to retaliate as Gibson buried an unassisted effort to provide his team with some hope. Sutton’s celebrations were short-lived though as only thirty eight seconds later, blue liner Ben Davison found the target with support from Palmebjörk and hardworking forward Michael Elder. The score line 4-1, the situation rapidly deteriorated for the Sting as defenceman Chris Wilcox headed to the sin bin for holding only to be joined by Gibson just over a minute later as the goal scorer picked up a minor misconduct penalty to see his side reduced to three men. Twenty five seconds later, the duo were joined by Johnson who was sidelined for a slashing offence to present the Stars with an even longer advantage but still the visitors were unable to make the most of this opportunity as the Sting worked hard on the penalty kill to ensure that their deficit was not greater than three at the second interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Returning for the third and final period, the Stars were eager to wrap up their victory whilst Simon Butterworth’s men were wary that a loss would result in their side slipping into the league placement playoff place without any games left to change their fate and were hopeful that they could avoid this. Continuing their good work in the opening moments of this period, the Stars had several chances but ultimately failed to capitalise, with youngster Josh Nertney unlucky not to score and both Elder and Palmebjörk failing to convert their attempts. Battling back from Billingham’s attacking play, Sutton increased their efforts to add to their tally and were able to reap the rewards soon after, this time Wilcox and Johnson working together to send youngster Charlie Thompson through on goal with great success. Shortly after this goal, the Sting were again punished for their lack of discipline as Goodman made way for interference on 49:10 but the home team defended well on the penalty kill to ensure that they did not concede further. Whilst hoping this goal would ignite a comeback, the Sting were not short of opportunities to test netminder Watson but were faced with the determined Stars who were content to see out their victory. Making one last attempt to gain something from the game, Butterworth called a timeout on 59:13 and opted to pull Zimozdra from his net when play resumed but the decision to make use of the additional skater failed to payoff for the home team as Bowman took possession of the puck to find Elder who slotted into the empty net to make it 5-2 with just sixteen seconds remaining in the game. As a result of this encounter, Sutton Sting now find themselves in the league placement playoff place with all of their fixtures now played whereas the Stars continue to add to their points tally as they sit comfortably ahead of their opposition in second place with thirty six points from twenty seven league games. Commenting after this game, Star Chris Sykes shared: “It was nice to get a win in Sheffield against Sutton. We played on Pad 2 and sometimes that can really make the game scrappy but we played some good hockey and got the win we wanted. We had lots of guys missing through little knocks or work commitments but we made it work and got through it. We are happy with two points on the board.”

  
Cup clash chaos knocks Warriors for six as Sharks sink Whitley

Whitley Warriors    1
Solway Sharks       6

Taking to the ice for their final home game of the season in an NIHL North Cup clash against Solway Sharks, Whitley Warriors’ player-coach David Longstaff opted to oversee proceedings from the bench with a strong squad at his disposal, despite the absence of captain Dean Holland and first choice shot stopper Richie Lawson; the latter making way to provide some valuable ice time to backup netminders Jordan Boyle and Rory Dunn. By contrast, the Sharks were missing several familiar faces, including two-way players Jordan Buesa and Ben Edmonds, captain Struan Tonnar and alternate captain Ross Murray who continues to make a gradual return from injury. With little to play for in this game, there was certainly nothing to lose, though the Warriors were aiming to achieve a victory in their last home game of the season. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
The first period facing off, the home team were aware that the opening goal would be important but, in spite of the close contest, the Warriors found it difficult to execute their chances, though the pace of stand-in captain Jordan Barnes and the intensity of enforcer Andre Payette undoubtedly aided Whitley’s attacking play. To combat this, the Sharks immediately piled the pressure onto starting netminder Boyle to make the early stages of the game both fast and fiery, with Solway’s Connor Henderson particularly under fire as the Warriors immediately set a precedent. As a result, it was not long before the Hillheads outfit found themselves shorthanded, forward Alan Yarrow the first to head to the sin bin on 4:34 for interference. Killing the penalty, the Warriors remained undaunted by the challenge ahead as Barnes made his presence known to Sharks’ netminder Calum Hepburn twenty eight seconds later only to find himself joining his team mate in the penalty box for boarding. Working hard to kill these penalties now that Solway found themselves on a five-on-three power play, Yarrow returned to the ice only for Payette to take his place two seconds later as the enforcer was considered to be guilty of roughing. This situation taking its toll on the Warriors, it was not long after Barnes returned to the ice that Solway finally capitalised, stand-in captain James Hutchinson working the puck well in Whitley’s crowded defensive zone to see a scramble in front of the net result in Daniel Abercrombie punishing Boyle following a pass from forward Connor Henderson. Though taking the lead, the Sharks were forced to continue their battle for possession against the Warriors, with forward Martin Crammond working hard to create some opportunities for his side whilst youngsters Jamie Ord, Anthony Wetherell and Ross Douglass drove into Solway’s defensive zone as they turned their attentions to Hepburn’s net. These efforts could not prevent play returning to Solway’s control as the short benched team continued to go from strength to strength before doubling their lead on 16:20; this time forward Marc Fowley winning the faceoff to slip the puck to young prospect Duncan Speirs who rocketed a shot beyond Boyle to make it 2-0 ahead of the interval.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Setting out in search of a goal in the second stanza, the Warriors were hoping to convert their possession, significantly increasing their efforts on Hepburn’s net to see the shot stopper tested from the outset whilst the Sharks continued their offensive play with hopes of placing greater distance between themselves and the Hillheads outfit. Though the persistence of forwards Callum Watson, Shaun Kippin, DJ Good and Barnes was yet to pay off, the Warriors enjoyed some prolonged possession in Solway’s offensive zone to come close to scoring on several occasions whilst contending with troublesome youngster Darren Stattersfield who slashed blue liner Joe Stamp. Clearing the puck from Whitley’s defensive zone, Stamp then grappled with the Shark in retaliation. Following this confrontationStattersfield was then confronted by Barnes who was sent back to the bench only for Payette to discuss the matter in his captain’s place. Finally facing off, the Warriors took possession of the puck and showed tenacity to get on the scoresheet as Watson danced past Solway’s defence to reap the rewards after a neat pass from young defenceman Liam Smedley. Any hopes of a comeback for the home team were soon hanging in the balance when play switched back to Whitley’s defensive zone, only for Stattersfield to link up with Miettinen who picked out Speirs in front of Boyle’s net to allow the forward to collect his second goal of the game with just over two minutes of the period remaining. 

