CHELMSFORD,U.K-The English National league Division Two 2008-09 campaign has come to an end now for the Chelmsford Chieftains and what a season it has been. 
Only a draw early in the season against the Invicta Mustangs and defeats in the cup against Invicta Dynamos and Peterborough Islanders have prevented the Essex side from winning every game this season. The Chieftains have dominated the league from start to finish with an average league score of 9-2. The champions also racked up an impressive goal difference of 215 in just 32 games. The impressive mount of goals scored is thanks in no small part to the efforts of joint supporter’s players of the year Jerry Pavlus and Danny Hammond. Between them they have scored just under 200 league points and approximately 213 including the cup outings. The points have not been limited to those two though with rejuvenated veteran Richard Whiting also passing the 65 point mark for the season and the Brears brothers, Ross and Lee, also picking up over 60 points a piece. It has not been limited to the high scoring of the forwards that has been the dominance of the Chieftains. Credit must also go to the defence and netminders. The defense has allowed an average of just 22 shots a game on the Chieftains net. Both regular netminders, Ben Clements and Mike Robinson, have save percentage around the 91% mark. Third choice net minder Chris Brummitt hasn’t fared quite as well, but the experience and ice time he has gained will only help his career in the long run. Many have criticised the club and claimed that they were “buying the league” but the mantra of “local players on local teams” has been at the forefront of the selection policy by the management and coaches. Chelmsford has been blessed with many youngsters with a great desire and determination to prove themselves on the Chieftains side. For one reason or another a fair number had left the club and in some cases the sport all together. Early in the summer of 2008 new coach Dean Birrell announced he was holding open trials and anyone was free to attend. Many came back to give it a shot and Birrell was impressed with the array of talent on offer. He jumped at the chance of bringing back the likes of Hammond, Sean Easton, Sean Martin, Reece Covington and Gary & Darren Brown back into the Chieftains fold. As well as those players, he also retained BT Williams, Richard Whiting, Karl Hopper and Robinson from the season before. From the youth set up in Chelmsford he promoted Ross Brears, James Ayling, Tom Foskett, Kane Bartlett and Alex Staples. He also recalled Derek Whitbread and brought in Rudi Dzurko after the season started. Although the likes of BT Williams, Hopper and Easton are all more than capable of dropping the gloves, the important point this season was that the club would not have out and out goons, but tough players who would stick up for their team mates. This was none more evident than in the last away game of the season when a nasty hit from Solent & Gosport Devils’ Will Francis sent Ayling flying into the boards head first and Ross Brears, Whitbread and Dzurko all immediately went to his aid and after Francis. Even the smallest guy on the team, Foskett, went after the mountain of a man Francis and didn’t look phased at all as he knew a message had to be sent that you “don’t push my team mates around”. A delighted Birrell said after the game in Hampshire “I take my hat my hat off to the boys for standing up for their team, even the smaller lads were willing to get stuck in and that shows the attitude I am looking for.” Commenting on the season as a whole Birrell said “I don’t think we have been dominated by any team this season. We’ve had some hard challenges at times and that’s par for the course, we’ve stood up for ourselves well and I can’t ask for any more than that.” Birrell said “You can’t really have asked for any more than what we have given. You could have written a book on the season and how we wanted it to go, but I don’t think anyone could have said how fantastic the ending would be. When we look back to the first game and see how the players have improved since then there is a huge difference in some of them and I am really proud to have been a part of those boys getting better,” “I am sure the lads know what they need to do in the summer to earn their spot for next season and I look forward to seeing how we fare in division one.” Birrell said Contact the author at Pete.lewis@prohockeynews.com
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