The Whitley Warriors [9-2-2] recorded their largest scoreline of the season on the way to an 11-1 victory over bottom of the league Sheffield Senators.
The visitors arrived on Tyneside with just 11 players (9 skaters, 2 Goalies), after having special dispensation from the league, with most of their younger players being involved in their U-20 game the same day.
Despite travelling with such low numbers, the Senators put in a solid performance that restricted the Warriors scoring at times and even had the chance to score themselves.
Mark Hartley was the Senators star, and earned his team's Man-of-the Match after facing an amazing 106 Shots.
With the Warriors expected to win this game, it gave player-coach David Longstaff the chance to make some changes. Dean Holland, Richie Lawson, Jordan Barnes and Alan Yarrow were all rested, while it gave some of the fringe players the opportunity for some increased ice-time. Young defencemen Stu Tomlinson and Craig Johnson along with recent new signing Phil Pritchard, formed a very effective fourth line which was able to stretch the Senators two-line system and kept our own top two scoring lines fresh.
It was the third line of Liam Smedley, Martin Crammond & Kyle Ross however that started the game and within 30 seconds of that opening shift, Crammond opened the scoring. The Whitley center bagging his second goal of the season.
Just like in the recent game down at iceSheffield between these two sides, no sooner had Whitley taken an early lead, then they were pushed back in their own zone as the Senators took the game to their hosts. However for all of the Senators puck possession, they couldn’t find a way past Mark Turnbull, who was making his first start of the season, in place of the rested Richie Lawson.
Having rode out that particular storm Whitley re-grouped and started creating chances of their own, DJ Good produced a clever back-hander which Hartley saved and twenty seconds later, David Longstaff hit the frame of the goal, with the puck appearing to have beaten the goalie and gone in but no goal was given.
With the game approaching the middle of the opening period Whitley were back amongst the goals as the home side doubled their lead. Scott Cooper finding the back of the net after being set up by Andre Payette. That was the first of three goals in just 149 seconds as Josh Maddock’s shot from distance arrowed in giving Hartley no chance and then Callum Watson’s shot went under the Sheffield goalie's legs and in.
Martin Crammond very nearly scored the goal of the game when he skated past the Senator's defence, turning them inside out before his shot was well-saved once again by Hartley.
The second period seemed to lack some of the cohesiveness of the play from the opening period, but none-the-less brought a further three goals. Kyle Ross had gone close in the opening minutes on a breakaway before captain Jamie Tinsley hit the goal frame full in the face after a great centered pass from Longstaff saw his momentum carry him into the net. It looked painful but that didn’t stop the Whitley captain from putting in one of his best performances of the season with some crunching hits.
Callum Queenan did, finally make it 5-0, when he received the puck on the Senators blue line, sprinted towards the net, faked the goalie, then deked to his right, taking the puck past him and slotting home.
Shaun Kippin looked fired up all game, and was delivering some good hits too. Around the 33 minute mark he played in DJ Good, who unleashed a great one-timer but couldn’t beat Hartley in the goal. The puck cycled back around and on the very next attack, DJ returned the favour, playing in Skippy, who went to sell Hartley a dummy, much like Queenan had earlier, but with the Whitley Left Wing primed to shoot, the Senator's goaltender kicked the net off causing panic in the crease, before defenseman Jordan Martin, pulled the net over and received a delaying the game penalty. Skippy was denied the chance of another goal at 35:31 when he tapped home from close range after Hartley had initially saved but then spilled the puck onto his stick. The officials disallowed the goal for some reason.
Either side of those two chances for Skippy saw Harry Harley net a powerplay goal and then with less than two minutes remaining in the period Craig Johnson found the net with a fierce shot from the point.
Hartley in the Senators goal had faced 78 shots by this point and had only given up Seven goals.
The Senators grabbed a goal back on the powerplay just 90 seconds into the final period. Jordan Boyle, who had replaced Mark Turnbull in the Whitley goal at 26:58 into the game was cleaned out by a Senators attack that also saw the net come off its moorings. With Boyle scrambling to get back up off the ice the Senators had an easy chance to score into the empty net.
Whitley’s final period display was not as good as the opening two, and that allowed Sheffield further chances, including one shot that hit the post. But as the game wore on Whitley’s fresher legs told as the Senators understandably began to tire. Tinsley grabbed a powerplay goal at 53:09 before Martin Crammond grabbed his second of the night, and third of the season, just 60 seconds later.
After the eighth goal went in Hartley clearly wanted to be pulled. Having faced that many shots it’s no wonder. Andre Payette then bagged a brace of goals 138 seconds apart to give the scoreline a more convincing look.
It was an important win for the Warriors who now head into the toughest six games of the season, starting with a difficult trip to Shropshire as they take on the Telford Tigers next week. Sheffield though can be proud of their performance as giving up Eleven goals with only Nine skaters off 106 shots is nothing short of amazing.
Team News
Jordan Barnes and Alan Yarrow sat this game out, while Dean Holland is still returning to full fitness following his attack by the Kirkcaldy Kestrels.
The top line was unchanged, while Callum Watson returned after missing last week’s defeat at Sheffield Spartans, to take his customary position on the second line. The third and fourth lines were mixed up. Martin Crammond and Kyle Ross had a variety of line mates throughout the game with D-men Liam Smedley, Craig Johnson, Stu Tomlinson, Scott Cooper and Phil Pritchard all switching between the defense and forward. Andre Payette who has been moved back to the blue line this season also had a few shifts at forward.
The Defensive pairings remained pretty much the same with Dan Pye looking back to his best and free of injury alongside Josh Maddock and Joe Stamp lined up alongside Harry Harley. Scott Cooper and Andre Payette started the game as the third pairing but each took turns to play forward.
Richie Lawson has been in fantastic form this season and earnt himself a well-deserved rest. Mark Turnbull started the game and played 26:58, keeping a clean sheet in the process. Jordan Boyle saw 33:02 minutes of action and only gave up that one goal that probably shouldn’t have stood.
25 Longstaff - 27 Tinsley - 15 Queenan
11 Kippin - 9 DJ Good - 6 Watson
8 Smedley - 18 Crammond - 13 Ross
23 Pritchard - 71 Tomlinson - 4 Johnson
38 Pye - 19 Maddock
3 Stamp - 24 Harley
21 Cooper - 7 Payette
84 Turnbull - 29 Boyle
Opposition View
Sheffield arrived with just Nine skaters. That saw two forward lines and three defensemen who rotated their time on the ice. Despite bringing a back goalie in Robert Browne, they decided to let Mark Hartley play the full game. A move that worked as Hartley posted an 89.62 save percentage.
20 Parkes-Britton 21 Humphries 73 Harding
19 Towler 54 Hurst 3 Simms
24 Martin/10 Bell/4 Otley
33 Hartley - 32 Browne
David Longstaff: 'Our six hardest games are up next so it's good we've had a great start with the win over the Senators.'
Other Results
Saturday, November 21
Sheffield Senators v Sutton 1-4
Solway v Sheffield Spartans 1-5
Sunday, November 22
Blackburn v Solihull 8-2
Billingham v Solway 5-3
No comments:
Post a Comment