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Disappointed to be trailing by two goals to the Sharks, the Warriors’ fast-paced start to the third period was largely down to Payette making the most of his ice time due to this encounter potentially being his final game at Hillheads. Exhibiting his usual intensity and power with even more fervour, the enforcer was eager to claim a goal for his team and came close to being rewarded for his efforts only for the puck to trickle wide of the post. At the other end of the ice, Solway were not without their own attempts on goal as Fowley, Speirs and Hutchinson were amongst those testing netminder Rory Dunn who had taken Boyle’s place at the start of the period to gain some ice time. Their passing play exceptional and their efforts on goal relentless, it was little surprise when the Sharks capitalised on 52:04 as Scott Henderson achieved his first cup goal of the season to make it 4-1, with Stattersfield and Slovakian import Juraj Senko on hand to assist. However, this goal was overshadowed by yet another misdemeanour from Stattersfield, the youngster slashing Warrior Lawson Glasby in the build up to this goal. Angered by this incident, Kippin confronted the Shark, only for Stattersfield to be met by Payette who raced from the bench to serve up some rough justice of his own. Still infuriated by Stattersfield’s actions, Kippin picked up a ten minute misconduct penalty before being ejected from the game, as well as incurring an additional match penalty for purportedly head-butting as he left the ice. Payette, on the other hand, then picked up a match ban for fighting which was soon followed up with a ten minute misconduct penalty for Yarrow as a result of the forward’s reaction to the incident. These penalties extinguishing Whitley’s fire, the Warriors watched on as Stattersfield teamed up with youngster Kieran Hair just minutes later to send Fowley through on goal with success. Thirty one seconds later, Fowley found the target again, this time Speirs and Miettinen picking up assists to put the points firmly beyond the Warriors’ reach. Clashing with Fowley soon after, Watson was sinbinned for holding as he pulled the goal scorer to the ice. This penalty running into the final minute of the game, Solway were able to see out their 6-1 victory without difficulty to return to Dumfries with three points from this North Cup clash.

Photo Credit: IceHockeyMedia - Colin Lawson
Speaking after Whitley’s difficult double header, player-coach David Longstaff noted: “The players have worked hard and given everything. We’ve played a lot of players who don’t get a lot of ice time and I thought our three kids were great.”  Meanwhile, Solway’s Assistant Coach Scott McMeeken told NIHL Northern Trio: “It’s all about performance for us in these last few games on the run-in to playoffs so we knew we had a few things to work on going into the game. I was really pleased with how the guys did as Whitley is always a tough place to play, particularly the young line of forwards we had. It was nice to score a few power play goals too as we’ve not been great on the PP in the last few games.”

For more photos from IceHockeyMedia, please visit: http://www.icehockeymedia.co.uk/.        


No comments:

Post a Comment