Renegades’ revenge over Stars so sweet
WHITLEY Renegades picked up their first victory of the season in the English Under-20 North League after defeating Billingham Stars 6-4 at Hillheads.
It was the second meeting of the six scheduled league games this season - and revenge for Renegades after they were beaten 6-3 on Teesside last month.
The Renegades made the better start and were ahead after three minutes through Thomas Fraser.
Two minutes later the lead was doubled when Jamie Ord - provider for the opening goal - netted after being set up by Ross Douglass.
The deficit was halved in the twelfth minute when Joseph Walls found a way past Jack Wakefield.
In the final minute of the first period Whitley’s two-goal cushion was restored as Robert Mitchell and Fraser assisted on a Douglass strike.
Billingham stepped up the pressure in the middle period and kept Wakefield busy.
He denied the Stars before they halved the Renegades’ lead just three minutes in and 19 seconds into a powerplay - Josh Reynolds feeding Callum Wilkinson to fire the puck past Wakefield at 23.03.
The scores were level four minutes later when Stars’ defenceman Stuart Jackson fired home.
The Renegades took advantage of their next powerplay when Fraser sent the puck into the path of Ross Dixon, who restored the home side’s lead to 4-3 at 30.50 for his third goal of the season.
The home side was again shorthand early in the final period and it brought Billingham back level at 4-4 through Wilkinson.
However, in the build-up to the goal a minor penalty call on Alex Nergaard meant the Renegades were short-hand for two minutes.
Five minutes later Fraser - with his third assist of the game - set up Mitchell for a 5-4 lead at 48.01.
The Stars tried to get back on level terms but found Wakefield in no mood to concede.
They even pulled their netminder in the final minute - but the Renegades secured the victory with another Douglass goal with 36 seconds left - his fourth of the season.