PREVIEW: MATCH WEEK 14

BILLINGHAM STARS need to bounce back from their second National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 defeat of the season at Blackburn Hawks last weekend when they take on Solihull Barons at the Forum on Sunday evening.

Last season’s runners-up Solihull find themselves in unfamiliar territory – languishing back in fifth place in the table, already out of the Cup competition and with considerable work to do to make sure they are in the mix come the business end of the season. Inconsistency has proved their undoing, along with an over-reliance on a formidable top line that is up there amongst the best in the League. Make no mistake, when Niklas Ottosson and the two Mulcahy brothers are firing, the Barons pose a considerable threat to any team in North 1, as 96 points between them thus far demonstrates. Tellingly Solihull’s next two in the points scoring table are their top line defencemen – Alex Whyte and Bailey Challans – which shows that perhaps their scoring depth is not what it should be to mount a serious challenge. They are coming to Teesside on the back of a much-improved weekend last time out however, two very impressive wins on the road at Hull Jets and Nottingham Lions achieved without the injured Phil Mulcahy shows that they are capable of playing without one of their top line trio. It remains to be seen if Phil Mulcahy will ice this Sunday.

🔗 Solihull Barons on Elite Prospects: https://www.eliteprospects.com/team/1525/solihull-barons

The Stars are looking to put last Sunday’s loss behind them and get back on track in front of the Forum faithful. ‘One result does not define a season’, and travelling to Lancashire with only four defencemen was always going to be a big ask on the big pad in Blackburn. Both Darren Stattersfield and Ben Greenhalgh will serve the last of their suspensions this Sunday, but Joe Walls should return and Conner McNulty is expected to ice.

Billingham face Solihull Barons in a National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 clash on Sunday at the Forum, face off 5.30pm. Tickets are priced at £14 adults, £10 concessions, £46 family [2+2].

Weekend Fixtures:

NIHL N1 Saturday:

✈️ Hull Jets 🆚 Nottingham Lions 🦁

NIHL N1 Sunday:

🐉 Deeside Dragons 🆚 Sheffield Scimitars 🗡️

💫 Billingham Stars 🆚 Solihull Barons ⚜️

🐾 Widnes Wild 🆚 Whitley Warriors 🏹

🦁 Nottingham Lions 🆚 Hull Jets ✈️

⚔️ Leeds Knights 2 🆚 Blackburn Hawks 🦅