Billingham Bears dropped their first point of the season in the English U16 North A League against Sunderland Arrows.

Leaders Bears, the only team that had a 100 per cent record, were held to a 3-3 draw by Arrows who had not taken a point from three previous matches.

Robert Dowd put Bears ahead after only 12 seconds for the only goal of the opening period. Michael Farn was on target at 16.22 to double Bears' lead.

Arrows opened their account with a Ben Connon strike at 20.21 and two minutes later the scores were level when Jimmy Moutrey beat Martin Donis in the Bears' net. Sunderland took the lead at 25.52 when Richard Westgarth struck.

At the end of the second period Dowd was out of the match on receiving his second ten-minute misconduct of the game for comments made to the officials. Richard Lawson in Arrows' net was denying Bears an equaliser until with 73 seconds remaining Paul Smith scored for a share of the spoils.

Bears: Robert Dowd, Michael Farn, Paul Smith 1+0.

Arrows: Richard Westgarth 1+1, Ben Connon, Jimmy Moutrey 1+0.

Billingham's Robert Dowd and Sunderland's Richard Westgarth are in Konigsberg, Norway this week with a Great Britain U16 squad for a training camp. This week sees the British youngsters train and play against youngsters from Germany, Holland and Norway. They will also have the opportunity to learn from different styles of coaching plus off ice activities.

Whitley Tomahawks are still without a point in the U16 North A after a 15-1 defeat at Sheffield Rapiers. Sheffield went 2-0 ahead inside six minutes and led 5-0 before Jamie Tinsley scored Whitley's consolation goal at 17.35.

Tomahawks: Jamie Tinsley 1+0, Nathan Taylor 0+1.

Sunderland Commanches suffered mixed fortunes in their two English U14 North A League games at the weekend. On Saturday at the Forum Ice Arena they had a 10-0 win over Billingham Falcons. Grant Sharp gave Commanches the lead at 07.15 and Callum Pattison added a second 16 seconds later.

Sharp, Nathan Salem, Jimmy Moutrey and Pattison increased Commanches' lead to 6-0 at the end of the first period. Moutrey and Salem made it 8-0 by 24.55 at which time Chris Snaith replaced Jayce Nunn in Falcons' net. Pattison finished the game with four goals after completing the scoring with two final period goals.

Whitley Mohawks, without a point from three starts, gained valuable points after a 5-3 win over Commanches at Hillheads. Mohawks led with the only goal of the first period through a Callum Watson effort.

Pattison and Salem scored in a minute to give Sunderland a 2-1 lead at 22.20. A powerplay goal two minutes later from Watson levelled the match. Andrew Wood restored Whitley's lead when short-handed at 39.27.

Salem equalised at 41.43 only for Wood to strike for Mohawks on the powerplay a minute later. In the final minute with 29 seconds left Watson's hat-trick marker made certain of Whitley's victory.

Commanches (v Billingham): Callum Pattison 4+0, Grant sharp 2+2, Nathan Salem 2+1, Jimmy Moutrey 2+0, Richard Emerson, Martin Hall, Mark Bell 0+1.

(v Whitley): Salem 2+0, Pattison 1+1, Emerson 0+1.

Mohaws: Callum Watson 3+0, Andrew Wood 2+0, Jamie Tinsley 0+3, Josh Buck 0+2.

Billingham Falcons were at the Telewest Arena to meet Sunderland's second team Mohicans in an U14 B Challenge. Falcons fell into penalty trouble early in the match as Jonathan Galloway received a ten-minute misconduct penalty in the second minute and Andy Finn received two ten-minute misconduct penalties at 07.15 which resulted in automatic dismissal from the game.

Mohicans went ahead in the 20th minute with a Daniel Coffey powerplay goal. Callum Davies added a second at 32.20 and a 4-0 victory was wrapped up with late gorls from Joseph Royle and Davies.

Mohicans: Callum Davies 2+1, Joseph Royle 1+1, Daniel Coffey 1+0, Jack Watkins 0+1.

Sunderland Tomahawks remain at the foot of the English U19 North A League without a point after a 3-1 defeat at Telford Trojans. Prior to the start of the game neither side had a point.

Telford converted their first powerplay to take the lead at 12.30. Tomahawks drew level through Jonny Heslop also on a powerplay. In the 33rd minute the home side regained their advantage just before the end of the second period.

Tomahawks' netminder Mark Lee was beaten for the third time in the 57th minute. Lee was Sunderland's man of the match in a game in which his side were outshot 45-23.

Tomahawks: Jonny Heslop 1+0, David Michie, Richard Westgarth 0+1.

Whitley Braves won their first U19 North A League game of the season at Hillheads overcoming Blackburn Thunderhawks 5-3. Ben Campbell put Braves ahead in the second minute and Blackburn drew level at 09.52. Shaun Kippin scored twice to give Whitley a 3-1 lead after the opening period.

Blackburn cut the deficit with the only goal of the second period. Andrew Wile with two goals in seven minutes saw Braves into a 5-2 lead at 53.23.

Stephen Hoult in Braves' net kept out Blackburn in the final period until 58.49 when they scored a third on the powerplay.

Braves: Andrew wile 2+2, Shaun Kippin 2+0, Ben Campbell 1+1.

