SUNDERLAND CHIEFS
V
BILLINGHAM EAGLES
ED1 NORTH-PLAY OFF GAME
16TH MARCH 2000
Thursday 16th March saw the Eagles take a trip to Crowtree Leisure Centre to take on the Sunderland Chiefs in the Eagles opening game of their play off campaign.Eagles were without Gary Dowd and Simon Burns who were both suspended, however Tom Brown made a welcome return to his game following injury.
With the decision of the EIHA directors regarding the outcome of the Kingston fixture not available before the face off it was vital that the Eagles take both points from this game.
1st Period
The game opened with fast end to end hockey with the Eagles applying slightly more pressure to the Chiefs, early indications were for a close game, with every loose puck fought for and every challenge to be won. Stephen Wallace was unlucky in the seventh minute when following some nice stick work and a back pass from Andy Fletcher his shot went narrowly wide.Chiefs returned the action to the Eagles end and Mckay released a worthy shot that was equally matched by Adam Flett in the Eagles net. In the 7th minute Andy Fletcher found himself in the clear approaching the Chiefs net one on one with Stephen Wall, Wall kept his eye on the puck and smothered it well.The deadlock was brocken at 12:23 when Chiefs got the first marker of the night scored unassisted by Chris Earl. Just over a minute later the Chiefs were celebrating their second goal, a slapshot that Adam Flett looked to have capably covered wriggled its way through him to make it Chiefs 2 Eagles 0. The Eagles to their credit kept their heads up and returned the pressure on the Chiefs, this pressure paid off when Martin Lewis found the net assisted by Simon Hehir and Richie Thornton.At 16:10 Stephen Wallace fired home through a very crowded crease to level the score at 2 goals each, assisted by Andy Fletcher and Brian Perry. The Chiefs were not going to take this game lying down and under a minute later at 17:09 we had a game on our hands when some good fast passing and nice finishing from Andrew Tindale edged the Chiefs back in to the front (assist Michael Bowman).At 19:03 the Chiefs goal area was packed with players, numerous shots were blocked and deflected untill Andy Fletcher found the way through to score unassisted and finish the first off even at three goals each.
2nd Period
Eight minutes of deadlock were brocken when a well taken shot rebounded off Chiefs netminder stephen Wall, the scramble for the resulting loose puck resulted in Eagles Martin Lewis and Chiefs Bobby Jinks both sitting for 2 minute cross check penaltys, play reduced to four on four. At the thirty minute mark some nice passing and skating from Winndridge, Brown and Perry resulted in a shot from Paul Winndridge just going wide of the mark. Two minutes later Paul Winndridge was again denied what would have been a cracking goal by the lightening reactions of Stephen Wall in the Chiefs net, Spike found himself behind the net with Wall over committed to the right post, Spike rushed forward in an attempt to tuck it in wrap around style at the foot of the left post, only to be denied by Wall who recovered well to clear the puck off the line at full stretch. For the remainder of the second period the shutters went up at both ends. There was a worrying moment when Eagles net minder Adam Flett lost sight of the puck after it got under his field of vision to lay unattended on the edge of the Eagles crease , Fletty found it and smothered it.
3rd Period
Twenty five seconds into the third saw the Eagles move ahead when Stephen Wallace collected a well placed pass in front of the Chiefs net,swapping from forehand to backhand and then flicking a back hand shot into the Chiefs net to move the Eagles ahead by One. The Chiefs went shorthanded when Bobby Jinks collected a 2 minute interference penalty, however although the heat was turned up on the Eagles the Chiefs denied them any spoils from the power play.Three minutes later the scenario was repeated Jinks went for another 2 minute sit this time for High sticks, again the Eagles piled on the pressure but the Chiefs shutters were down. With six minutes to go an incident on the boards left Eagles blue liner Ian Richardson in pain, he took a puck or stick to the leg earlier in the game that obviously caused some pain.At 54:18 the Eagles collected a 2 minute interference penalty, this time it was the Eagles turn to put up a blockade and they managed to play off the penalty without loss.Just over two minutes later the Eagles collected another penalty with Ian Richardson collecting a 2 minute holding penalty, with three minutes to play the Eagles hung on, then with 15 seconds left the Chiefs pulled the keeper to gain the man advantage, the last fifteen seconds saw everyone scramble for the puck,play again halted with six seconds left, the Eagles still denied the Chiefs to finnish the game deserved winners.Sunderland Chiefs 3 : Billingham Eagles 4
An exciting first period turned into a game of attrition as both teams tried to wear the other down, some tired legs at the end of that one not helped by the 9pm face off and the 11:20pm final hooter, never mind the Eagles will be back on day shift on Saturday when the second installment of this play off battle takes place at the Forum at 6pm.
PERIOD SCORES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | FINAL | |
| SUNDERLAND | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| BILLINGHAM | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
PENALTIES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| SUNDERLAND | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| BILLINGHAM | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
SHOTS ON GOAL
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| SUNDERLAND | 17 | 14 | 17 | 48 |
| BILLINGHAM | 9 | 20 | 7 | 36 |
SPIRIT OF THE GAME AWARDS
SUNDERLAND - ANDREW MONROE
BILLINGHAM - PHILLIP PRITCHARD
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