Weekend Preview: Match Week 30
WITH THE regular National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Division 1 season now at an end, attention for the top eight finishers turns to the playoffs and this quarter final weekend that will determine the Final Four who will contest the playoff crown at IceSheffield.
For Champions Billingham, the playoff draw means a quarter final series against the eighth placed finishers Nottingham Lions. The Lions just pipped Sheffield Scimitars to the last playoff berth last weekend, a defeat to Whitley Warriors left them needing a favour from Hull Jets, but with the Scimitars unable to get the two points they needed it is Nottingham who skate out this weekend. The Lions will need to achieve something that they have failed to do in the four regular season meetings between the two sides, and that is to win at least one of the games. The closest that Nottingham have got to the Stars was a 2-5 home defeat back in November, so a significant improvement on previous performances is required. The Lions will be without their talismanic forward Zach Yokoyama who picked up a suspension in the recent League encounter with Solihull Barons.
It’s a clean slate today for the Stars, a chance to put their recent mini-slump behind them and rediscover the form that gave them the League title. On paper Billingham start the series as clear favourites, but games are not won on paper and the Teessiders will need to find their scoring sticks and their mojo to get past an always-resolute Nottingham side. The early face off today gives an additional chance for rest and recuperation before tomorrow’s home leg, but Billingham will still have gaps in the squad as illness and injury keep out some key players – Iain Brown remains on the treatment table and Jack Emerson is rated as highly doubtful for this weekend.
The Stars face Nottingham Lions over two legs in this weekend’s National Ice Hockey League (N) Moralee Playoff quarterfinal series. The away leg is today at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, face off 1.20pm. It’s back at the Forum tomorrow afternoon, face off 4.30pm. Tickets are priced at £12.50 adults, £8 concessions, £38 family [2+2].
Weekend Fixtures:
NIHL(N)1 Playoff Quarterfinals:
Nottingham Lions v Billingham Stars, Saturday 1.20pm
Deeside Dragons v Whitley Warriors, Saturday 5.15pm
Hull Jets v Blackburn Hawks, Saturday 5.30pm
Widnes Wild v Solihull Barons, Saturday 5.30pm
Billingham Stars v Nottingham Lions, Sunday 4.30pm
Whitley Warriors v Deeside Dragons, Sunday 5pm
Blackburn Hawks v Hull Jets, Sunday 6pm
Solihull Barons v Widnes Wild, Sunday 7pm