BILLINGHAM EAGLES V KINGSTON JETS
ENHL NORTH
25th November 2000
Saturday 25th November saw the Eagles welcoming the players and officials of the Kingston Jets, Eagles were without Simon Hehir, serving a suspension, injured Stephen Wallace and injured Tom Brown. However captain Paul Windridge returned from injury and Adam Flett returned to man the pipes.
Tonight's game could prove vital in deciding the ENHL north winners, with the Eagles enjoying a three point cushion and a game in hand at the top of the League, tonight's visitors the Kingston Jets would be trying their best to clip the wings of the Eagles and keep them within range of the rest of the League.
First Period
The way the first opened was proof of the importance of tonight's match for both teams, the effort put in by both sides testified to this. At 2:55 Gareth Crinnion was unlucky to be penalised for a 2 minute elbows penalty, although he made contact with his elbow it was his height more than his intent that was the problem. As the Eagles found themselves a man down player coach Andre Malo put on an admirable display of stick handling and skating skills weaving and dekeing around the Kingston power play unit. The penalty was played off without loss. At 5:52 Jets went short handed when Paul Wallace was called for a minute elbowing penalty. The Eagles were unable to penetrate the Jets net as they kept the Eagles at bay and played off the penalty. Making a welcome return was Adam Flett who performed some excellent saves one of which occurred in the seventh minute when he stopped a looping puck from slipping under the cross bar with his stick at half stretch as he fell backwards on to the ice. At 14:26 Eagles Brian Perry and Jets Tim Rion sat for a 2 minutes coincidental penalty for delaying the game. Paul Windridge found himself in the penalty box at 15:11 after collecting a charging call, as spike and a jets player chased a puck into the bar end left corner the resulting impact on the boards in the eyes of referee Wardell constituted charging. As both teams had defended well and we looked in for a tight game the first closed without score.
Second Period
The second opened with the Eagles going short handed as Gareth Crinnion collected a 2 minute penalty call for hooking, again the Eagles played the penalty off without loss, the second period carried on in much the same vein as the first both teams were defending tight and the attention to defending and the desire not to concede the first goal was providing little opportunity up front. The go ahead goal came at 24:53 when Kingstons Paul Wallace pushed the puck home in a goal mouth scramble to open the Jets account. At 25:40 the Jets again found themselves short handed when Matt Street collected a 2 minute slashing penalty. The Eagles applied the pressure in the resulting power play and a well placed pass from Andre Malo was met with a well taken shot from Martin Lewis who evened things up at 26:32 with a second assist to Gary Dowd. Another coincidental penalty was called at 29:46 when Brian Perry was called for high sticking as he attempted to unlodge a " bobbling" puck from the glove of Jets netminder Karl Holmes, the resulting indignation from Jets Anaheim Hunt at Braids High sticking resulted in him collecting a 2 minute roughing penalty as he expressed his dissatisfaction with the Eagles assistant captain. Eagles moved ahead at 30:42 when Gary Dowd blasted home a rebound from a shot against Karl Holmes, assist going to Tom Griffiths and Martin Lewis. Eagles gained a one goal cushion when at 33:12 Andre Malo again exhibited superb stick handling and skating skills to deke around Jets net minder Holmes and then push the puck under him. Eagles again went short handed when Gareth Crinnion was called for a 2 minute elbows call at 34:20, he also received a plus 2 when he knocked the puck away after the referees whistle and call. With the Eagles now short handed Andy Fletcher found himself in the clear going one on one with Karl Holmes, finishing with style Andy made it Eagles 4 : Jets 1. Another over cautious call from referee Wardell at 35:30 saw Brian Perry called for cross checking, the fact that the deed was done with one hand and the resulting over reaction of the jets player indicated that Referee Wardell did not witness the light shove that caused the theatrical dive, Brians reaction to the call generated the Wardell plus 2 for unsportsman like conduct that we have become used to. At 36:25 Jets Ryan Lake scored unassisted on the power play to reduce the deficit but the Eagles were not going to be stopped as it now became evident that the jets were starting to tire. It was Kingstons turn to go short handed at 37:59 when Paul Wallace collected a 2 minute interference call plus 2 minutes for unsportsman like conduct ( sound familiar ) . The second closed Eagles 4 : Kingston 2.
Third Period
The resulting power play that carried over from the second, gave Andy Fletcher his second goal of the night when only 47 seconds into the third he tipped in a Paul Windridge shot. Eagles youngster Tom Griffiths strengthened the Eagles grip on the game when he blasted home a drop pass from Gary Dowd at 46:43 to make it Eagles 6 : Jets 2. Things started to get niggly at 54:41 when Eagles Gareth Crinnion collected a 2 minute roughing penalty. The Eagles held off the Jets whose game play was going no where with each attack seeming to peter out at the blue line. A call against Andy Fletcher left most people scratching their heads, as he raced in on a puck that was covered by Jets net minder Mall Staunton he applied the brakes in true Jim Earle style releasing the customary dose of cool refreshing spray into the face of aforementioned net minder, the resulting cross check from Jets Ryan Lake to Andy Fletcher was totally over the top, and the 2 minute penalty awarded to Andy for basically stopping rather than wiping out the keeper took some fathoming. At 58:08 a rare event took place as the normally ice cool player coach of the Eagles Andre Malo saw red and was thrown out of the game with a 2 minute roughing plus 2 x 10 minute misconduct penalty's, the cause of Andre`s annoyance was Jets Andrew Munroe who whimped out of a hit on the boards by ducking out, this can be a very dangerous move as the very low point of contact upon the incoming player can cause a devastating trip against the boards with a high chance of head/ / neck injury. As Mr Wardell sorted out the penalty his nights work was not over as Jets Nathan Hunt and Gary Dowd roughed it up, the resulting penalty's saw Gary Dowd thrown out with a match penalty and Hunt collect a 10 minute misconduct call. As play resumed Eagles Brian Perry and Jets Chris Markham were awarded penalty's as Brian retaliated against Markhams holding. A lively Finnish to a game that was closer than the score suggests saw the Eagles collect another 2 points in their league campaign. Billingham Eagles 8 : Kingston Jets 2.
PERIOD SCORES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | FINAL | |
| BILLINGHAM | 0 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| KINGSTON | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
PENALTIES
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| BILLINGHAM | 6 | 12 | 65 | 83 |
| KINGSTON | 4 | 10 | 21 | 35 |
SHOTS ON GOAL
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | TOTAL | |
| FLETT (Bham) | 12 | 14 | 8 | 34 |
| HOLMES (Kin) | 11 | 10 | 2 | 23 |
| STAUNTON (Kin) | - | - | 8 | 8 |