Sunderland Apaches and Billingham Coyotes met in an U10 challenge at the Telewest Arena. A flood of goals came in the final period as Apaches won 8-2 after a goalless first period.

Dale Sharp broke the deadlock at 21.49 for Apaches. Two goals in 27 seconds from Jack Emerson and Harry Chapman saw Coyotes go 2-1 ahead at 23.24. Two powerplay goals in three minutes from Luke Shanks restored Apaches to a 34-2 lead. Shanks completed a straight hat-trick at 20.34 before Sharp scored four in a row to round off the scoring.

Apaches: Dale Sharp 5+1, Luke Shanks 3+4, Sean Bamblin 0+2, Lee Gill 0+1.

English National Hockey League North

Sunderland Chiefs have four points from three matches after a 7-3 victory at Grimsby Buffaloes. The result was in no doubt after the first period with Chiefs holding a 4-0 lead. Jonny Heslop put Chiefs ahead at 02.05 and Shaun Black scored a second 12 seconds later. David Michie hit a third at 05.38 and Michael Allinson a fourth in the final minute of the period.

Mark Lee was beaten at 32.20 for Grimsby's opening goal and the four-goal cushion was restored two minutes later through Stuart Weaver.

The final period was shared with two goals apiece and Kirstian Lloyd's brace at 42.43 and 59.12 coming either side of Grimsby's two goals.

Chiefs: Kristian Lloyd 2+0, Shaun Black 1+2, Stuart Weaver, David Michie, Michael Allison, Jonny Heslop 1+0, Sean Anderson 0+2.

Billingham Bombers were involved in two ENHL North games at the weekend. At Hull Ice Arena Bombers on Saturday defeated Kingston Jets 4-3. Martin Lewis gave Billingham a third minute lead on the powerplay and Andrew Wells struck a second in the 14th minute. There was only ten seconds left in the first period when Andrew Thornton netted a third.

Kingston, bottom of the table without a point, opened their account at 29.09 and the three-goal lead was restored with Lewis' second of the game at 34.31. Jets plugged away at Bombers and pulled two goals back to come within one of Billingham with five minutes left.

Bombers called a time out a minute later, a tactic that worked as Adam Flett in Bombers' net and the defence held firm for a 4-3 Bombers victory.

Billingham played host to last season's champions Sheffield Scimitars and went down to a 5-1 defeat. The Teessiders were far from disgraced and it was only tired legs late in the final period gave Sheffield a more convincing victory.

Paul Windridge put Bombers ahead in the 13th minute and a minute later Sheffield scrambled home an equaliser. Two minutes later Scimitars went ahead with a wraparound goal.

Trailing by one Billingham were always in sight of Sheffield, but tiredness set in and Sheffield pounced to take advantage with three goals in the final five minutes.

Bombers (v Kingston): Martin Lewis 2+1, Andrew Thornton 1+1, Andrew Wells 1+0, Simon Hehir 0+3, Paul Windridge 0+2.

(v Sheffield): Windridge 1+0, Lewis, David Thomas 0+1.

Whitley Warriors have now had five successive league and cup defeats following a 4-2 loss at Blackburn Hawks on Saturday. Warriors had a smaller squad and put up a creditable performance. Hawks scored twice in a minute at the end of the first period.

Andrew Carter cut the deficit with a goal two minutes into the second period, the only goal of the period. Hawks went 4-1 ahead before Andrew Tindale rounded off the scoring on the powerplay at 58.55.

Warriors' coaching duties were done by Gary Wood as Peter Winn was away with the U16s at Sheffield.

Warriors: Andrew Carter, Andrew Tindale 1+1, Paul Graham 0+1.

Whitley Bay Squaws lost 5-4 at Nottingham Vipers in the women's division one North, a thrilling end to end encounter which saw Nottingham go 1-0 ahead with a third minute powerplay. Squaws drew level two minutes later through Becky Kasner and she added two more to complete her hat-trick at 11.51 and 13.04 for a 3-1 first period lead.

Vipers were level inside two minutes of the restart and scored a fourth after 32 minutes. A fifth followed at 44.31 which was quickly replied to in less than a minute when Charlotte Willey scored.

Whitley tried to snatch an equaliser but Nottingham held on for victory.

Squaws: Becky Kasner 3+1, Charlotte Willey 1+0, Vicki Wood, Katie Watson 0+1.

Fixtures

Tonight: Findus British National League: Newcastle KBS Vipers v Hull Stingray (7.15pm)

Tomorrow: Findus British National League: Newcastle KBS Vipers v Edinburgh Capitals (6.30pm)

English U19 North A League: Billingham Wolves v Kingston Predators (5.30).

English U14 North A League: Sunderland Commanches v Nottingham Tigers (noon)

English U14 North B League: Sunderland Mohicans v Nottingham Ice Cats (2.30pm)

English U12 North A League: Sheffield Lasers v Whitley Arrows (2pm)

English U10 North Challenge: Solihull Kings v Sunderland Apaches (4.15pm).

Sunday: Findus British National League: Dundee Stars v Newcastle KBS Vipers (6.30pm)

English National Hockey League North: Whitley Warriors v Grimsby Buffaloes (6.30pm)

English U12 North A League: Whitley Bay Arrows v Kingston Rivermen (12.15pm).