Billingham Stars beat Manchester Minotaurs 6-5 in the KD Flavell Cup, lifting spirits ahead of next month’s play-offs
By Carol Ramsden
Billingham Stars continued their preparations for next month’s play-offs with a confidence-boosting 6-5 KD Flavell Cup win at Manchester Minotaurs.
The Ultimate Windows Stars went to Altrincham Ice Bowl with just 13 skaters and one netminder due to injuries and unavailability.
But their short-benched side left with a narrow victory and spirits lifted, to the delight of the club’s director of coaching Terry Ward.
“We worked really hard and the boys did what they had to do,” Ward said.
“We were missing a lot of players again, so a couple of youngsters stepped in and did a really good job, and some of the fringe players really stepped up as well.
“Anthony Price and James McCabe worked great as a duo. And Jack Davies was excellent at the back.”
Ward added: “The cup was important to us overall, because we wanted to keep our momentum going. We’ve had terrible injury problems this year.
“But we’ve had the kids in the cup, they’ve stepped up and let nobody down. That’s good for the future of Billingham.”
A fifth minute interference penalty on youngster Davies was punished almost immediately when prolific Czech import Lukas Zeman lifted a shot over Stars netminder Mark Watson’s glove for the opener.
The game looked to be heading the way of the home team when Jared Dickinson made it 2-0.
The Stars were quick to capitalise on a power play however, Anthony Price opening their account with a speculative effort that trickled through home keeper Nicole Jackson’s pads.
A second Andy Dunn penalty in the 23rd minute was punished almost as quickly when Richie Thornton slapped home the equaliser just 14 seconds into the power play.
It was with a strange sense of déjà vu that Billingham went ahead in the 34th minute.
With Dunn again in the sin bin, their third was credited to Andy Finn, with Davies getting an assist.
It was Manchester’s turn to draw level on the power play in the 36th minute, Dickinson scoring his second of the evening.
The final session saw the Minotaurs give young netminder Harry Greaves some ice time, although neither keeper was troubled until the 51st minute when Price fired his second into the roof of Greaves’ net.
Again the hosts came back and it was 4-4 going into the last five minutes when Manchester’s John Murray was allowed time to pick his spot from point-blank range.
But Billingham were not to be denied and Bowman got the fifth when he was picked out by Ben Davison.
James McCabe put daylight between the teams when he slotted home underneath Greaves’ pads just 17 seconds later for 6-4.
A dramatic late finish then saw Moss miss a penalty shot before Dickinson grabbed a consolation for the home side with his hat-trick third goal.
Billingham will sharpen their tools further this Sunday ahead of the play-offs when they travel to Whitley for a challenge game against the Warriors (5pm face-off).
The return match will be at Billingham Forum on Saturday, April 5 (face-off 6.30pm).
Ward added: “The upcoming challenge series with Whitley will keep us fit and fresh ahead of the play-offs. I’d like nothing more than to see a Billingham v Whitley play-off final.
“It would be tremendous for the North-east, and we’re the only two teams going there without any imports.”
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