Whitley Warriors are thrilled to announce that they will take on local rivals Billingham Stars in a series of pre-season friendlies over the first weekend of September.
Stars’ investment in their young squad started to pay dividends towards the end of last season and they managed to beat Warriors at Hillheads, a feat they haven’t been able to accomplish for a number of years. However, Warriors had the last laugh by knocking Stars out of the Playoff Semi Finals in Altrincham. Local bragging rights are very much up for grabs!
Stars will host Warriors at the Forum Ice Arena on Saturday 2nd September, face off 5:30pm. The return fixture is the following evening, Sunday 3rd September at Hillheads – face off 5pm.
Warriors Head Coach Tony Hand told us, “I’m looking forward to our guys getting back on the ice and the two games against Billingham are exactly the kind of tough pre-season games that we will need. These games will give both sets of players a good test before the season starts. I very much look forward to experiencing the derby atmosphere at two packed houses.”
Stars General Manager Allen Flavell said,”What a fantastic way to start the season! This is an excellent opportunity for both sides to see what sort of teams we have both put together and a real test for us both ahead of what should be a really challenging league. It’s a new start for the Warriors so a great chance for both sets of fans to see what they can expect. I can’t wait!”
Whitley Warriors are looking forward to the trip to Billingham and to welcoming our fans back to Hillheads!